Latex and acrylic are often used interchangeably to refer to paint that does not have an oil-base. However, there is a significant difference between these two commons types of paint. While both paints are water-based, acrylic paint contains additional chemicals that give it greater adhesion and elasticity, making acrylic paint more suitable for exterior applications where those qualities are particularly needed. Latex paint is ideal for interior applications where the painted surface is not subjected to rapid changes in temperature and moisture due to weather conditions.
Apply Latex Over Acrylic or Acrylic Over Latex?
Generally, it’s okay to apply acrylic paint over a latex base as the acrylic paint offers greater adhesion. Latex over acrylic is not recommended as it offers less adhesion and is more likely to fail.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Acrylic Paint
The primary advantages of using acrylic paint is it’s adhesive qualities makes it highly versatile for painting a wide variety of surfaces such as canvas, paper, wood, vinyl, aluminum, glass, fabric, cardboard, metal, and plastic. It’s durable and water-resistant when dry. The primary disadvantage of using acrylic paint is it tends to darken as it dries making the finished color somewhat unpredictable. Acrylic paints don’t clean-up as easily as latex paints and can ruin brushes if left to dry.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Latex Paint
The primary advantages of using latex paint is it’s easy to clean-up, it offers faster drying times, is generally more environmentally-friendly, it’s less expensive, and is widely available. The primary disadvantages of using latex paint is it is less durable than acrylic paint, can require more coats of paint, and colors tend to fade more quickly.
Photo by David Pisnoy