What primer for mixed water and oil-based paint on woodwork?

David_Duke

The woodwork in my house has water-based paint on oil-based paint. The top layer comes off with metho, but I certainly can’t strip it like that for the whole house. Luckily, the water-based coat is mostly smooth and intact but I can scrape it off with a finer nail. 

Which primer can I use so that the new paint I put on won’t peel off?

EricL

Hello @David_Duke 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about what paint to use on a water-based paint on top of an oil-based paint on woodwork.

I understand that you are not keen to sand the topcoat off the woodwork. However, the primary issue is that the water-based paint should never have been used on top of the oil-based paint. At some point the water-based paint will peel off the oil-based surface. If the former owner had used the correct paint, you would not be able to scrape the paint off with your fingernail.

Unfortunately, sanding the surface of the paint is necessary before you paint it with a primer. In this case, I would suggest using Dulux 1L PRECISION Maximum Strength Adhesion Primer White. Doing so without removing the water-based paint means that the paint you have now along with the new primer will come off at some point in time.

In order to avoid this catastrophe, I can only recommend sanding off the water-based paint. This will leave you with the original oil-based topcoat which is compatible with the Dulux Precision Primer as well. 

To expedite the sanding process, I suggest using an Ozito ¼ Sheet Orbital Sander which uses ordinary sandpaper sheets.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles, and a dust mask when working on your woodwork.  

Here is a link to a handy guide: How to paint like a professional by @Peggers. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric