Stencil Paints Part 2: Stenciling with latex paints

One of the most common interior house paint products on the market today is latex paint. Latex is a paint binder derived from rubber. Although the term "Latex is used to describe this type of paint, most brands do not actually contain latex. Instead they contain plastic resins made from acrylics or polyvinyl's. because of this they are often labeled as "acrylic latex".

Most latex paint are formulated for interior usage. High quality water based paints for exterior use contain 100% acrylic binders much like acrylic paint . Latex house paints can be used for stenciling your interior walls. So long as your walls already are painted with a water based emulsion paint.

"Generally speaking, better quality paints contain more acrylic binders and pure pigments."

The best interior house paints have a high enough amount of acrylic binders and pigments present to give good coverage. Cheap paints contain less binders and are lower in quality than expensive paints. Generally speaking better quality paints contain more acrylic binders and pure pigments.

A possible disadvantage to using latex paint for a small stencil job is that its not always easy to purchase small enough amounts and the paint needs to have the pigments mixed in by the paint retailer.

advantages of Latex emulsion paints

water-soluble
wears well in both interior and exterior use.
easily cleaned up simply with soapy water.
Non-toxic and little or no odor
works well on surfaces previously painted with latex or flat oil base paints

Disadvantages:

Small quantities hard to get

Range of colors not readily available of the shelf ( have to be mixed)
Poor quality latex paint does not have enough pigments and covering capacity. Too runny. too much risk of bleeding behind stencil.
Does not adhere well to high-gloss finishes.

Latex Spray Paints

Latex spray Paints Water based paints are also available in spray cans. This is good news for stencils artists and decorators. Spraying paint through a stencil can make work go not only quicker but the effect is smoother and more consistent.

With spray painting the problem arises of over spray getting over the outer edges of the stencil. Care should be taken to mask your spray area adequately, and if you do get a bit of paint where its dost belong you can easily clean it of with a damp cloth before it dries.

You can use a latex spray just like you would any latex paint. There is an added advantage with latex spray. Since the resins and pigments in the spray formulation are not as water-intensive, you can spray over metal, unprimed wood and wallpaper.

Latex spray also has better color opacity than alkyd paints (enamel paints),It is non toxic and quite safe to use indoors. Always take care to wear a suitable mask when using sprays indoors and make sure the area is well ventilated.

Brands:

Krylon H2O™ 18 colors to choose from. Durable and cleans up with soapy water. This spray is compatible with acrylic and latex paints