How to Cover Oil Glossy Paint With Latex Paint?

Prepare your room for painting by taking out furnishings, rugs and anything else that might get in your way. Throw drop cloths down to protect the floor and any remaining furniture. Use painter's tape to protect molding, trim or surfaces adjacent to the walls you're painting.

Spray your glossy walls with an all-purpose degreaser spray and wipe them using a damp rag. Remove all dust, dirt and debris that may have built up over the years.

Remove the gloss on your oil wall's surface. The easiest, safest way to remove gloss is by sanding the entire wall with a fine grit sandpaper until it's dull rather than shiny. If your house was built before 1978, however, there may be coats of lead paint on the walls and you should not sand them. Instead, apply a liquid deglosser according to the manufacturer's instructions -- including the safety precautions -- because it's highly volatile.

Prime the wall after deglossing with sandpaper or liquid deglosser. Use an oil primer, or invest in a shellac primer/sealer that has superior adhesion and dries quickly. Apply one coat of primer in small areas and corners with a brush, and use a paint roller for the large expanse of wall. Allow it to dry before painting. Apply a second coat of primer if necessary for more even coverage and let it dry.

Paint your walls in latex paint in the desired finish. Flat and eggshell paint have more pigment for better coverage, so one coat may be enough. Satin or semigloss paint may require two coats. Paint the corners and edges with a brush and use a roller to paint the rest of the wall. Allow the first coat to dry and apply a second coat, if necessary.

Allow the paint to dry. Run a utility knife along the edge of the painter's tape and remove it. Using the utility knife will prevent overlapping paint from peeling when you pull up the tape.