You can’t apply latex paint over oil-based paint, but you can apply it over oil-based primer.
You can apply oil-based paint over water-based paint and primer as a water-based finish doesn’t have a glossy top coat that prevents paint penetration.
You can’t mix latex paint with oil-based paints as they have different solvents (water and oil) and aren’t compatible.
Key Takeaways
- You can’t apply water-based paint (latex) over oil-based paint.
- You can apply an oil-based paint over latex paint.
- You can use water-based paint over oil-based primer.
- You can use oil-based paint over the water-based primer.
- You can’t use water-based primer over oil-based paint.
- You can use oil-based primer over water-based paint.
Can You Apply Latex Paint Over Oil-based Primer?
You can apply latex paint over oil-based primer. Oil-based primer has a different formula from oil-based paint, so latex paint and oil-based primer are compatible.
You must prep the primer before applying the latex paint. To prep it, sand with fine-grit sandpaper to create tiny pores and smoothen its surface. This allows the paint and primer to blend. If you don’t prep (sand), the finish will peel off and crack.
You can apply oil-based paint over water-based (latex) primer, but the primer must fully dry before applying the paint. Sanding water-based primer isn’t necessary as it doesn’t have a glossy finish.
Can You Apply Water-based Primer Over Latex Paint?
You can’t use water-based primer over oil-based paint. Oil-based paint has a glossy finish that repels liquids, including paint or primer.
The water-based primer will stick for a while, but the adhesion won’t be good and it will peel off if you apply it over oil-based paint.
Remove the oil-based paint first, then apply the water-based primer. If you can’t remove it, use an oil-based primer first to cover the glossy finish then apply a water-based primer.
You can use oil-based primer over water-based paint as the paint doesn’t have a glossy finish nor does it repel liquids.
Can You Apply Latex Paint Over Oil-based Paint?
You can’t apply latex paint over oil-based paint as the oil-based paint has a glossy finish that prevents liquids (including paints) from penetrating or sticking over it.
You must remove the oil-based paint before applying the water-based paint.
You can apply oil-based paint over water-based (latex) paint as the latex paint doesn’t have a glossy finish and doesn’t repel liquids. Instead, it has a dry, textured finish that allows all paints to stick over it.
Why Can’t You Mix Latex with Oil-based Paint?
You can’t mix latex and oil-based paint as they have different solvents (oil and water). Oil-based paint uses synthetic or natural oils as its paint solvent, while water-based paint uses water as its solvent.
Oil and water-based paint dry through evaporation. Since they have different paint solvents, their drying time is different.
Water-based paint dries faster than oil-based paint. That’s because the solvent (water) of water-based paint evaporates faster than oil-based paint’s solvent.
If you mix them, the mixture will have two different paint solvents evaporating at different times. So, some parts of the finish will dry, while the other parts won’t dry. This will lead to the mixture (paint) cracking and peeling off.
