Acrylic or enamel?

Hi everyone,

I've been reading these forums for long enough, so I though it might be about time to join up and ask a question.

I'm in the process of renovating my first house and replacing all the skirting and architraves (amongst other things). But, what sort of paint should I use to finish them, acrylic or enamel?

I've completed one room so far and used Dulux Aquanamel (white) which has given a nice finish (although it did take about four coats to get it just right, and it's not as glossy as I'd really like it to be). The reason I went with an acrylic enamel (I still have trouble with that term) is because I have heard the oil based enamel discolours with time, especially white.

The thing I do like about the oil based enamels is they seem to go on a lot smoother and thicker, and, of course, I can get a 100% gloss level. Aquanamel only has 85%.

What's everyone elses opinion on this? Should i stick with the Aquanamel or switch to an oil based enamel?

I apologise if this has been answered elsewhere, but I did try a number of searches and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Cheers,
Anthony

I always prefer to use oil-based enamel but have had no experience with Aquanamel. Acrylic enamel sounds like an oxymoron to me :)

Have just painted a house and used a satin enamel on the skirts, arcs and doors. Looks good and not as hard to get a good finish, more forgiving than full gloss.

I talked to the painter about it and we decided enamel was the way to go as it is more hard wearing than acrylic. Don't know about discolouring.

I have renovated 4 houses (all of them were ones that I lived in).

I did one of them with acrylic on the woodwork - as a result, if I was looking for high-gloss on wood, I would only use oil-based paint on the wood.

But it is question of what you want to achieve - if you want a satin finish on the wood (eg because it goes better with a matt finish on the walls), I would choose a good acrylic satin finish. But that just may mean that I am inconsistent.

Good luck

Jeremy

There is a general rule of thumb for home painting. I have built over 150 homes over the years and have never used acrylic on interior timber.

Here is the rule of thumb:

Full gloss or semi gloss oil paint to all interior woodwork, over oil primer and oil undercoat.... tinted to similar as finish colour.

Acrylic to walls in low sheen.
Acrylic to wet area ceilings in low sheen
Flat plastic to ceilings elswhere.
Oil based clear finishes inside as well.

Acrylic outside on timber, either gloss, semi or low sheen. It stands up to the elements much better.

Fossil

Never heard it put better.

Greenie on the way for succinct and helpful response.

Cheers

Jeremy

Thanks everyone!

Especially Fossil, that's exactly the sort of info I was looking for, that's definately going in my notebook! :)

One last question, what should I use to paint my (internal) doors?

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Originally Posted by atregent

Thanks everyone!

Especially Fossil, that's exactly the sort of info I was looking for, that's definately going in my notebook! :)

One last question, what should I use to paint my (internal) doors?

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I always use enamel - doors tend to take a bit of punishment so they need to be hard wearing. And I always take them off their hinges and paint them laying flat. Because enamel paint is relatively slow drying, it takes about a week to paint two coats on each side of the door. But I believe it is worth it - there is less chance for runs if they are laying flat.

Either way, make sure it is done in a dust free environment - otherwise your finish will suck.

Although acrylic gloss is not as glossy as enamel, the trick to maximising the gloss is not to work it too much. minimal working means you maximise the time for the brushstokes to flow out before it sets too much... if that makes sense. The few painters I am in cahoots with bemoan the fact that enamels are yellowing so quickly these days. The only one that seems to hold up is Dulux vivid white.

Cheers
Michael

Quote:

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Originally Posted by atregent

The reason I went with an acrylic enamel (I still have trouble with that term) is because I have heard the oil based enamel discolours with time, especially white.

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That's right, white oil based enamels do become an offwhite turning to cream over time which does not happen with acrylics.

That's why I use acrylics only both inside and outside. The only exception is that I use an oil based undercoat if I've had to repair plasterboard and only that part that is repaired as the water content of the acrylic paint affects the plaster repairs.

Peter.

This is starting to become not so cut and dried now.

The reason I chose the arcylic enamel is because it doesn't yellow. I've read that normal enamel yellows over time because of the vegetable oils that are used in it. As a bonus, the acrylic enamel is easy to clean up and recoat dry in 3 hours, but not quite as glossy and not for external use.

How long does it take for gloss white enamel to discolour? I imagine it depends on the environment a little too. If we're talking 5+ years, then oil enamel (Dulux, by the sound of it) might be the go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by atregent

T

How long does it take for gloss white enamel to discolour? I imagine it depends on the environment a little too. If we're talking 5+ years, then oil enamel (Dulux, by the sound of it) might be the go.

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Well here's the thing, there are whites and there are whites. If you were to repaint the white enamel in 6 mnths time you may notice the a difference already. But if it is not side by side with a pure white for reference, your eye may not notice the yellowing.
Personally there are just to many negatives with white enamel for me to use it (drying time, cleanup, yellowing, smell)
Cheers
Michael

I think I'm swayed from using an oil enamel. SWMBO (it took me ages to work out what that meant!) is really happy with the look of the acrylic enamel, which is the main thing.

I've also just noticed that Dulux have brought out a new improved version of Aquanamel in a higher gloss level too, so off to Bunnings on the weekend to check it out..

Thanks to one and all for your valuable contributions :)

Fossil nailed it, but for exteriors under the acrylic topcoat use an oil based undercoat, it has better penetration giving a more durable result.

As Sturdee said, can be a good idea to use oil based undercoat on other sufaces as well, where a waterbased product may "raise the grain", another example would be on MDF, eg a panelcarve door.


Cheers..................Sean

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fossil

There is a general rule of thumb for home painting. I have built over 150 homes over the years and have never used acrylic on interior timber.

Here is the rule of thumb:

Full gloss or semi gloss oil paint to all interior woodwork, over oil primer and oil undercoat.... tinted to similar as finish colour.

Acrylic to walls in low sheen.
Acrylic to wet area ceilings in low sheen
Flat plastic to ceilings elswhere.
Oil based clear finishes inside as well.

Acrylic outside on timber, either gloss, semi or low sheen. It stands up to the elements much better.

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spot on!!!

I have painted hundreds of houses, many childcare centres, hopsital departments, office buildings, commercial complexes etc... and the above by fossil is absolutely correct.

Further to this.... it is actually easier to get a nicer finish with full gloss enamel then it is with satin enamel... dont let anyone tell you otherwise!!!! if you have flat doors, put about 500ml of penetrol into your gloss, this will give you a little bit of extra working time and lap marks etc will diminish over the drying period.

and use wallboard sealer on your walls before applying your low sheen:)

the only part of the above which I dont deem necessary is using oil based undercoats on your timber work. Paints today are far superior to what they were many moons ago. You will get a super finish by using one coat of acrylic sealer/undercoat on your timber work, then one coat off acrylic low sheen and then one coat of oil based undercoat! obviously you need to do all the appropriate preparations between each coat.