How to Tell Latex Vs. Oil Paint

When repainting a room, match paint types for better bonding.

Understanding the differences in paint types will help you to prepare your rooms properly for painting. Finish paints and primers come in two types: latex and oil. You can test which one is on the walls in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Rag
• Denatured alcohol

Instructions

1. Dip a rag into denatured alcohol.

2. Rub the painted surface you want to test.

3. Touch the area you tested with your bare finger. If any paint comes off on your finger or the paint feels tacky, then your walls were painted with latex paint. If the painted area remains smooth and untouched, then an oil-based paint was used.

Tips & Warnings

• There are basic differences between latex and oil paints. Latex paint is water-based and relatively odor-free. It dries in just a few hours to a slightly rough finish. Cleanup only requires soap and water. Oil paint or alkyd is better at resisting moisture than latex paint. It does, however, have strong fumes that can be toxic if working with it in a room with little ventilation. Cleanup of oil paint is labor-intensive and requires soaking paint rags and brushes in a mineral solvent like turpentine.

References

• "The Good Housekeeping Household Encyclopedia"; Good Housekeeping Institute; 1993