Acrylic Paint vs. Oil Paint on Cabinets

Ease of Use

• Acrylic paint will clean up with water, unlike oil paint, which requires paint solvent and careful work to clean brushes, spills and drips. Acrylic paint dries more quickly than oil paint, but takes longer to cure. Oil-based paints can give a smoother, more level final coat that looks better. Both can be applied either with a paint sprayer or with a good paintbrush – never use foam applicators or rollers because these leave marks and can apply the paint unevenly.

Curing Time

• Oil-based paints will cure in a week and are often more durable over the long term than acrylic paints. Acrylic-painted cabinets need extra care as they cure, for up to three weeks after painting. If the edge of a cabinet door touches the cabinet, for example, some of the paint can come off, leaving an ugly mark; this needs to be taken into account when painting, but can be solved by rubbing a little cooking oil over the areas that touch.

What Paint Is Already There?

• If the cabinets are already painted, determine whether they’ve been painted with oil or acrylic paint because you should never paint acrylic over oil and vice versa. Pour a little alcohol-based solvent on a rag and rub the paint in an out-of-sight area. Virtually none of the color will come off with oil-based paints, whereas acrylic paint will lose much of its color to the solvent. In this case, the decision of which paint to use has been made for you. Similarly, you should never mix an oil-based primer and acrylic paint, or vice versa.

Durability

• Oil paints are more durable than acrylic paints, especially on cabinets, which receive daily wear and tear. You won’t need to repaint as often if you use oil paint. Whichever paint you choose, apply a primer and two coats of paint, allowing ample drying time for each coat. (Some new acrylic enamel paints can be applied without a priming coat.)