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Clear coat on top of latex
I made a stork to place outside my house when my wife gives birth on Tuesday. I painted the stork using latex paint. I want to cover the paint with a protective clear coat but I am not sure what to use. I don’t want the latex paint to be damaged by the top coat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your help!
Replies
WayneL5 | Sep 12, 2004 08:35pm | #1
I’m not certain, but read the can on water based polyurethane to see if it’s compatible with latex paint. I’m almost certain it would be fine. It has the advantage of being very clear, whereas the solvent based finishes all have a slight amber tint which would make your stork look like it needs a bath.
BARRISTERBUILDER | Sep 12, 2004 09:26pm | #3
Thank you for your quick response. I will check the label on water based urathane for compatibility.
HowardAcheson | Sep 12, 2004 10:11pm | #5
Typically, waterborne varnishes are not for exterior use. Particularly, stay away from waterborne poly. Poly rapidly deteriorates when exposed to UV from the sunlight. Poly, whether oil based or waterborne, is not a good exterior finish.Howie.
BG | Sep 12, 2004 08:47pm | #2
Jack, Congratulations to you and Mrs. Jack Are you sure you want a stork hanging around your house. lol. If your using exterior latex paint, isn’t that made to wash off with each rain so it’ll look fresh and clean. that could be a problem with poly. don’t know for sure..
Edited 9/12/2004 1:48 pm ET by BG
BARRISTERBUILDER | Sep 12, 2004 09:29pm | #4
Some of the paint is interior latex paint. I wasnt really thinking about the paint until after I painted it. My mind is on something else. Tahnks for your thoughts
Dale | Sep 12, 2004 10:17pm | #6
My first thoughts are to use two coats, of a one pound cut of a clear shellac on top of the latex, did this on my work bench to lighten it up before varnishing. Anyway, for outdoors I’d put a top coat of spar-varnish, could yellow the white somewhat. Good luck and let us know what you did and how it turned out.
Edited 9/12/2004 3:22 pm ET by Dale
sawdustmaker | Sep 13, 2004 12:11am | #7
What about an exterior grade paint, and skip the clear coat?
lungfish | Sep 13, 2004 09:59am | #8
Just from my own experience. I used solvent based poly over paint in my bathroom and it looks kinda’ nasty.
jonsherryl | Sep 13, 2004 04:42pm | #9
Jack, unless you plan on leaving the stork out on your front lawn as a permanent decoration. I think all you need is a couple of quicks coat of interior-exterior spray varnish. The kind available in cans at the local hardware store for less than $4.00. Apply it in light, even coats, so you don’t get any drips or runs. It should lock the latex pigments in place and provide an adequate moisture barrier for a 2 or 3 week tour of duty out there exposed to the elements.
JohnWW | Sep 13, 2004 10:40pm | #10
If it is only temporary, for up to a few weeks, the interior paint will probably hold up fine outdoors. John W.
BARRISTERBUILDER | Sep 21, 2004 01:03am | #11
Thank You all for your responses. I found a lacquer made to cover paint. It is a Krylon product called Kamar lacquer 517. It is specifically made to be sprayed over oil paint, acrylic latex paint, and water color paint. I found it at the local artist supply store. It did not change the color of the paint when I used it and it has held up through hurricane Ivan. Jack
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Do latex and acrylic paints work together? August 12, 2008 4:53 PM Subscribe
When painting, is it okay to use different types of paint (specifically latex based and acrylic) at the same time? I am painting primed plywood and need to use a lot of colors, but I have a wider selection of acrylics than latex. The reason I don’t use acrylic entirely is because it is not always as opaque as I would like. When the piece is finished it will be covered with polyurethane to make the surface smooth and shiny. Will the paints react to each other over time, or should the top coat hold everything together?
posted by catertot to Media & Arts (4 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
Latex and acrylic are pretty similar in chemical make-up. Latex is going to be a lot less archival and lightfast than acrylic though – so be sure to use a polyurethane with UV blockers. I’d use a water based urethane as well. You should be ok with that combination of media though – they shouldn”t react adversely
posted by leslies at 6:28 PM on August 12, 2008
I agree with leslies that they shouldn’t react much, although I would not suggest mixing the 2 types together.
Alternatively you could get a gel medium to mix into your acrylics to make the colors more opaque–Pearl Paint has many different types.
posted by beckish at 6:39 PM on August 12, 2008
I’ve created artwork on canvas for my daughter’s room using a background color of latex with the top details painted in acrylic. No problems.
posted by Ostara at 8:23 PM on August 12, 2008
Latex and acrlic are perfectly fine. I know from experience and many, many 8’x4′ paintings.
The only problem with latex is that’s it’s kinda fragile. If you put it on something smooth without priming first, it can come off, get ripped (yeah, ripped), etc. Leslies is also right about it being less lightfast.
I don’t know if there are any long-term problems, but I certainly haven’t seen any, and my latex-and-acrylic paintings are all around 6 years old.
Other than that, have fun!
posted by flibbertigibbet at 9:12 PM on August 12, 2008
I’d like to know if it’s OK to apply water base polyurethane over (100%) latex acrylic?
I made a set of doll bunk beds for my granddaughter. She wanted a specific paint color that was only available in latex acrylic (rather than using an enamel), so I’d like to put a clear topcoat over it to give additional protection from dirt and fingerprints. I used a “premium” latex, but would like additional protection.
Thanks for the advise!
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01-19-2015, 11:14 AM #2
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Join Date Feb 2003 Location Doylestown, PA Posts 7,419
I did a corner stand for a friend who wanted low/no cost. Planed construction lumber, left over wall paint and some Ace brand water based poly over it. So far so good, it hasn’t debonded that I’ve noticed. By no definition is it fine furniture but it works for what they need.
01-19-2015, 1:33 PM #3
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Join Date Mar 2003 Location Southport, NC Posts 3,147
Waterbased polyurethane is 100% latex acrylic. Acrylic paint is nothing more than water borne polyurethane and lots of pigment. Over coating will not provide any additional protection over that you get from the acrylic paint. Just add another coat of paint if you want more protection.
Howie.
01-19-2015, 2:14 PM #4
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Join Date Oct 2009 Posts 41
Thanks for taking the time to help! I guess I’ll just add another coat of the latex paint then. I thought maybe the Poly might dry/cure harder than the paint giving better protection. Soooo, I guess I’ll just wait an extra week or two before I give it to her to ensure the paint has cured well.
01-19-2015, 3:19 PM #5
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Join Date Dec 2010 Location WNY Posts 9,229
Originally Posted by Howard Acheson
Waterbased polyurethane is 100% latex acrylic. Acrylic paint is nothing more than water borne polyurethane and lots of pigment. Over coating will not provide any additional protection over that you get from the acrylic paint. Just add another coat of paint if you want more protection.
Howard, that is not true in many cases. Many WB polys do, in fact, contain polyurethane resin and not just acrylic. I think some contain only polyurethane resins, but General Finishes has genericized their MSDS’s to the extreme and now disclose nothing as to composition, so I can’t offer an example as proof.
01-19-2015, 10:04 PM #6
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Join Date Jul 2008 Location Tomball, TX (30 miles NNW Houston) Posts 2,747
I agree with you John; many of the water-borne “polys” are 95-99% acrylic and a small % poly resin.
John Brady, a Gloss acrylic may help if you didn’t use gloss for the paint. If you used gloss paint recoat it.
FYI acrylics don’t CURE, they are coalescing finishes.
Finishing is an ‘Art & a Science’. Actually, it is a process. You must understand the properties and tendencies of the finish you are using. You must know the proper steps and techniques, then you must execute them properly.
01-19-2015, 10:28 PM #7
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Join Date Dec 2010 Location WNY Posts 9,229
Originally Posted by Scott Holmes
I agree with you John; many of the water-borne “polys” are 95-99% acrylic and a small % poly resin.
John Brady, a Gloss acrylic may help if you didn’t use gloss for the paint. If you used gloss paint recoat it.
FYI acrylics don’t CURE, they are coalescing finishes.
They don’t cure? General Finishes seems to think they do: https://generalfinishes.com/professi. r#.VL28oy5Bn6F My own experience shows the hardness and chemical resistance increases after a week or two. To me, that suggests they cure.
01-20-2015, 3:36 AM #8
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Join Date Jul 2008 Location Tomball, TX (30 miles NNW Houston) Posts 2,747
Indeed they do say that; if the crosslinker is added then it is a chemical “cure” that takes place. Generally speaking acrylics are coalescing finishes. Some Tech writers may very well call this curing.
Finishing is an ‘Art & a Science’. Actually, it is a process. You must understand the properties and tendencies of the finish you are using. You must know the proper steps and techniques, then you must execute them properly.
01-20-2015, 8:58 AM #9
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Join Date Sep 2012 Location Mnts.of Va. Posts 615
Yeah,”curing”. it’s like,if I bake a chocolate pie,how long do we wait before we cut it?
Testing,in my pea brain trumps all.I have learned that speculation is limited by too many factors.Much easier. WAY easier,just shoot he panel/s and chuck them out the back door of the shop.Rain,shine. don’t care.Leaving a finish sitting outside,cuts to the chase pretty durn quick.Not an accurate example of what you are trying to accomplish with your finish?Then come up with your own test.
I’d say a CC in how you’re proposing(as I understand the ?)would,add a very slight(am guessing because of the metric) amt of “protection”.Admittedly a guess,comes from BC/CC in automotive applications.
