Oil Vs. Latex to Paint Baseboards

Ease of Application

• Both latex and oil paints are applied the same way. Dump the paint into a small can or paint tray. Dip a paintbrush into the paint and brush the paint on to the baseboards. The process is easy. However, oil paint is often considered to be more difficult to apply. The reason is that the brush has a tendency to drag as you brush the paint on the baseboards. This is because oil paint is thicker than latex paint. Oil paint does have an advantage over latex paint in that it goes on thicker and usually only requires one coat.

Cleanup

• Cleaning up after paint application can be a pain. Many homeowners like to use latex paint because the cleanup is easy and fast. Brushes, hands, and paint trays cleanup with water. On the other hand, oil paint must be cleaned with paint thinner or turpentine. If you are reusing your paintbrushes and trays, then latex paint is probably the way to go.

Drying Time

• When painting baseboards, drying time of the paint can be a factor. Some homeowners want to be able to move their furniture back into place as soon as possible, while others don't mind waiting for a day or two. Oil-based paints usually take eight to 24 hours to dry. Latex paints only take one to six hours to dry. Both types of paint will take longer to dry if they are applied in colder temperatures.

Smell and Adhesion

• The chemical smell of drying paint can be headache inducing for some homeowners. Most, if not all types of paint have at least some smell to them. That being said, latex paint has very little odor, and low VOC types of latex paint have even less odor. Oil-based paints do smell more strongly while they are drying. Both oil and latex paint have great adhesion, but oil based paints adhere better to chalked surfaces.