Paint - ?enamel over latex?

Apr 12, 2008 18 Replies

Most of the information you're probably reading has to do with painting with latex over oil-based enamel. That's a tough one. If you're talking about painting over latex with latex enamel, there's usually not a problem, but the surface sheen can present problems. The higher the gloss, the smoother the surface and the tougher it is for the new paint to adhere. That's a particular problem with surfaces that are subject to frequent contact and cleaning, such as doors and windows.

Preparation is everything, so whatever you do you have to knock the shine off of the old paint. That can be done by sanding, wiping down the trim with liquid deglosser (or adding it to the new paint), or by using a primer designed for tough surfaces, such as Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start.

For painting question, you can do a lot worse than picking up the phone and calling one of the Sherwin Williams stores. They cater to contractors and are _far_ more knowledgeable about their products than anyone in an orange or blue apron.

R

Hi, all,



Is it bad to paint over gloss latex paint with enamel? THe latex gloss used on teh trim and doors in the house doesn't resist staining or stand up to cleaning as much as I'd like, but I'm having a hard time getting info that I trust re: whether gloss enamel can go over gloss latex without causing problems.



TIA!


- K.


Its should be lightly sanded and as important is be sure its real clean, areas hands touch absorb oils from hands and reduce the new paints adhesion. If you were doing the oposite, latex over oil the latex could fail from any abrasion, requiring removing of latex. Sand and thoroughly wash it especialy where hands have touched the old paint.

You are assuming that it's an oil enamel. I do agree with the clean and scuff sand part.

R

RicodJour wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@n1g2000prb.googlegroups.com:

Thanks, Rico! - that's all useful information; I especially like the "deglosser" and "primer" idea - I know that one can paint over tile using the right primer. I also didn't know that about Sherwin-Williams; that's good to know.

- K.

ransley wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@m44g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:

Thanks!, that's also good to know -

- K.

OP said enamel over gloss latex, Gloss latex to me is latex "enamel". Enamel is just a fancy name, there is no Enamel in oil either. Enamel just implies a beautiful smooth finish, which a latex cant do like oil anyway, marketing bs it is. If he is going latex it wont be any better for cleaning unless he just gets a better paint that cleans well.

Right, that's what I understand about enamel as well.

The part that I didn't understand in what you wrote was this, "If you were doing the oposite, latex over oil the latex could fail from any abrasion, requiring removing of latex." That seems to be implying - from the word opposite - was putting latex over oil, and that's why I mentioned your assumption about oil.

Anyway, that's cleared up, and I'm sure that Kris can fuc...errr....finish it up on his own! =:O

R

Sorry, confusion for me too, what I meant is I have seen several jobs where latex trim paint was put on over an old satin oil finish, which had 20 years or so of kids dirty hands embedding oil into the finish, where the painter did not clean enough or sand the doors and frames. The latex would scrape away with a just fingernail or abrasion, sometimes in sheets. The only way to fix it was to scrape and sand all the latex that would come off, and clean and repaint the entire interior house trim. For me interior latex trim paint doesnt go in a quality house, only in rentals.

Consumer reports tests paints for washability, a top Benn Moore or Sherwin Williams will do well for you.

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