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Can you paint latex enamel over oil enamel? The correct answer to this question is "yes" but I wouldn't do it. Technically if the substrate is clean , dulled and dry you should be OK. But unless you do a thorough job on the surface preparation - you will have problems. One of the more common problems I come across in customer's homes is chipping / peeling paint on wood trim where a latex would not grip to the oil enamel underneath it. Because the surface preparation for latex enamel must be impeccable my rule is Oil
Painting With Enamel
over Oil. But if you insist, you can paint latex over oil but I would "convert" it over to latex by using an oil based primer as a "tie" coat. Prepare the surface: clean it , dull it and be sure it is dry (see universal preparation notes), then prime with an oil primer such as Zinsser's Cover Stain and then you can use your latex enamel over top of the oil primer.
Which is better oil or latex enamel?
It depends. Let me outline the pros and cons of both.
Oil Enamel: has very good adhesion, and some versions in particular have extremely good leveling (Satin Impervo and ProClassic). Oil dries slower allowing for more working time. Oil has a very tight film making it more stain resistant. The disadvantages of Oil are the solvent clean up and all oil enamels yellow to a greater or lesser degree over time. The yellowing is more pronounced in dark areas which don't get much light. I have gone back to touch up in the (dark) basement of a new construction job only to find that the particular oil enamel I used had already started to yellow after only two months.
Latex Enamel: The new types of latex enamels known as "waterborne" enamels, are very similar to oil enamels in flow and leveling. They have pretty good adhesion as a rule providing the surface is clean. Most (if not all) latex enamels will not yellow as will oil, and are simple to clean up.
Spraying:
A down side to the latex enamels is that they still don't spray as well as oil with an HVLP sprayer - but they do spray nicely with an airless. So, if you have a lot of trim to paint, (such as in a new house - new construction scenario) where the use of the airless sprayer would be justified, then latex enamel may be a good choice for spray application, otherwise use oil with an HVLP.
How to apply the newer waterborne enamels.
I personally like the waterborne enamels. Once you get used to applying them, you can get a "spray-like" finish with them - with a brush. My favorite is Sherwin William's Pro-Classic but Benjamin Moore waterborne Impervo and Muralo's Ultra are good products too.
The rule for application of the waterbornes is: "lay it on, lay it off, and leave it". Simply put, apply the material, smooth it out, then leave it alone, don't overwork and re-brush it. The waterbornes are made to level out so don't interfere with the paint by over-brushing.
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