# latex vs oil based paint for interior doors.



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Latex, I have not seen oil used in about 20 years.


----------



## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

We just did some trim in a house with Oil based Satin Impervo. Oil is getting harder and harder to find though. Latex will be fine on those doors.


----------



## gatorheel (Jul 12, 2011)

joecaption said:


> Latex, I have not seen oil used in about 20 years.


I'm in the same boat: we have some doors we want to repaint and a few new ones factory primed. The last time I used latex to repaint a door, even after leaving it more than 24 hours to cure it peeled off at the jamb after closing it for the first time. What did we do wrong? I can't say with certainty that we used 100% acrylic latex, have read this makes all the difference.

Matt


----------



## Mr. Paint (Nov 10, 2011)

A 100% Acrylic system (Latex Enamel Undercoat and finish) can provide a non-yellowing, durable finish. Quality acrylics are used in thousands of homes sucessfully. 

Another option is a hybrid system. These are a waterborne alkyd. Like traditional alkyds, they have a sharper sheen and are harder, however they are subject to yellowing.


----------



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

You can use an oil, however, the smell, the cleanup, & the difficulty of using it will give you fits. Plus, oil yellows over time so a white door ends up looking like nicotine yellow after a couple years. Use a high quality latex like SW's Proclassic and you will get great results.


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Remember, latex products, especially shinier sheens, take 30 days to cure. I was taught to put some acrylic polyurethane in them.

Do yourself a favor though and do not accept the thin film of a factory prime job.


----------



## WoodmanFL (Nov 19, 2011)

What are everyone's thoughts on that two in one primer paint combo stuff from valspar?


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

WoodmanFL said:


> What are everyone's thoughts on that two in one primer paint combo stuff from valspar?


There is no such thing, and never can be, primer and paint in the same can. Valspar is watered down crap from but a different box store. :furious:


----------



## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

WoodmanFL said:


> I have 5 new factory primed interior doors. How do the pros recommend painting them, latex or oil?
> 
> View attachment 44177


Either topcoat is going to be fine. Use a good primer first, though. That pre-primed stuff isn't really primed. It's more like they sprayed white water on it.


----------



## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Just did some doors like that.
Quick sand with 220, coat of Smart Prime ( many other good primers available- but this is a good one) 2 coats BM Aura Satin. Aura dries VERY quick - not really DIY friendly- if you can get Muralo- it is very easily handled. BM Advance is also good- just pay attention to recoat times. 
SW Pro classic is also good- I personally don't like the really low sheen, but a fine product.
BM oil Satin Impervo was the gold standard of oil finishes, and all others water or oil try to emulate that fine finish. But it is a dying breed..
Joe- 20 years no oil?? For me it has been phasing out the last 10 or so- and not completely gone yet.


----------



## Faron79 (Jul 16, 2008)

Yes....
PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEEEASE scuff-sand/re-prime the door!!

After 30 days, factory primers are "gone" anyway....
Too dried-out, too thin, dirty, dusty, and low-quality priming anyway.

Some companies now have "Cabinet & Trim" Paints. Cabinet-Coat from Insl-X, ACE's Cabinet/Door/Trim paint, and some others.
These are Hybrids...combining water-soluble Alkyd resins with 100% Acrylic carrier resins. This type of paint levels nicely too!

For the ultimate door paint, I'd check out FPE stuff. 
Dear Lord....you can read a newspaper in the reflection...UN-real stuff!

Products used:
(I didn't use the Hollandlac Satin Oil)









Our Samoyed had damaged some Entry-door side-lite casing:
* Just got done using their Brushing-Putty (2 coats, each one sanded), followed by 1 coat of their Oil-Undercoat (lightly sanded). This built up the profile. It's A LOT like building-up Bondo layers....
* Finish paint was the ECO-Brilliant (Gloss). 1st coat lightly sanded with 220. Then 2nd coat.
* Result?! Mirror-like my friend...Mirror-like...! Quite unlike most stuff out there....

Final look:









Faron


----------



## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm working with oil right now, BM Satin Impervo, gallons of it. I won't stop using it until the government pries it from my cold dead hands.


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

jsheridan said:


> I'm working with oil right now, BM Satin Impervo, gallons of it. I won't stop using it until the government pries it from my cold dead hands.


Unfortunately that may happen sooner than you would like. I loved working with the stuff but too many people disposed of it improperly and did stupid things like run the mineral spirits or thinners down gutter drains. Or they tried to sneak partial cans into landfills in quantity. Certain state EPAs had to do something. And there is the VOC thing and the fact some people don't like paint that smells like paint.


----------



## kkeith (Oct 4, 2011)

To Gatorheel: Not all water based enamels are non-blocking. This is the term used in the paint industry for the ability of a paint to resist sticking to another surface of the same material. Even some 100% acrylic products will stick to themselves. You need to ask the paint salesman if a product is non-blocking, for windows and doors. IF the salesman does not know what you are talking about, then you may need to look up the specs online. They also tend to have a harder finish like oil would.
Another note: The use of the term latex paint is used generically by most DIYers, however there is a big difference between latex based and acrylic based products. The better and more expensive paints are that way because of the cost of the raw materials. The cheaper paints will be latex, or blended combinations of the two. The acrylics will form a tighter, tougher film.


----------



## WoodmanFL (Nov 19, 2011)

I have an graco airless sprayer, should I spray the doors or do them by hand with a brush?


----------



## kkeith (Oct 4, 2011)

If you are comfortable with spraying, it will give you more of a factory like finish. I prefer to use a fine finish tip for this, and a smaller tip size so I don't put on too much paint and have to deal with runs or sags. It will still take 2 coats sprayed. You can either lean them against a wall and spray one side at a time, or daisy chain them together in a zig zag pattern so both sides can be sprayed at the same time. Also put a 2x4 or something under them so you don't blow dust up from the floor when spraying.
A good quality paint could be brushed on, but unless you have a real fast brush hand you could end up roping overlaps or getting corner runs, etc. The trick with brushing is to have all the painted area equally wet when your have to overlap so they will blend together. Also treat the door as if it was made of real wood, and paint with the grain all all sections. I start with the recessed areas and then finish with the top faces, working from top to bottom in each case. The second coat I tend to thin down as well when brushing, because even when dry, the second coat will tend to soften the first coat enough to affect the working speed.


----------

