Should I use water or oil based enamel?

What’s the difference between water based enamel, and oil based enamel?

Water based enamels have far less odour, have shorter recoat times, never yellow and, well, you can wash them off with water. So why would you use oil based enamels? Because they have better abrasion resistance, they dry hard with a smooth finish, retain a higher level of gloss, and give you more time to work the paint. Sadly, they do tend to yellow over time.

Can I paint water based enamel over oil based enamel?

Why not? Give your walls a good wash with sugar soap, then sand them to an even finish. Apply one coat of British Paints PREP 4 in 1 Oil Based, and let it dry over 48 hours. Give the walls another light sanding, then apply two coats of British paints H2O Enamel Water Based.

Need a few more tips on proper preparation? We’ll show you how to get the job done right.

 

For further information please refer to instructions on the label or contact Customer Service on 0800 800 424 or visit our Contact Us page

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