Latex paint is water-based.
If you plan to paint the exterior of your home, the type of paint you choose is vital to determining the durability of the finish. Certain surfaces require a latex paint, while others are more suited to an oil-based coating. Before you begin a do-it-yourself exterior painting project, you should understand the fundamental differences between these types of paint.
Composition
The most basic difference between latex and oil-based exterior paints is their base. While oil paints have an obvious oil base, latex paints are water-based. Because of this important difference, the paints cannot be mixed together. In addition, only specific oil-based brushes should be used to apply oil paints, while special latex brushes are appropriate for latex paints.
Qualities
Latex paint has a stretching quality that provides great flexibility. This makes it ideal for exterior wood surfaces, which can shrink and expand under changing temperatures. Oil-based paints possess great surface durability that make them ideal for metallic surfaces such as railings and mailboxes. This type of paint also provides a high-sheen gloss that latex paints cannot supply.
Limitations
Oil-based paints are not flexible and will crack as wood swells and shrinks. This type of paint should not be used on wood surfaces around the exterior of the house. Latex paints do not provide the same kind of durability that oil-based paints do and should not be used to coat metallic surfaces.
Other Considerations
Because latex paint is water-based, it should be thinned with plain water only. On the other hand, oil-based paints must be thinned with a solvent such as mineral spirits. If water is mixed into oil paint, it will be ruined--likewise if mineral spirits are mixed with latex paint.
Warnings
Oil-based paints generate toxic fumes, and they should never be applied in areas with low ventilation. Also, latex paint is much easier to clean, so use great care when applying oil-based paints, which can permanently stain exterior concrete.
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