Can You Use Acrylic Paint on Walls

Can You Use Acrylic Paint on Walls? – Pros and Cons of Acrylics

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If you are planning to paint the walls of your home, either on the exterior or interior, you should consider using acrylic paint instead of your standard latex paint. while acrylic paint is most popularly associated with the arts and crafts, it is actually more than suitable for use in home renovations. In fact, you might be surprised by the several key advantages acrylic paint has over traditional latex-based options. If you are interested in finding out why, join us as we discuss the benefits of using acrylics for this purpose.

 

 

Can You Use Acrylic Paint on a Wall?

Acrylic paints are quite possibly the most multifarious painting mediums at our disposal in the modern era. They are not only a durable, vibrant, and affordable alternative to oil paints when it comes to fine art; they also boast a wide variety of additional utilitarian benefits. One of these uses, if the name of this article has not yet given it away, is for the painting of walls. If you want to know more about acrylic paint’s efficacy as a means to seal, protect, and beautify your walls, you have found yourself in the right place.

Why Choose Acrylic Paint for Walls

 

 

What Is Acrylic Paint?

Acrylic paint borrows its namesake from the artificial binding agent, acrylic polymer. This substance firmly adheres the pigment to the surface and offers protection from environmental damage once fully dried. Using water as the vehicle, acrylic paints are renowned for their expedient drying times. To supplement our answers to the primary query, “can you use acrylic paint on walls?”, we have attached a list of further pros and cons of the medium.

What Makes Acrylic Paint Suitable for Walls

 

Pros and Cons of Using Acrylic Paint on Walls

While there are many characteristics of acrylic paint that make it great, the benefits afforded by the medium are not without their counterweight. However, nothing is perfect. Let us have a look at some of the most notable pros and cons associated with acrylic paint.

Because acrylic paint dries quickly, you will be more than able to add numerous coats within a single day of work. As it is water-based and thus soluble, acrylic paint is easy to wash off with soap and water alone without the need for harmful chemicals. Paint thinners such as turpentine and rubbing alcohol will not be necessary to clean dried acrylic paint off your skin, tools, or work surface.

Acrylic Paint Cleans Up Easily

Acrylic paints are versatile and bind well with most common surfaces. Surfaces such as wood, canvas, stone, metal, cardboard, and plastic are all suitable surfaces for acrylic paints – and this is only to name a few! When combined with oils or waxes, however, your acrylic paints may leave you with fewer options than normal.

The drying times of acrylic paint can be reduced using additives. If you want to try your hand at one of those paint effects so popular in the 80’s that are making a comeback, you can use a retarding medium to decrease the rate at which your acrylic paint dries. In addition there is a whole range of mediums that can be mixed into acrylic paints to create different textures and finishes.

Use Acrylics for Paint Effects on Walls

Acrylic paint is resistant to environmental changes. As temperatures shift between hot and cold throughout the day or the seasons, the binding agent present on acrylic paint is able to both contract and expand according to the surrounding climatic conditions. This helps prevent the coatings of your paint from either chipping or flaking off the surface of the substrate, even after a prolonged period of exposure. Once dried, the surface of acrylic paint is water-proof. This helps acrylic paint retain the vibrancy of their colors and, as previously discussed, also stops the yellowing of colors that we see in oil-based paint after a long period.

Acrylic paints are among the most non-toxic paints to work with. This makes these paints safe for use by children provided they have adult supervision. Acrylic paints can also be mixed with other paints. Can you mix acrylic paint with wall paint? Yes, especially considering that both are water-based.

The shades of acrylic paints tend to change after they have fully dried, typically darkening. Although often slight, the difference between how your paint looked before drying and how it did after can be distinguished.

PROS
  • Fast drying times
  • Easy to wash off
  • Versatile
  • Can dry even faster with additives
  • Many different textures and finishes
  • Temperature resistant
  • Water-proof surface
  • Non-toxic
  • Can be mixed with other paints
CONS
  • Limited time to work with
  • Sometimes difficult to clean when dry
  • Shades change after drying
  • Not as impressive of a medium as oil paints
  • Uncertainty over how long acrylics can preserve

 

Can You Use Acrylic Paint on a Wall?

Can acrylic paint be used on walls? The short answer is yes. Acrylic paints are among the best options to choose from when it comes to painting walls, whether it be for murals or interior and exterior design. Being both highly durable and waterproof, acrylic paint coatings can keep your walls looking fresh come rain or shine. Paint is an excellent addition to any space if the aim is to protect the surfaces beneath or elevate their aesthetic qualities.

Given how many vibrant colors acrylic paint comes in, for many, it is a no-brainer when it comes to deciding what paint works best. Another great reason for the almost-unanimous proclivity for using acrylic paint when painting walls is the fact that it is durable enough to last an incredibly long time before walls need to be re-coated. Does acrylic paint wash off walls? Absolutely not! Can acrylic paint be used outside? Definitely. Once dried, its acrylic polymer binder adheres to the pigment to the surface of the wall and protects it from environmental damage.

Acrylic Paint Can Be Used on Exterior Walls

Being permanent, water-based, waterproof (once dry), and available in a myriad of stunning colors; acrylic paint boasts no shortage of reasons why it should be used to paint walls. Better yet, acrylic paint on walls is super affordable!

 

Acrylic Paint on Walls vs. Other Paints

Although the jury might be out on this one in certain cases and spaces, many home renovation experts and homeowners alike would agree that acrylic paints are perhaps the best choice for painting walls – for both interior and exterior projects. Not only can acrylic paint be used on walls, it can also perform better than other common exterior paint options.

In comparison to other paints commonly used on walls, like latex and oil-based paints, acrylic paints offer superior durability and aesthetics while also being easier to use. Unlike most instances of these other paints, acrylic paint is water-based. Using water as the vehicle affords one of the best characteristics of acrylic paint; its quick drying times are unmatchable. Oil-based paints, for example, can take up to several days to dry, whereas even the thickest coatings of acrylic paint can dry within an hour. If you plan on applying multiple layers of paint to your walls, using acrylic paint can allow you to complete the project before the day is out.

Acrylic Wall Paint Dries Quickly

Can acrylic paint be used outside? Yes, and the results will blow other options out of the water. Oil-based and latex paints also fail to produce the same degree of protection from sunlight, rain, and so much more. On a building’s exterior walls, where shifting temperatures can be expected, acrylic paints work exceptionally well. This is because the acrylic polymer binder of the paint can expand and contract without becoming brittle in response to the changes in temperature that occur throughout the day and seasons.

Concerning the argument for why this paint is the best option for this sort of task, people who have worked extensively with acrylics for painting walls are quick to add that they tend to produce a better color vibrancy once dried. The colors will also retain their vibrancy for much longer. Compared to oil-based paints, acrylics also have the benefit of not being anywhere near as odorous and also being the least toxic option of the two.

 

 

How to Paint Walls Using Acrylic Paint

Deciding to paint your home with acrylics opens the door to copious options, whether it be for interior or exterior projects. Not only do you have a massive amount of vibrant colors to choose from, but you can also save some cash considering how relatively affordable acrylic paints can be. Better yet, they are super easy to work with. Honestly, the hardest part about working with acrylic paint is having to decide on a color!

But, before you get to painting, you should know how to do so first. This is why we felt it prudent to cover the how-to’s in this article as well. Follow these step-by-step instructions to ensure that you properly apply your paint to produce a durable yet smooth and soft finishing texture.

 

Gather Tools and Supplies

First and foremost, you will need a few things on hand to even begin. You will need not only your painting materials but painting tools as well. In preparation for the task, make sure that you have the following items:

  • Large paint brushes and/or rollers
  • Trays for the rollers and brushes
  • Extension pole for rollers (if dealing with taller ceilings)
  • Your preferred mix of acrylic paint
  • Primer
  • Sandpaper
  • Drop cloth or newspaper to collect spillage on the floor below the wall
  • Painter tape for clean edges

Supplies for Painting Walls with Acrylics

 

Prepare the Wall

The next step would then be to ready your walls for the application process. This primarily involves you cleaning dirt and dust particles from the surface using a wet cloth. You can use softer cleaning chemicals to remove the tougher stains. If, however, you are repainting a wall that already has a coat, you will need to use sandpaper to scrub off as much of the existing layer as you can.

Prepare Walls for Acrylic Paint

It is not a problem if you cannot get it all off, but it will greatly assist your new coat in adhering to the wall. After this is done, you should reapply a clean wet cloth on the wall and remove any clinging debris and dust particles left behind after sanding. You can then wait for the moisture from the wipe-down to evaporate from the surface of the wall before applying a primer.

Although not also necessary (especially if you are a stingy landlord!), applying primer before painting only makes it that much easier for your paint to cling firmly to the wall. Better yet, this will improve the overall durability of your paint job as well.

 

Get to Painting

After a period that will be determined by the primer you use, you can now get to the fun part. Preferably using a roller, you can begin applying thin coats of your paint across the wall’s surface area. You might still see some of the wall’s original color poking through this first layer, but worry not. After waiting for the first coat to dry, you may then add another, and then one more after that. After three coats of paint, your wall should be properly covered.

Be sure not to soak your rollers or brushes in too much paint to avoid creating soggy pools of paint across your wall. This can not only disrupt a homogenous drying process but can also cause droplets to form and trickle down the wall. If you have applied too much paint to any spot by mistake, you can use a dry brush or roller to remove as much paint as necessary from a saturated spot.

The amount of time it should take for the layers to dry will be entirely dependent on how thick the coatings are applied. Generally, however, thin layers should take up to half an hour to dry while thicker coats may take up to an hour. Do not move on to applying the next coat until the previous coat has completely dried.

How to Paint Walls with Acrylics

 

So, can acrylic paint be used on walls? And does acrylic paint wash off walls? Now that you know the answers to these questions, you can go on to use your favorite shade of acrylic paint on your own walls at home! If you are already considering using acrylic paint to decorate your walls, you are on the right track. We can only hope that you found the information herein useful and wish you the best of luck in your home renovation prospects.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How Long Before You Can Sleep in a Painted Room?

When working with oil-based paints, you should avoid spending longer than 10 minutes in a painted room for the first 24 hours at the very least. For acrylic paints, however, you can occupy a room for as long as you like 4 hours following the painting of its walls.

 

Can You Mix Acrylic Paint With Wall Paint?

Yes, you can. This is especially achievable considering that most acrylic and latex paints are both water-based. Combining the two can improve the durability and color vibrancy of your wall paint.

 

Does Acrylic Paint Wash Off Walls?

Yes, but typically only after five to 15 years. Reapplication is not so much of a hassle considering how fast the paint dries and its affordability. However, you can protect your wall paint even further by applying a sealant.

 

How To Remove Acrylic Paint From Walls?

If you want to know how to remove acrylic paint from walls, you could do so by simply wiping the space using a rag drenched in hot water. Otherwise, you could pour some denatured alcohol onto a rag and wipe the paint off as well.

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