People are starting to move away from oil
can I put acrylic or latex paint on oil paint? oil-based vs. water-based paint
Many people attempt to cover up oil-painted surfaces by painting water-based paints directly on top, totally unaware of the mess that is guaranteed to follow. In the battle of oil-based vs. water-based paint, oil is a rival that will show no mercy.
Because of the harmful VOCs emitted from oil-based paints, the awful smell that can lead to headaches, or the way oil yellows drastically over time, so many people are looking to switch their oil-painted surfaces to water-based (acrylic/latex) paints. But there is so much more to the process than just switching one paint for the other.
Let’s just spoil the ending now, it’s that important – you should never cover oil with waterborne paint. Now, let’s get you equipped with the correct tools to defeat this oil-based beast.
Why you absolutely cannot put water-based paint on top of oil
Is it okay to put acrylic or latex paint on oil paint?
This water and oil rule is really important. In all the time we’ve been in business, we have seen this mistake made over and over. A client takes their trim, cabinetry, or doors that were previously painted with oil-based paint, and they cover it with an acrylic or latex (water-based) paint they picked up themselves. Then they call us because, within a few days, this happens:
The disastrous effects of oil-based vs. water-based paint
Can I put acrylic or latex paint on oil paint?
Because oil and water don’t mix, when you apply any water-based paint over oil-based surfaces, you’re always going to get this cracked and peeling paint. Sometimes it’ll show up as a rubbery texture that you can pull off in strips, other times it’ll crack and flake. This is because water-based paint cannot bond with oil, so as it dries, it begins to separate and pull away from the original paint. After putting in all the time, effort, and money, this result can be so disheartening and leave you feeling super confused. All that work, only to create more work.
How do you fix peeling water-based paint?
Is it okay to put acrylic or latex paint on oil paint?
When this happens, either at the hands of the homeowners or through the misstep of inexperienced painters, we’re often called on to troubleshoot. We come in and strip down all of that mess, sand, and clean up.
Now, if the client decided they’d like to stick with oil-based paint but just want to freshen up, then we’ll start fresh with oil-based paint to give them a smooth, hard finish that won’t flake, peel, or chip.
In many cases, clients decide they want to completely rid their home of oil-based paint, so we’ll apply an oil-based primer first and then come back and paint with a water-based paint, like Sherwin Williams ProClassic Waterborne Acrylic Latex Enamel. Acrylic and Latex are both indicators of a water-base in this context, are faster drying, have less odor, and age at a much slower rate than oil.
Rules when it comes to oil-based and water-based paint vs. primers
can acrylic latex paint be used over oil based paint?
Now that you see why you absolutely cannot use water-based paint on top of what was previously painted with oil, let’s take our knowledge to the next level. This rule gets a little tricky because of how water-based primers and oil-based primers work. Let’s break it down.
Paint
You cannot use water-based paint on top of oil-based paint.
You can use oil-based paint on top of water-based paint.
Primers
You can use a water-based primer on top of an oil-based primer.
You can use an oil-based primer on top of a water-based primer.
Primer on paint
You cannot use a water-based primer on oil-based paint*
You can use oil-based primer on water-based paint.
*There are a few specialty water-based primers that you’d be able to use on top of oil-based paint, but generally you can’t.
Therefore, the oil-based primer is what we use as a bridge for transitioning from oil-based paint to using water-based paint. From then on, anytime you repaint, you’ll be able to use water-based paint every time, without the bridge.
Do not skip this step when working with oil-based paint!
can acrylic latex paint be used over oil based paint?
Sometimes people move into a house and don’t know what kind of paint was left on the woodwork by the previous owners, so when they go to paint, they may just assume it’s water-based and run into trouble. We’ve seen this mistake happen with homeowners and professional painters alike. To avoid this issue, we recommend first running this simple spot test to see if you’re going to be painting on top of an oil or water-based paint.
How to test if your surfaces have oil-based paint or water-based paint on them
can acrylic latex paint be used over oil based paint?
Pick a spot on the surface you want to paint, dip a cotton ball or rag in some rubbing alcohol (acetone works too), and rub it on. If the old paint comes off easily onto the cotton ball or softens up, then that paint is a water-based paint. If the paint didn’t budge, it’s oil-based.
TLDR: remember this when you go to cover up your oil-based paint
We are going so hard on this topic because there are huge consequences if you ignore these facts!
It can take anywhere from many hours to days and days of work to fix this mistake, depending on how many areas you painted.
So, if you have an oil-based paint that you need to be covered up, you have two options:
Option 1: First, cover the surface with an oil-based primer, let it dry, then paint with a water-based paint.
Option 2: Use urethane paint. This is an option we didn’t include in this post because it takes a lot of sanding and meticulous preparation that, if rushed through, will lead to the same issues you’d get if you’d put water over oil.
We’ll cover this option in a future post, but for now, we say hire a professional if you want to pursue this route.
Check your adhesion before doing the whole job
A way to save yourself some more time and energy is is to scuff-sand one spot and apply your new paint to that spot. Wait 24 hours and scratch at it with your fingernail. If it comes off, you either need to apply an oil-based primer or switch to oil-based paint because that paint isn’t going to bond otherwise.
Are you ready to change out your old paint?
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I have a Deft product,,oil based exterior/interior polyurethane on my house exterior beams which has not lasted well the past 3 years. I don’t want to get top on the ladder every 3 years. what can I reseal it with???
A water based marine product???
A oil based marine product???
Or????
It is a new house, rebuilt after the California fire, and my husband and I are 84 and can’t keep redoing this!!
Help please! Thanks
Hi Carolyn, we feel your pain! A spar urethane product will always be best for exterior staining/sealing. Polyurethanes don’t hold up well against the UV of the sun compared to spar urethanes. We like the Minwax spar urethane. But any spar urethane would be best.
Thank you for such clear advice. Good article.
You are so very welcome.
I hired a painter to paint all 11 of my oil-based painted doors whiter, and he did not use any primer, so your last photo of the paint peeling under a door knob is exactly what I’m dealing with now. It’s taken me 4 days to peel the paint off of ONE door, and in the process I’ve made a multiple tiny gouges in the door’s raised panels. Your article is a godsend. Would you kindly name a SPECIFIC primer (including brand) I could use for my other 10 doors, please?
Oh my goodness, that is awful, I’m so sorry to hear you had that experience! I’m glad this article is helping. If you need help on the peeling, here’s some tips to make it a bit easier on you. Set the doors out in the sun and use a large scraper. To speed up the process, you could try using a blow dryer or a heat gun until the paint bubbles – then it should peel right off with a scraper. If you do use a heat gun, do it in a well-ventilated area.
For primer: Sherwin-Williams® Easy Sand Oil Primer and if you’re not able to find that in stores, try Sherwin-Williams® Extreme Block Oil Based.
Awesome straightforward advice . I’ve just primed my new unpainted en-suite door in oil based primer and was concerned about next step . Your article has cleared up any doubt in my mind Many thanks Dave
We love to hear that, Dave! So glad we could help!
I recently bought a home.The concrete basement floor has Sherwin Williams industrial oil based enamel on it.How can I go about using a latex to repaint the floor?
Hi Dan, we recommend Oil based primer then S-W Porch and Floor or Treadplex.
[…] to strict health restrictions, oil-based paint is not as widely used as acrylic or latex paints. Oil-based paints give out a more pungent odor because volatile organic compounds make using them challenging for any […]
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