Are Oil Base Paints The Best For My Home?

I recently came across a quote from a website that supposedly was offering good painting advice to homeowners. The quote I am referring to said this about oil base paints, "Oil based paints may be a better solution for you. They provide for a better amount of coverage, dry slower and give a better finish. They work perfectly for cabinets, your trim and your furniture painting projects. Professionals prefer oil based paints that are readily available." For years, oil base was the standard of a quality finish for both inside and outside projects. Oil base finishes dried hard and looked great! However, in recent years, the statement above is becoming old fashion and dated.

The reason a professional painter likes or will consider using oil products today is because they dry very hard and are durable when a homeowner tries to clean the painted surfaces. Besides those two things, oil base paints really are becoming extinct. California has also made the standards for paint very high. Oil base paints are typically very high in VOC, which means they are not friendly to the environment. Therefore oil paints are being replaced with low VOC acrylic and latex products. For example, in the old days oil base was used to paint all exteriors. Today, it is one of the worst products to use, because of chalking, fading, cracking and attracting mildew! Today, the acrylic products have proven to out perform all oil base finishes for masonry and wood surfaces. The same is true for interior products. Oils were well liked because of how they looked when dried. Now, if a good painters knows how to use a sprayer or is good with a brush, he or she can get most water-base paints to look and feel just like an oil base finish. 

So, though I personally like the look and feel of most oil base finishes for interior and exteriors of homes, it is not always the best to use on your home. Water-base products are and will continue to be the standard of the future. They need to be applied properly but they will last just as long or longer than the oils of the past. They are safe for the environment and they are good for your home. If you have any questions about what products to use on your home, please feel free to post your question on our blog or send us an email. We'll be glad to help!