Avoiding an “Oil and Water” Situation With Interior Painting

<img src="https://diamondcertified.org/wp_contents/uploads/2018/04/J-Js-Final-Coat-Painting-Inc-LPH-During13-e1522791727593.jpg" alt="undefined" style="height: ;width: "/> Due to compatibility issues with oil- and water-based paints, it’s good to take precautions when repainting your home interior. Photo: <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/report/j-js-final-coat-painting-inc/" target="_self">J & J’s Final Coat Painting, Inc.</a>  <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/5-ways-to-prepare-for-an-interior-painting-project/" target="_self">Interior painting</a> may have once been a simple task, but during the last couple of decades, it has become a lot more complex. This is primarily due to the widespread transition from oil-based to water-based paint products. Because of this fundamental shift, you need to be careful when repainting—otherwise, you may find yourself in a real “oil and water” situation. <h3>A little background</h3> Up until the mid-20th century, all house paint was oil-based. Even after water-based paint was introduced in the 1940s, its comparatively weak performance did little to compete with its predecessor. More recently, painting manufacturers began to develop better water-based products in response to the <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/4-tips-for-a-greener-remodeling-project/" target="_self">Green construction</a> movement and growing concerns about the toxic properties of oil-based paint (such as VOCs). Today, modern water-based paint products offer comparable performance to oil-based products and have effectively supplanted them as the standard for house painting. <h3>The problem</h3> While the transition to water-based paint has brought many positive upshots, it has also given rise to a dilemma for millions of homeowners. Due to their conflicting consistencies, oil- and water-based paints are unable to form a lasting bond, which can result in new paint peeling off the wall soon after application. Since the majority of United States homes still have oil-based paint on their walls, the odds that you’ll encounter problems when repainting are higher than you might expect. That’s why it’s important to take proactive steps. <h3>Preliminary testing </h3> First, you need to determine what type of paint is on your walls. This is easy to do: Simply immerse a cotton swab, cotton ball or clean rag in rubbing alcohol and rub it on a small area of the wall. If paint comes off of the wall, you know it’s water-based and don’t have to worry about compatibility issues. If paint doesn’t come off, you know you’re dealing with oil-based paint and need to prepare the surface accordingly. If the surface is oil-based, you’ll want to check one more thing before proceeding. If your home was built before 1978, it’s possible that your wall paint contains lead, which represents a major health concern. There are a few ways to test a paint surface for lead. One of the easiest is to use a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWgxU9BSBng" target="_self">3M LeadCheck™ Swab</a>. If your wall paint tests positive for lead, you should call a professional to handle the situation. Using special techniques and tools (such as sanders equipped with HEPA vacuums to arrest dislodged dust), a professional painter will mitigate the threat of lead contamination during paint removal. <h3>The solution</h3> If your oil-based paint surface doesn’t contain lead, you can proceed with the following procedure: <ol> <li>Sand the painted surface. You don’t need to sand it down very far; you just need to rough it up a bit to help the new paint bond with it. Any sandpaper between 130- and 180-grit should work fine.</li> <li>After sanding, use a degreaser or trisodium phosphate to thoroughly wash the surface.</li> <li>Apply an oil-based or water-oil hybrid primer, which will create an adhesive surface for your paint to bond with.</li> <li>Once the primer is dry, apply your water-based paint.</li> </ol> You might be wondering, “If water-based paint can’t be applied to an oil-based surface, how can it be applied to an oil-based primer? And how are water-oil hybrids possible?” To gain a professional’s insight, we asked Lee Dido of <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/report/wine-country-painters/" target="_self">Wine Country Painters, Inc.</a> to answer these questions. “Primers are specifically designed for adhesion and act as the ‘glue’ between a surface and paint,” he explains. “Because of this, oil-based primers have properties that allow water-based paint to bond with them. Regarding hybrid primers, today’s products utilize soy-based oil that’s suspended in water with the help of emulsifiers. As the paint dries, the water evaporates and you’re left with an oil finish. Since they’re soy-based, hybrid primers are very environmentally-friendly, and they’re also easy to work with.” <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/" target="_self">Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.</a> Local, Top Rated Diamond Certified Companies Related to Your Topic <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/santa-clara-painting-contractor/" target="_self">Santa Clara County Painting Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/sonoma-painting-contractor/" target="_self">Sonoma County Painting Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/san-mateo-painting-contractor/" target="_self">San Mateo County Painting Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/alameda-painting-contractor/" target="_self">Alameda County Painting Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/marin-painting-contractor/" target="_self">Marin County Painting Companies </a>  Related Articles <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/Guide/painting-coating-exteriors/" target="_self">The Homeowner's Guide to Painting, Coating & Exteriors</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Get Expert Advice From Owners of Top Rated Local Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/membership/" target="_self">Become a Diamond Certified Preferred Member (Always Free)</a>