I Applied Latex Over Oil Based Paint | How To Fix

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Last Updated on December 23, 2023 by lindseymahoney

Have you ever painted latex over oil based paint without properly prepping the walls?

The unlucky readers who answered ‘yes’ know how painful this mistake is! After two years of painting our new home, the mudroom makeover is my first run-in with oil-based paint.

Although our mudroom is one of the smaller rooms in the house, it has 8 (!!!) doors!

I say this because it is very time-consuming to paint doors, especially when 4 are large doors with slats. Fixing this mistake took countless hours and 5 coats of paint, but now it looks great!

How do You know that Latex was Applied over Oil Paint?

So how did I figure out that I made painted latex over oil-based paint? There were a few signs that made me realize that something wasn’t right.

First, the paint felt chalky to the touch even though it was a satin finish.

Second, the paint was chipping off at the slightest scratch. I could take my nail and easily scrape off a long strip of paint.

A quick Google search confirmed that applying latex over oil-based paint was the cause of these issues.

Ideally, I would love for you to learn from my mistake and avoid this headache altogether! But if you find yourself in the same pickle as me, I will take you through the various ways to resolve this problem and move on!

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Latex Paint vs. Oil Based Paint

• Latex paint is a water-based paint. This type of paint dries quickly and is what most people use on the interior walls of their homes.
• Oil based paint is made with either alkyd (synthetic) or linseed (natural) oils. It is more durable than latex paint so it is more frequently used on trim and doors. It takes longer to dry and requires chemicals to clean up any paint messes.

How can you tell if paint is oil based or latex?

If you suspect that the paint in your house is oil-based paint, there is an easy way to check.

You will need denatured alcohol or acetone (nail polish remover) and a cotton ball. Add the alcohol to the cotton ball and rub a small area of the painted surface.

If paint comes off onto the cotton ball, it is latex paint and you are good to go. If no paint rubs off, you have oil based paint.

Homes built before 1978, may have lead paint on the walls and you may want to consider testing the paint for lead.

Dust from lead paint is incredibly dangerous when inhaled or ingested and there are safety protocols to follow if your home has lead paint.

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How to Fix Your Mistake When you Paint Latex Over Oil

1 | Remove the Layer of Latex Paint

There are a few ways to remove the latex paint and one option may work better than another depending on your situation.

With all of these solutions, it is important to wear a mask to protect your lungs!

Option 1 | Warm Water & Scouring Pad

Warm water and a scouring pad work great to remove the latex paint quickly.

The downside of this option is that it is incredibly messy. Dirty water and wet paint splattered everywhere and make a big mess.

If you are working in an unfinished space, this is a good option, but it is not ideal if you need to protect the floors.

Option 2 | Paint Scraper & Scouring Pad

I ended up primarily using a paint scraper, followed by a scouring pad. Then, I used a sanding block and wiped the trim and doors down thoroughly with Krud Kutter.

In the beginning, I forgot to wear a mask and was quickly reminded how terrible the dust particles are for your lungs! Do as I say and not as I do. 🙂

I removed most of the peeling paint and then sanded it as smoothly as possible.

A few times I gouged the trim, but it is 50 years old and I wasn’t too concerned with imperfections here and there.

I have another confession – I skipped scraping the doors and just crossed my fingers that the bonding primer and trim-specific paint would suffice.

I don’t know that I would ever have finished this mudroom if I had to scrap all 8 doors!

We will see how they hold up, but they are already looking better with the primer and trim paint applied.

Option 3 | Additional Latex Paint Removal Options

I found some other solutions to this problem online but did not test them out.

Depending on how much time you want to spend removing all of the paint, a combination of these options could speed up the process.

• Use a steamer to remove the latex paint just like wallpaper
• Krud Kutter latex paint spray remover
• Latex paint stripper

2 | Apply Extreme Bonding Primer

I’m giving you a big round of applause if you discovered the oil-based paint before applying latex paint over it!

This will save you a ton of time and is a pretty quick fix. First, you will take a sanding block and scuff up the surface with the oil-based paint. Wipe down the surface to remove any dust and dirt.

Next, you will apply one coat of bonding primer to seal in the oil-based paint.

3 | Apply 2 Coats of Trim & Door Paint

To be honest, I never used to purchase paint made specifically for trim and doors. I realize now the error of my ways!

Paint made specifically for trim and doors is much more durable for these high traffic areas and I highly recommend using it for your projects.

Once the bond primer was applied to our mudroom walls, I applied 2 coats of Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel and I can really tell the difference!

For the application, I used a combination of an angled paintbrush and a small roller to paint the surfaces.

Is oil based primer different than oil based paint?

Yes! An oil based primer can accept any topcoat whether it is oil based or latex. We used oil-based primer in our home to seal in leftover wallpaper glue in our foyer.

Because latex paint is water-based, we couldn’t just paint the walls because the water reactivated the glue.

If you have ever made this mistake, it turns your wall into a gummy mess.

Instead of using a steamer to scrape off all of the glue, we were instructed to use an oil-based primer to seal in the wallpaper glue and then apply the latex paint.

Why do people use oil-based paint?

Oil based paint is extremely durable which makes it ideal for trim and doors.

How has my mudroom held up since I fixed my mistake?

A year later the doors are in pretty good shape. They have a few paint chips on them because it is a high-traffic area, but nothing too noticeable.

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Project Source List

• Extreme Bonding Primer
• Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel
• Acetone (nail polish remover)
• Angled Paint Brush
• Paint Roller
• N95 Mask
• Paint Scraper
• Scouring Pad
• Sanding Block
• Steamer
• Krud Kutter Latex Paint Spray Remover
• Latex Paint Stripper
• Drop cloth
• Lead paint test kit

Fixing this mistake was a huge pain in the butt, but it was definitely worth it.

My family is pretty rough on our mudroom and we need durable paint on the trim and doors to hold up. I hope my experience will make your paint removal process go a little bit quicker!

Mudroom Reveal

I fixed the paint mistake and then installed wallpaper to finish the mudroom makeover. I absolutely love how it turned out and am glad I took the extra time to fix my painting mistake.

Check Out All of the Mudroom DIY Projects

• How to Hang Pre-Pasted Wallpaper by Yourself
• How to Install a Vertical Shiplap Plank Wall
• The Best Supplies for Painting Interior Spaces
• How to Paint Your Old Floors Using Rust-Oleum HOME
• Beautiful Mudroom Makeover with Tons of Charm
• 9 Decorative Wall Trim & Molding Ideas to Try

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For more tips on choosing interior paint colors, head on over to my friend Katelin’s site at The Inspiring Investment where she shares tips on picking the perfect colors!