Difference between oil based paint and latex paint

Difference between oil based paint and latex paint

When you are looking to paint the interiors or the exterior of your house, you have a choice of choosing between oil based and latex paints. In this blog we discuss the differences between oil based paints and latex paints.

Oil based paint, also known as alkyd paint is much less used than it was in the past.

There have been many improvements made to latex paints or acrylic paints which when combined with other qualities makes the latter the most popular choice of paint. The core difference between oil and latex paints is the carrier and binder materials. The carrier happens to be the part that evaporates, leaving behind the binder and the pigment. In the case of latex paints the carrier is typically water with glycols or ethers of glycol as solvent. And in the case of oil based paints the carrier is a combination of petrochemical solvents and mineral spirits.

The material that adheres to the surface painted is known as the binder. In water based paints the binder is made of acrylic resins, styrene butadiene or polyvinyl acetate. In the case of oil based paints the binder is formulated from petroleum based alkyds, silicones and polyutherane’s. Natural oils can also be used including linseed, cottonseed oils nadtung.

In ease of usage category, acrylic paints win hands down.

The ease of clean up with water is a very persuasive argument in favor of water based paints. Additionally the ease of spreading and the low odor makes water based paints easier to work with than oil based paints.

Oil based paints require thinners to clean hands, tools and spills and brushes. The paint Atlanta thinner also has to be disposed of in a suitable manner. Oil paint is sticky and thick and will require considerably more effort to apply. The oil based paints have a strong odor and the odor can stick around for weeks before it dissipates.

Durability is oil based paint’s strong point. It boasts of a hard and durable finish. Oil dries to a hard smooth finish and withstands abrasion well. Oil paints continue to dry throughout their lives.

Latex however is flexible and expands and contracts with the surface. The porosity of latex allows moisture to escape from the painted surface. Improvements have been made in the formulation of latex paints and their durability now rivals that of oil paints.

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