Anyone still use oil-based paint?
This week I was using latex gloss paint on the woodwork in the room I’m re-decorating, When the can ran out I hunted in the tool room for another can of matching color and found one that I had bought about a year ago before I forsook my notion that, for woodwork, oil-based was superior…
This week I was using latex gloss paint on the woodwork in the room I’m re-decorating, When the can ran out I hunted in the tool room for another can of matching color and found one that I had bought about a year ago before I forsook my notion that, for woodwork, oil-based was superior to latex. Now, having seen the finish on my latest work, I think it was a mistake to give up that notion. Despite the longer drying time and messier brush clean-up, I reckon the smoother, almost mirror-like finish of oil-based makes the inconvenience more than worthwhile. “Save petroleum products for paint!”, I say.
I have had terrible results w latex Home Depot paint–everytime I wash the woodwork it remains tacky for weeks. Every time. THEN I tried the hoity-toity (spoken: $$) Dutch oil-based paint from Fine Paints of Europe. OMG. What a difference. Worth every Euro. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to latex for my woodwork.
Can you use a oil base enemel paint. To paint a resin water fountain.
8:29, not a dumb question.
can you?- yes. should you?- no. Latex is soft like a pillow and oil is hard like glass. If you place the glass on top of a pillow it will break easily. Likewise oil will tend to craze (crack) and chip off. It should be sanded to create micro-abrasions to make a mechanical bond.
I have had good luck with B. M. satin impervo water based enamel thinned with floetrol. It’s not glossy but if you are one of those painter who knows when to leave good enough alone you can get a really nice finished look. I have a feeling that there are plenty of VOC’s still in the water based version of the alkalid enamel. I personally prefer oil based but the yellowing over time can be a problem in dark rooms like interior stairwells.
What about wood that’s already painted? Can you put the oil based paint on top? I know… dumb question, but I really don’t know.
I prefer water-based if only for ease of cleanup. But i used oil for the bathroom, semi-gloss, knowing it would be easier to clean and possibly more durable.
A tip to get a better finish with water-based paints, besides sanding w/220 between coats, is to add Floetrol to the paint. It levels better and gives you a little more working time before drying.
Old oil paints were glossy due to their high heavy metal (lead) content. Almost all paints begin as a high gloss. Silica is added to reduce the sheen, which softens the finish. High gloss is a superior finish, the sheen will die down over the first several weeks or can be dulled with “0000” steel wool. Most paint and varnish makers recommend applying the high gloss first followed by a lower sheen for the maximum durability.
10:12- By mixing your solvent waste with old plaster, Portland cement, or grout you are converting it to a solid so they don’t find their way in to the water.
I like a glossy finish but that’s because I grew up in old English houses where high gloss is commonly used. I agree that on a poorly prepared surface, a highly reflective paint reveals too many flaws and can look tacky. But the painters of my youth used high gloss oil based paint and knew how to apply it perfectly. We have used both flat and semi-gloss oil paint with great results. Flat finishes are a more recent fashion — but it’s not the best or only option.
11:04, you’ll see the “create a forum post” up near the header.
Ok, so I have a question: Am I the only one who can’t deal with glossy finishes? My husband makes fun of me because I freak out if something isn’t dead flat.