What are the different types of house paint?

Short answer: acrylic for walls, enamel for trims, primer underneath

For a normal house, the split is acrylic on the walls, enamel on the trims and a primer under anything bare. Haymes says water-based acrylic is the natural starting point for most homes, because it dries quickly and cleans up with water. Here's what each type is and where it usually goes.

The rest of this guide goes through each row: what changes between water-based and oil-based, which surface takes which type, and how to read the paint system on a quote.

Water-based or oil-based: water-based for most jobs, oil-based for the hardest, smoothest gloss

Haymes calls water-based acrylic the preferred choice for interiors. Dulux publishes a side by side comparison of the two enamel types on its trade site. The handling differences are the ones you notice on the day.

So the trade is speed and easy living against hardness and gloss. Dulux sums it up: a water-based enamel system is recommended where maximum exterior durability is the main concern, while a solvent-based system gives greater resistance to wear and tear along with better flow and levelling. British Paints says much the same. Oil-based enamels dry hard and smooth and keep more gloss. Sadly, in British Paints' words, they do tend to yellow over time.

Acrylic vs enamel: enamel is the harder coat for doors and trims

Enamel is a paint that dries hard, which is why it goes on the surfaces hands and feet hit. Dulux says its Aquanamel dries to a hard-wearing finish that resists knocks, stains and dirt. Haymes says trims, doors and skirting boards need a tougher finish than walls, and Dulux designed its Aquanamel enamel for doors, skirting boards, architraves and trim.

The confusing part is that enamel no longer means oil. You can buy water-based enamels, often called acrylic enamels. Haymes says its Ultratrim Acrylic Enamel can be used inside and out where a traditional enamel would go, with the convenience of water wash up. Dulux Super Enamel High Gloss is the oil-based kind, which Dulux describes as a hard-wearing oil-based interior gloss enamel for walls, doors, architraves and timber trim.

Yellowing is the main catch with oil-based enamel indoors. Dulux defines it as a yellow cast in ageing solvent-based enamels, most noticeable in white paints. Its trade advice says it shows most where light is poor, like inside door jambs, behind furniture and inside cupboards, and that the effect can't be reversed. Dulux says Aquanamel won't yellow over time.

For the full method on repainting trims, see our guide to repainting doors, skirting boards and window frames.

Paint types by surface: match the paint to what's underneath

Each surface in a house has a usual paint type, and the makers' instructions say which. Walls get acrylic, trims get enamel, and bare surfaces get a primer first. Masonry and outdoor timber have their own rules, because Dulux says oil-based enamels don't resist the alkalis in masonry and get brittle outside.

New render or concrete needs time before any paint goes on. Dulux says freshly laid masonry and cement-based surfaces should cure for at least 28 days before painting. For more on outside walls, read our guides to painting rendered walls and the best exterior paint for coastal homes.

Sheen is a separate choice from paint type

Paint type and sheen are two different decisions. The type is what the paint is made of and what it's for. Sheen, as Dulux puts it, is how shiny a paint is and how much light reflects from its surface. Taubmans lists the levels as flat, matt, low sheen, semi gloss and gloss.

One paint type often comes in several sheens. Haymes Premium Trim Enamel, for example, is sold in high gloss (80 to 95% sheen), semi gloss (40 to 50%) and low sheen (5 to 15%). That's the same enamel, dried to three different levels of shine. Haymes says its interior range covers walls, ceilings and trims across multiple finishes.

Flat is the one sheen tied to a single job. Taubmans says its flat finish hides roller marks and surface flaws and is designed for ceilings, where frequent cleaning isn't a priority. For which sheen to put in each room, see our guide to low sheen vs semi gloss.

Primer, sealer and undercoat: the coat underneath does the sticking

A primer, sealer or undercoat goes on before the topcoat to help it stick and cover. Some products do the job of all three. Dulux 1Step Prep Water Based is sold as a primer, sealer and undercoat in one, for walls, ceilings, doors, windows and trim, inside and out. Dulux says it has mould resistance and blocks tannin and flash rust stains.

Taubmans makes a similar 3 in 1 Primer Sealer Undercoat, which it says blocks stains and helps your topcoat adhere better. Dulux says you'll need an undercoat when you're covering a dark colour or a surface that's never been primed or painted, and that an undercoat can give better coverage than piling on extra topcoats.

• Bare timber or MDF trims: Dulux says to sand rough areas, dust off and apply one coat of 1Step Prep Water Based before Aquanamel.
• Patched walls: Dulux says to spot prime repairs with 1Step Prep before the topcoat.
• Dark colour going light: an undercoat first, as Dulux advises.
• Old oil-based gloss: check the tin first. Dulux lists Aquanamel as suitable over oil based coatings in its Vivid White base only, and says those coatings must be sanded back to a dull finish first.

Specialty paints: ceiling, wet area and metal paints each do one job

Specialty paints are general paint types tuned for one surface or one condition. Here are three you'll see on house jobs.

Ceiling paint. Dulux Ceiling White is a flat finish with high hiding power that conceals surface imperfections, and Dulux backs it with a 5-year guarantee against mould growth (conditions on the label). Haymes says its Interior Ceiling Flat is not recommended for wet areas such as bathrooms or laundries, so check the tin before using ceiling paint in a bathroom.

Wet-area paint. Dulux Wash&Wear +PLUS Kitchen & Bathroom Low Sheen is made for humid or damp rooms. Dulux says the finish has water-repellent properties and a mould inhibitor, and it carries a 10-year guarantee against mould growth (conditions on the label).

Metal paint. Dulux says its Metalshield metal paint is designed to protect against rust, and some Metalshield products need no primer on new bare steel, wrought iron or pre-painted metal. For rusted metal, our guide to painting rusted metal and gutters covers the prep.

Reading the paint system on a quote: look for primer, topcoat and sheen per surface

A clear painting quote names the paint system for each surface. The system is the primer or undercoat, the topcoat product and its sheen, and the number of coats. Check the coats against the tin. Dulux, for example, lists two coats for Ceiling White and for Aquanamel.

• Walls: which acrylic, which sheen, how many coats.
• Wet rooms: whether bathrooms and laundries get a wet-area paint or the same paint as the rest of the house.
• Ceilings: a ceiling paint, or wall paint carried up.
• Doors and trims: water-based or oil-based enamel, and the sheen.
• Prep coats: where a primer, sealer or undercoat goes, such as bare timber, patches or a big colour change.
• Outside: the exterior paint for walls and the paint for timber trims and metal.

If a line just says "two coats premium paint", ask which product and which sheen goes on each surface. Two quotes can only be compared when they name the same things.

Getting the right paint on your walls

J. James Painting Contractors has painted Sunshine Coast homes since 1985 and holds QBCC licence 1281728. We work right across the Sunshine Coast. Our interior house painting page shows what's included inside, and our exterior house painting page covers the outside. Call 0403 571 616, Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm or Saturday 8am to 1pm.