# Water based gloss paints Vs Oil based?



## flanajb (27 Dec 2012)

I purchased some oil based gloss paint today for painting some skirting board, but given it is for the en-suite I am now thinking that I should have purchased a water based gloss as it will dry quicker and will have less odour than the oil based version.

My only concern is whether a water based gloss will have the same appearance and durability as it's oil counterpart?

If anyone can recommend a good water based that has very good coverage and does not require 10 coats before it appears opaque then please do share.


Thanks


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## stevebuk (27 Dec 2012)

the water based paints we started to use just didn't have any shine/sheen to them at all and indeed were quite thin and flat, we changed to oil based paint and although we had the odour for a day, the shine and durability is far better IMO..


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## Phil Pascoe (27 Dec 2012)

Water based primers are great, but I think that's about as far as it goes at the moment - you could use a little terebene if you are glossing in cold damp weather to speed up drying.


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## petermillard (28 Dec 2012)

The only water-based gloss finish I've found to be worth trying is from Crown - they just call it a 'quick drying gloss'. It isn't a high-gloss finish, but if you can live with that then it's well worth a look; I've been using it for the last few years, indoors and out, without any problems. Only available in white, though.

HTH Pete


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## flanajb (28 Dec 2012)

Oil based it is then. Based on the helpful replies I am just about to break the bad news to the Wife and Children that the house might stink of paint for a while!

Many thanks


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## gregmcateer (28 Dec 2012)

Defo oil-based until you can't get it anymore - water based just doesn't stand up to the rigours of life, unless it's factory-applied finish.

Just stick the extractor fan on for ages to clear the smell.

Greg


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## tsb (28 Dec 2012)

I thought the problem with oil based white gloss now is that it doesn't stay white and yellows within 6months, depending on the make.


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## CHJ (28 Dec 2012)

Biggest mistake we made last year was trying to use water based finishes.
Despite sound preparation one swipe of the Neighbour’s dog paw up the front door and it stripped off with no significant bonding.
Used as a supposed colour match with the emulsion in the area it was so different in tone to be at different ends of the shade spectrum. (think cream yellow and acid yellow) and despite saying suitable for radiators it continues to give off high levels of odour.
Ended up removing and using the hard wearing emulsion on the doors and you can literally scrub that with no sign of damage.


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## brianhabby (28 Dec 2012)

definitely agree with most of the comments above. My experience with water based gloss has been quite a poor finish - more of an eggshell.

I also don't think it is as hard wearing and will not be using it again in the foreseeable future. 

Then there is the issue mentioned by tsb of the oil based going yellow - I wish I knew the answer to that one. 

regards 

Brian


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## flanajb (28 Dec 2012)

I have read a fair few comments on oil based paint going yellow after a short period of time. That is a real concern as I hate painting as it is and to see it yellow after a year or so will be soul destroying!


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## ankledeep (28 Dec 2012)

flanajb":1yj0gwjj said:


> I have read a fair few comments on oil based paint going yellow after a short period of time. That is a real concern as I hate painting as it is and to see it yellow after a year or so will be soul destroying!



Put a small amount of something like a royal blue paint in the white and stir well, makes it initially "whiter than white" and is supposed to stave of yellowing. I can remember my father doing that years ago...


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## Phil Pascoe (28 Dec 2012)

I remember some years ago reading that there was a paint manufacturer in the USA that listed over 5000 shades of white. This is not a joke - don't wait for one!


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## brianhabby (29 Dec 2012)

ankledeep":3hcviyw2 said:


> flanajb":3hcviyw2 said:
> 
> 
> > I have read a fair few comments on oil based paint going yellow after a short period of time. That is a real concern as I hate painting as it is and to see it yellow after a year or so will be soul destroying!
> ...



That sounds like it just might work. I remember when I was a kid my mum used to use something blue in the wash to make the clothes whiter (I think that's what it was for - never really been much on the domestic front  ). Also, photographers sometimes tone snow scenes with a faint hint of blue to emphasize the white. 

Got to be worth a try. 

regards 

Brian


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## tekno.mage (30 Dec 2012)

I've been reasonably happy with water based acrylic gloss paints for indoor applications and have not found them to be any less robust than the traditional oil based types (ie they both chip off when badly abused). Maybe they are not quite so glossy, but I can live with that. The white does stay white without yellowing like oild based versions. One way I've avoided the yellowing of white gloss paint in the past is not to use white & deliberately use a very pale cream instead. Seems to stay looking fresh for longer.


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## wobblycogs (4 Jan 2013)

White paint is white (in almost all cases) because of titanium dioxide. In fact practically everything that we want to be white or lighter in colour ends up with this stuff in it from paint to food. It's great because it doesn't fade or go yellow over time which is perfect for paint. To get that high gloss finish that oil based paints have you need to suspend the titanium dioxide in what is essentially plastic film that provides the glossiness. Unfortunately all plastics slowly breakdown over time because of UV light and attack by oxygen / ozone and other reactive molecules in the air. The problem is that the breakdown products of pretty much everything organic (organic as in the chemistry sense of containing carbon and hydrogen atoms) are yellow which is what causes the paint to yellow. Even a tiny amount of degradation will show up as yellowing long before the paint fails.

In the past they used to pump paints full of UV stabilizers and probably used oils that were more resistant to oxidation. I'm guessing recent legislation means that a lot of them can no longer be used though as paint seems to yellow a lot faster now than it used to. Some of the stabilizers aren't very nice stuff and accumulate in the environment so I suppose it's all for the best.

@brian The blue stuff your mum put in the washing was probably something know as an optical brightener. Basically, they convert UV light into blue which causes things to look less yellow and it's why your clothes used to glow in night clubs. I once made an optical brightener in the lab, it's great stuff for seeing how good your lab skills are because even the tiniest amount will show up clearly under UV. Some people glowed head to toe.


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## CHJ (4 Jan 2013)

wobblycogs":1idpg12g said:


> .... The blue stuff your mum put in the washing was probably something know as an Optical brightener.



The good old Blue Bags ----

, alternate use to slap on stings in an emergency.


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