Most painters use either oil-based or latex paint. Both of these are commonly used for residential painting projects. Both offer good coverage and long-lasting paint, but the differences in their composition will affect the results.
Different projects and surfaces call for oil-based or latex paint. Here are a few tips to help you decide. If you’re still confused, ask your painting contractors for guidance.
Benefits of Oil-Based Paint
Oil-based paint is made with petrochemical solvents. Although less popular now that advances in painting technology have made other paint formulas, it still has its uses. Oil-based paint is renowned for its durability and resistance to shrinkage.
Oil-based paint is more forgiving in some ways than latex paint. It usually requires fewer coats to achieve the same amount of coverage. It also stays fluid for longer once it’s opened, meaning that painters can take their time instead of rushing through a job before the paint dries.
Benefits of Latex Paint
Latex paint, or water-based acrylic paint, is much easier to use than oil-based paint. It dries quickly, making it a better choice for high-traffic areas (however, sometimes it is a bad thing that it dries so quickly because it is harder to cover up brush strokes). It also makes for a more pleasant painting experience because it does not smell nearly as bad as oil-based paint and is easily cleaned up with water.
You can also paint with latex paints at temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that it can be used during more seasons.
Latex paint is also more durable over time. It does not yellow or stain. It also resists flaking or peeling, which happens to other common paints as they age.
Finally, latex is much safer for the environment. Oil-based paint needs to be disposed of using specific protocols to avoid pollution, but latex paint is gentler on the health of humans and nature.
When to Use Oil-Based Paint
Thanks to its extreme durability and hard finish, oil-based paint is a good choice for surfaces that receive a lot of wear and tear. It is particularly relevant for exterior surfaces that need to survive human usage and weather conditions, such as porch floors, trims, or doors.
Oil-based paint is also better for wooden surfaces because latex paint can warp the wood if you do not carefully sand the surface between each layer.
When to Use Latex Paint
Latex paint is durable enough for interior and exterior projects. It is much less toxic than oil-based paint, so most painting contractors use it for the majority of their projects. Latex formulas have evolved so they are durable enough to withstand exterior painting jobs, displacing oil-based paints as the favorite.
You can even paint over oil-based paint using latex paint, while you cannot do the reverse.
Most painting projects require latex paint, which is favored by amateurs and professionals alike for its lack of odor and easy cleanup. However, for heavy-duty projects such as exterior areas that receive lots of wear and tear, oil-based paint is best.