What Is Enamel Paint? 6 Tips for Applying Enamel Paint

Enamel paint is an oil paint you can use as an exterior paint or interior paint. No matter what paint brand you choose, most enamel paint is oil-based, although there are a few exceptions that are water-based. You can get a smooth finish with an enamel spray paint or a brushed-on enamel paint, and exterior versions are water-resistant.

Enamel paint is hard after it dries, which can provide you with an aesthetically pleasing and durable surface. Here are some DIY ideas for your next home improvement painting project with enamel paint.

1. 1. Casing doors and windows: Your doors and windows might see a lot of use, so you need to cover them in a paint that will not wear down fast. Enamel paint is a good option for its durability.
2. 2. Covering metal: Metal works as a good substrate for enamel paints, particularly enamel spray paint. This kind of paint sets hard enough to work well on your outdoor furniture, but it works just as well inside the home, too. Just be sure to use a sandpaper that is at least 120 grit or above on the metal surface before you paint to encourage good mechanical adhesion.
3. 3. Glossing floors: Lots of homeowners apply enamel paint to the floors of their home garages. The paint sticks well to the concrete, giving it a high-gloss finish, and can help you clean up drips from your car more easily.
4. 4. Protecting baseboards: The white trim found on the baseboards in most homes gets beat up fast. Enamel paint is more durable, so if longevity is important to you, enamel paint will provide the best paint finish for your trim color.
5. 5. Refinishing cabinets: Your kitchen is a high-traffic area, and if your kitchen cabinets could use a new coat of paint, enamel will be a durable option that results in a glossy finish.

Painters use primer when they’re concerned about the porosity of the surface; the adhesion required for the paint to stick; or stains that might be visible underneath the finish. Primer is not required for all painting projects, no matter the type of paint. But whether you’re working on putting white paint on your windowsills or just want to put a new eggshell finish on your interior doors, primer can help ensure you will achieve the results you expect.

Whether you’re using enamel spray paint or semi-gloss paint on your home’s interior walls, it’s important to properly prepare the surface to receive paint. Follow these steps to help you achieve the best results possible:

1. 1. Prep anything metal. Paint sticks to objects through chemical adhesion and mechanical adhesion. Sanding metallic surfaces first can help with mechanical adhesion. Use 120-grit sandpaper or a scuffing pad to scuff up the surface. You will know you’re finished scuffing when the metal is no longer shiny.
2. 2. Remove necessary items. If you’re painting interior doors, take off and set aside doorknobs and anything else that you don’t want painted but otherwise would have to be extra careful painting around. This requires some work up front but can be well worth it.
   
3. 3. Mask off items that should remain paint-free. Use painter’s tape, which you can get at your local paint store, to tape off everything you want to remain unpainted. For example, if you are painting a wall but not the trim, you can use painter’s tape between the two surfaces, then apply a little caulk with a caulk gun down the tape line. Smooth it out with a wet finger and wipe away any excess. This can help ensure you get a clean paint line on your baseboards.
4. 4. Put down a drop cloth. A drop cloth can be anything from an old bedsheet to plastic sheeting. Tape it down to the floor and to itself so you do not accidentally kick it up or trip on it while you are painting. A drop cloth can make post-painting cleanup much easier.
5. 5. Apply a light first coat. This is particularly important with enamel spray paint. You want to first apply a light coat, which will give you a base for heavier second and third coats. This helps with chemical adhesion, creating a solid bond between paint layers.
6. 6. Peel off your tape sooner rather than later. If you let your paint dry before you peel off any painter’s tape, you will likely end up with a jagged paint finish on the seam. The best paint technique is to pull up the tape before the paint dries, that way it can settle slightly, leveling itself out in the process.

Although enamel paint, acrylic paint, and latex paint are all types of paint, they differ in terms of their composition and uses. Here are some areas in which you can compare these paints to one another:

• The base: Enamel paint has an oil base, which means you need to use paint thinner or lacquer thinner when you’re cleaning out your paint brushes after using it. Latex and acrylic paints, on the other hand, are water-based paints, which can make cleanup easier.
• The drying time: Enamel paint takes longer to dry than latex or acrylic paint does. You also have to use a paintbrush with the right bristles for enamel paint; otherwise, you risk visible brush strokes after the paint has dried. Acrylic and latex paints flow easier and dry faster, therefore they require a different application technique.
• The resulting hardness: Enamel paint dries harder than latex or acrylic paint. Use enamel paint on metal surfaces that don’t flex or shift over time. Latex and acrylic paints do allow for more flexibility, which can help with DIY projects and wood trim that may flex over time.

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