Oil-Based Paint

Many older houses, especially those built prior to the 1990's, were originally painted with oil-based paint. There are two characteristics of oil-based paint that make it undesirable today: 1)It changes color through time and 2)It cannot be topcoated with latex paint without first priming. To determine whether or not you have oil-based paint, purchase some denatured alcohol from a paint store and rub the alcohol on your paint with a rag; if the paint comes off then it is not oil-based. If the paint does not come off then it is oil-based and you must first prime the surface before painting.  Discover and share home improvement knowledge at www.HomebuiltHowTo.com.