What’s the difference between oil and water based paint? When referring to whether paint is oil or water based we are actually referring to what type of solvent is used in the paint itself which is the liquid component in the paint that evaporates as it dries. Oil based paint which is often identified as enamel, is typically made up of mineral turpentine and water based paint often called acrylic is generally made up of mostly water. Typically oil based paints have been used as they have been known to offer a higher sheen level and dry harder than a water based paint however oil based paints have been shown to dull and yellow overtime and due to their composition they offer limited flexibility which means they are more likely to crack and become dry, brittle and chalky overtime. Luckily technology has advanced our water based paints to surpass our oil based options giving us a non yellowing, hard wearing yet flexible paint that also dries faster and is easier to use and clean up it also provides a much high gloss level than previously. VOC (Volatile organic compounds) are also a very important factor to consider when choosing the right paint, we will explain these in depth in our next post. How to tell if you have oil or water based paint in your home? Simply pop some methylated spirits on a rag and wipe the paint in question, if the paint comes off on the rag it is water based. If it is oil based and you wish to repaint, it will need sanding back to remove the sheen, coated with an undercoat, allowed to dry and re-painted with a water based paint.