Monday, February 8, 2010

How do I know if the paint on my interior wall is an oil paint or latex paint?

We live in a 35 year old house. We want to repaint over some existing wood panels that were painted before we bought the house. We need to figure out if we need to use an oil based paint or if we can use a latex paint.How do I know if the paint on my interior wall is an oil paint or latex paint?
Simply go to paint supply store, Home Depo, Lowes, Wal-Mart, Sherwin Williams, get the smallest appox 4oz of Groof off, put on rag wipe the wall if it comes of on rag its latex. You are a painter huh!!! ?How do I know if the paint on my interior wall is an oil paint or latex paint?
In general, a latex primer and/or paint should work.


If the painted surface is in good shape (ie. no peeling paint, nothing bleeding through the previous paint job, etc.), you simply have to follow the three rules of painting: Clean, dry, and dull.


Clean with a non-suddsing cleaner. (Spick and span, TSP)


Allow enough time to dry.


Sand (no finer than 80 grid paper) the surface to create enough profile for the primer or paint to bite into to.





Feel free to drop me line if you have any more questions.





d_bpainter @yahoo.com
Oil usually appears to be a thicker, shinier paint. You cannot paint latex over oil or it will bubble.


If you use liquid sand or Willbond first (no matter what the paint is now) you should be able to paint it with anything you like, if there are any stains then you can use Kiltz as your primer.


If you go to a Home Depot, Lowes or any paint store they should be able to tell you exactly what you need.
Before you paint over you want to figure out what it is now right? If you can get your hands on some acetone based nail polish remover you can use that. Using some nail polish remover (with acetone) and a cotton puff or tissue rub the wall and if it softens and comes off it is latex and if there is no residue or softening of the paint it is oil. Then you go from there on what you can put over top of it. Happy painting.
if oil based paint was used and you paint over it with flat wall paint in like a test area it will run down the wood work kind of like if you threw water on it.
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