Saturday, February 27, 2010

Is latex the same as enamel paint?

No, latex is rubber and enamel paint is like ceramic...Is latex the same as enamel paint?
Not even close, enamel forms a hard shell that can be washed and stand up to things like greasy kitchen dirt. Enamel is oil based and the clean up is with turpentine, gas etc but not water. Try to clean brushes with water and it will just pool on top like water on top of gas. You need some kind of solvent to clean up after painting with enamel paint.





You use different brushes for enamel and for different kinds of paints, so check the brushes when you buy them and see what kind of application they are used for.





Enamel can also be used for outdoor projects and furniture etc, it is rust resistent, and is very tough and is a good choice for doors, cabinets, furniture, indoor and outdoor, window casing etc





It is NOT a paint you want to put on an entire wall. That would really damage resale value for you or your landlord. To paint over enamel that entire surface would have to be sanded, and once you use an oil base paint on a wall you need to always use oil base paint or the paint will just lay on the surface, it could crackle on you too.





You can now buy lower gloss enamel, it used to be it was just a high gloss which restricted the things it could be used for. With the low gloss enamel it becomes a good choice for painting kitchen cabinets and furniture that will take some wear, like a coffee table. Interior doors etc.





The colours available in enamel has also grown considerably, you used to have a choice of primary colours only. Same with melamine paint but check melamine for interior and exterior use.





An alternative to enamel is melamine paint, Also forms a hard shell, good for cabinets and doors, and has a strong odor to it, and again you need a solvent of some kind for clean up.





Both have a strong smell, so you need to be able to ventilate the room you are working in by opening windows and doors.Is latex the same as enamel paint?
no not even close enamel is an oil based very high gloss paint usually put in kitchens and bathrooms for its high durability and resistance to humidity.





Latex is water based comes in different finishes but will never have the high gloss finish of enamel it can be durable but its resistance to humidity is quite a bit lower
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