Oil or Water-Based Paint: Which Is Best?

Picking out the right shade of paint is difficult enough when there are so many options available, but there’s actually a lot more to consider when painting even the tiniest of walls. After you’ve selected the right paint colour and paint finish to match your décor, you’ll need to decide on whether to go for an oil or water-based paint. Here, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each physical type, how to be more environmentally friendly and bust a few myths while we’re at it.

Oil-based vs water-based paint: what’s the difference?

When we talk about oil or water-based paint, we’re referring to the type of solvent that’s used within the paint. The solvent is the liquid constituent of the paint, which dissolves the pigment and binding agent for the application – this happens when the solvent evaporates as the paint dries.

As you might imagine from the name, the solvent used in oil-based paints are made from organic oils, like turpentine. And you guessed it – the liquid in water-based paints is mostly comprised of water, which acts as a carrier for the pigment and binder.

Advantages of water-based paints

Environmentally friendly

A common question we’re asked by climate-positive DIYers is this: “is paint environmentally friendly?”.  Luckily, we can report that there are more sustainable options that can allow you to reduce the environmental impact of your paint job and one of these is opting for water-based paints.

Water soluble

Water-based paints are water-soluble, but become resistant to moisture when they’re dried out. Because they’re water soluble and non-toxic you can let extra paint dry and dispose of it in general waste as a solid mass – this should be a last resort though as there are many ways to recycle your paint!

Easy to recycle

Water-based paints last for up to 10 years if left opened, meaning that if you accidentally purchase more paint than you need, there’s plenty of time for you to pass it on to someone who’ll make good use of it. If opened, you can still avoid waste by storing it carefully in a cool, dry place and properly sealed. Then you can donate it to schemes such as Community Repaint or Freecycle when you’re able to.

Low VOC’s

Water-based paints have low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the fumes that contain the organic solvent. VOCs emit hazardous toxins into the environment and affect the air quality, some even acting as greenhouse gasses and contributing to global warming. Water-based paints, instead, don’t carry the risks associated with air pollution. No penguins will be harmed if you opt for water-based paint!

Healthier

Due to the higher levels of VOCs in oil-based vs water-based paint, the latter is a far safer option when it comes to personal health. VOCs not only contribute to air pollution, but long exposure to these vapours can have adverse impacts on your lungs and some types of VOCs cause cancer. To reduce this risk, your best option is to entirely opt out of oil-based paints.

Durable

While water-based paints have a lower sheen level than oil-based ones, they maintain their sheen level over longer periods. Compared to oil-based options, which yellow after a while, water-based paints retain their colour and sheen consistently.

Quick drying

Water-based paints are typically quicker to apply and dry than oil-based alternatives which have a thicker more viscous texture. This leaves you more time to achieve the right number of coats of paint you need for your walls and ceilings. The only downside is that you might need a few more coats as oil-based paints are easier to hide imperfections with their thicker consistency.

Painting over oil-based paint

Water-based paints are pretty versatile. You can paint water-based paint over oil-based paint with no problems! This makes the switch to eco-friendly paint much less of a hassle than you might’ve envisioned.

Easy clean-up

Another great thing about water-based paints is that the clean-up is relatively stress-free. Simply wash your tools and equipment with water – you won’t be needing any speciality thinners during the cleaning process, leaving you with more time to put your feet up after the job.

Exterior use

Due to their UV resistance, water-based paints are an ideal choice if you want to paint a brick house exterior. With this paint type, you can retain the sheen and colour of your home’s interior for longer periods. Whilst the durability of oil-based paints also makes them suited to exterior coatings, they don’t perform well when exposed to UV light and are prone to cracking in variable weather conditions.

Disadvantages (and myths!) of water-based paints

A lot of the historic disadvantages of water-based paints have disappeared over time as the industry has kept up with changing climate compliance and shiny (and matt!) new paint technologies.

Contemporary water-based paints are also far more durable and damage resistant than they ever used to be as their resins have increased in strength and lifespan – say goodbye to any yellowing or fading! The only thing that you’ll have to make sure of is that the water-based paint you do select is of trade paint standard as opposed to cheaper retail stuff.

Why are water-based paints better?

In the past, oil-based paints were a first and easy choice, but new VOC regulations and astonishing improvements to water-based paints have led to a complete ban in certain areas and to the strong possibility that they will be outlawed even further across Europe.

Now that the traditional “issues” we’ve mentioned no longer exist, there’s no need to be using oil-based paints. Water-based paints have improved in durability with increasing levels of climate compliance. This also means that they’re the best choice in terms of your health and the health of the planet.

Final Thoughts

We have a clear winner! Water-based paints are quick-drying, long-lasting and more environmentally friendly than their oil-based counterparts.