Paint Type
Latex Paint
Latex paint is a water-based architectural coating made with a synthetic polymer binder and commonly used on interior and exterior building surfaces.
Latex paint surface compatibility
Latex paint works well on many building surfaces, while bare, porous, glossy, or difficult materials often need a compatible primer and preparation.
| Surface | Compatibility | Preparation | Primer | Finish | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | Excellent | Repair defects, remove dust, and make sure joint compound is dry. | Use drywall primer on new or patched drywall. | Choose the sheen for the room and cleaning needs. | — |
| Wallpaper | Good on sound wallpaper with suitable preparation | Make sure the wallpaper is firmly bonded, repair loose seams and edges, remove surface contamination, and let repairs dry fully. | Use a wallpaper-compatible primer or sealer when needed to isolate adhesive residue, stains, absorbent paper, or problem areas. | Choose a sheen appropriate for the room and avoid excessive wet application that may disturb marginally bonded paper. | — |
| Wood | Good with preparation | Clean, dry, sand as needed, and address loose coating or stains. | Prime bare, glossy, or stain-prone wood. | Use an interior or exterior product suited to the project. | — |
| Wood Veneer | Good with gentle preparation and suitable primer | Clean thoroughly and dull glossy finishes carefully without sanding through the thin veneer face. | Use a bonding primer on glossy veneer or a stain-blocking primer when the wood or existing finish requires it. | Choose a durable interior or exterior formula suited to the item and exposure. | — |
| Concrete | Good with a suitable formula | Allow new masonry to cure; remove dust, loose material, and surface deposits. | Use a compatible masonry primer when required. | Use a coating designed for the location and moisture conditions. | — |
| Brick | Good with a masonry-grade product | Correct moisture issues and remove dirt, loose material, and efflorescence. | Use a masonry primer when required by the paint system. | Use an interior or exterior product suited to the location. | — |
| Plywood | Good with preparation | Sand rough areas and make sure faces and edges are dry and sound. | Prime bare plywood, cut edges, and stain-prone areas. | Match the product to interior or exterior exposure. | — |
| Aluminum | Good with an approved primer and topcoat | Remove oxidation and loose coating; clean, degrease, and dull the surface. | Use a compatible aluminum primer unless the coating system approves direct application. | Choose a coating rated for the location and exposure. | — |
| Cinder Block | Good with a masonry-grade formula | Repair defects and correct moisture problems; remove dirt, loose coating, and efflorescence. | Use block filler or a suitable masonry primer unless direct application is approved. | Choose a product for the exact interior, exterior, or below-grade location. | — |
| Cement Board | Good on a board approved for painting | Confirm that the exposed face can be painted, finish joints and fasteners as directed, and make sure the surface is clean and dry. | Follow the board and paint manufacturers' requirements for sealing or priming. | Choose an interior or exterior formula suited to the location and moisture exposure. | — |
| Galvanized Steel | Good with a galvanized-metal-compatible system | Remove oil, grease, passivator, white rust, and loose coating, then create the required surface profile. | Use a water-based or other zinc-compatible primer when the selected system requires it. | Choose a topcoat rated for the location and weather exposure. | — |
| Particleboard | Good for suitable interior projects after priming | Clean and dry the board, smooth rough areas, and avoid saturating raw faces or edges. | Use a compatible sealing or bonding primer; raw edges usually need extra sealing. | Use a durable interior sheen where the surface will be cleaned or handled. | — |
| OSB | Good with preparation and a compatible primer | Keep the panel dry, remove contamination and loose fibers, and address exposed edges before painting. | Prime raw OSB with a product approved for composite wood and the intended exposure. | Use a durable architectural coating matched to the location. | — |
| Metal | Formula and primer specific | Remove rust and loose coating; clean, degrease, and dull glossy surfaces. | Use a compatible rust-inhibiting or bonding primer unless the paint is approved for direct-to-metal use. | Use a product rated for the exposure. | Latex on metal guide |
Sources: Behr Direct-To-Metal Paint, Behr primer guidance, Behr painting specifications, Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior Acrylic Latex, James Hardie Backer Board, Sherwin-Williams galvanized-metal guidance, Tikkurila particleboard painting guidance, Benjamin Moore composite-wood acrylic latex paint, and Zinsser wallpaper guidance.
Painters who used latex paint
Profiles document latex paint in textile constructions, painted packaging, murals, and gallery works, from commercial wall coatings to studio applications.
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Molly Zuckerman-Hartung
The Whitney lists latex house paint in Notley (2013), applied to drop cloth that Molly Zuckerman-Hartung cut, sewed, and joined into a hinged support. The commercial coating becomes part of a constructed painting rather than a standard layer on flat canvas.
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Justen Ladda
Justen Ladda used latex paint in Tide (1985), coating washing-powder boxes assembled into a sculptural work. The architectural paint repurposes printed packaging as a support, bringing ordinary household materials into the composition instead of serving as an easel-paint medium.
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Joe Cornelius
Joe Cornelius uses latex wall paint on interior surfaces such as drywall. He selects and applies the architectural coating according to room use and finish needs after preparing the substrate, a professional building application distinct from artist acrylic despite their shared water-based chemistry.
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Kristoffer Ardeña
In Ghost Painting / Cracked Category: Study for a Portrait (with solihiya embroidery) (2023), Kristoffer Ardeña used latex paint on transparent plastic. It flakes and fades beneath embroidered plastic, making deterioration and concealment part of the work’s meaning.
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Robert Ryman
The Whitney’s materials overview includes latex among paints Robert Ryman used. The museum documents it as part of his broader material practice without assigning it to one work, so it should not be generalized across his white paintings or supports.
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Alicia McCarthy
SFO Museum catalogs latex paint alongside spray paint, pencil, and crayon on wood in Alicia McCarthy’s Untitled (2017). The specific medium label distinguishes this record from a separate SFMOMA work identified as house paint on wood.
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Sarah Cain
The National Gallery of Art lists latex in Sarah Cain’s Self Portrait, alongside acrylic and gouache. The architectural coating is one material in a larger installation of paint and attached objects, not an identification inferred from the work’s color or application.
Sources: Whitney Museum: Molly Zuckerman-Hartung’s Notley, MoMA: Justen Ladda’s Tide, Mural Joe: surface preparation and coatings, Ocula: Kristoffer Ardeña artworks, Whitney Museum: Robert Ryman materials overview, SFO Museum: Alicia McCarthy’s Untitled (2017), and National Gallery of Art: Sarah Cain’s Self Portrait.
