Oil Paint for Porch?
I am in a 115-year-old Victorian house. I have just redone the front wrap-around porch w/ Douglas Fir T&G, all new wood (700sq/ft.). I am torn between painting with oil (alkyd) or water paint. I have a roof over the porch and ideally would like to get some life out of paint before I need…
I am in a 115-year-old Victorian house. I have just redone the front wrap-around porch w/ Douglas Fir T&G, all new wood (700sq/ft.). I am torn between painting with oil (alkyd) or water paint. I have a roof over the porch and ideally would like to get some life out of paint before I need to repaint. I think oil is the way to go but welcome suggestions. BTW…we are frequent visitors in Ft Greene, Park Slope etc. Love it. Born Quentin Rd Area.
Thanks.
Fred
So, to digress slightly from the OP’s question, exterior acrylic latex is fine to use generally for exterior painting — say, window frames or porch columns? (Just a couple of the painting jobs I have in mind). I always assumed that oil based was the way to go for exterior work.
Funny, I just got a bid from a contractor experienced in Victorian Flatbush houses and he, too, specified “oil primer under latex paint” for the painting bid…and I have also heard the standard, “Never put latex over alkyd.” So I’m puzzled too…unless oil-based primer is a different story than just putting latex over an oil-paint top coat.
Minard, you are so up on the latest and the oldest things.
Has anyone heard you can’t apply latex over oil based paint? When I moved into a coop, someone had just painted the place and two minutes later the top layer of paint on all the woodwork and cupboards was peeling. (The paint underneath was solid.) Basically ruined the original kitchen cupboards, although it was moot since the next occupant tore them out. I always thought it was because he used latex over oil. Thoughts?
It used to be that oil-based paints were best. But with the mandated removal of lead and most of the volatile oils and other toxic components, it isn’t really that much good any more (unless you can sneak in some good old-fashioned paint from the UK or Canada). Today, the acrylic latex are the superior paints, although nowhere as good as the oil paint of yore.
Make sure you get “exterior” latex.
I would however recommend using an oil base (deck enamel) on the walking surface of the porch. You might even want to use a sanded one on the steps. I did that on my Victorian painted lady in Chicago and was very happy with it.
I’ve done a number of houses and always use oil based primer and 100% acrylic latex top. Buy the best quality. Use Pratt & Lambert, Benjamin Moore, Martin Senour or Sherwin Williams. I’m convinced that the brands sold at HD are inferior to the above. I always go directly to the above named paint stores or hardware stores that carry the actual brand. There’s another brand, California something that I think is part of Benj Moore.
We have a shingle house. The advice we were given was to use oil-based primer with latex on top. This supposedly protects the wood, but the latex still allows it to breathe. I’d check the Old House Journal website to see if there’s any other thoughts.