# Use Oil or water based kiltz to cover oil base paint?



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I would use something better than Kilz which includes just about anything else out there. Generally speaking, you can put a superbonding latex primer over oil and then finish with latex products. Things do not work out so well trying to oil over latex finished surfaces.


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

The bare minimum I would put on there would be a water based epoxy. Latex products just do not hold on walking surfaces. Is oil not available in your area?


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

If you are painting a floor I would not use kilt. You will want to use a paint designed for walking surfaces. If its a wood floor after preperation I would use Sherwin Williams Tread Plex on the floor.


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## bvg (Jun 21, 2011)

sdsester said:


> I would use something better than Kilz which includes just about anything else out there. Generally speaking, you can put a superbonding latex primer over oil and then finish with latex products. Things do not work out so well trying to oil over latex finished surfaces.


 Thanks for the heads up. I have just finished my 2nd coat last night, taping diamond pattern, this morning and I AM DONE! I did use a benjamin moore floor primer and now am using latex. It is not a high traffic area, so this is why I wanted to convert to lates, simply easier to handle.
Thanks again, I appreciate the knowledge.

I am simply a "old house" owner/restorer and I have always heard, "Oil base paint can go over water based, but NEVER the opposite. Is there truth to this and would you know why?


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## bvg (Jun 21, 2011)

Matthewt1970 said:


> The bare minimum I would put on there would be a water based epoxy. Latex products just do not hold on walking surfaces. Is oil not available in your area?


 
The room that I am painting floor in is not heavy traffic, that is simply my only reason I wanted latex, easier cleanup. 

However, I do have another paint delimna for you. I have two front rooms that had lead paint from round about 1875-1925. Well, of course, hoping for grandchildren one day, wanted to seal it as much as possible and rolled each room with two coats of oil base primer and have latex paint atop. One room has a semi gloss Benjamin Moore paint and is fine. The other (my bedroom) has flat Benjamin Moore paint and is NOT fine. Let me also mention that there are 8" mud walls for insulation back in the day. Well, my room is cracking and pealing right off.....I am sick and in a delimna of what to do now. I do have charcoal in both, due to humidity.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Did you use an actual oil based primer with latex over the top or is the primer really an alkyd that you are calling an oil based primer. Hopefully it is an alkyd because you should be able to paint latex over it. Or at least if this has to be redone a superbonding latex primer should stick.

You have two strikes against you. The paint schema you mention is not going to hold up in any sort of traffic area like a bedroom and I fear the greatest source of problems is the humidity and humidity changes getting to the flat lustre of the paint. Even semi would repel moisture somewhat. 

I think sanding or scraping the flaking paint off is your only hope. The good news is that it sounds like it will come off fairly easily as it has started already. 

I would seriously think about using floor and porch enamel---either latex or oil based---the next go around. It will come with a tough urethane chemistry that will have better adhesion and good UV protection as well. Allow it to cure and apply a compatible clear coat of matte finish if you do not like the gloss level. Let the paint store know ahead of time your ultimate goal as far as the desired sheen. 

The paint store may not display all the color options for its floor paints. I have never figured out why. Know that you can get just about any color you want if you give them some lead time.


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