Latex

Why does latex paint get such a bad rap on this forum? As long as i have been associated with the business, we have used latex. It goes on everything, easy clean up, no threat of explosion and goes on easier than oil-based and is safer for the environment as well as those 5 year olds who run outside to play. So why does everyone look down upon it?

latex is all I use...... for now

Because of the limitations associated with latex. The stuff will not dry at night, early morning, chilly overcast days, cant use late in the season due to cold temps. I think it was randyv that posted a thread called love hate relationship a couple years ago maybe you can find it if you do a search.

i have kinda wondered why so many dont like either(when i started reading this forum and i am fairly new to striping), but over time i have learned quickly it's more what kris stated, and today was perfect example in my area.... it is overcast and showers are in the area(but dry where i am at), if i am using oilbased...i dont have to worry on the rain too much and can try and get job done, if it comes...i just shut down machine and go home, if i am using latex, i flat out have to worry if the rain hits and watch the possibility of a mess or chances are i wont try and do the job when them conditions apply...bottom line it makes the difference of getting jobs done "sooner" and not done alot sooner for me...and i dont stripe everyday....plus traffic control is for sure better with oil.......love the clean up on latex for sure though and safer

Not to mention, latex is much harder on the pumps....much more abrasive. The key to "easy clean-up" is...... don't. Alkyd is more forgiving and can be left longer in the machine than latex without potential problems(NOT under pressure). You will of course benefit greater if you have dedicated machines for each color. Latex is a nightmare when doing multiple stencils. Talk about a drippy mess! Alkyd "flashes" faster and can get many more uses without having to clean. MUCH more problems with tip stop-ups using latex.... Makes no diff as to the mfgr. I dislike latex so much, I often turn down restripes over coal tar seal-coat.

I don think anyone has a major problem against latex, the problem we have it would shorten our season by 3 months. We have done emergency stencil in January when the temp was 4 degrees and the low voc paint was still there 3 months later, might have not looked great. But it did stick and got the job done. Latex would have frozen and flaked off in a day or two. Plus the oil drys no matter what the conditions are. I dont pay my guys to watch paint dry. Spray and finish the job. Move on to the next one. Jim

whew.. I'm not the only one who turns down coal tar sealcoat jobs. Thought I might be spoiled. In addition to the other complaints about latex, Oil/Solvent make a much crisper start to the line. We just spray and go.. even on layout. With latex, depending on the mood of the paint, we would have to tape the start, or use plastic, or shingles or something to make it presentable. Notice I said "Would have to" cause we haven't sprayed latex in 2 years

I live in a rain forest so latex is not an option. Also if I were to use latex I would have to clean my machines after every job and using oil I may clean them once a year. Not to be bad mouthing latex I am sure it has it's place just not here.

The only striping we do is over new sealcoat... thats why I stick with latex....

Well i live in Mississippi, where day temperatures will usually get about 50 degrees in the wintertime. When it's 100 degrees outside, like today, latex dries in under 20 mins.

I'd go broke if I had to tend newly striped areas for 20 minutes. Alkyd flashes in about 20 seconds. 20 min ='s ~50 head-in stripes not painted. Too costly for me.

I still use both and each has it's place. And yes, I do still have a love hate relationship with each of them. 20 minute drying time is just too much for quickly getting in and out of a job. I did a pet supply store this afternoon that was paved this morning (one of those "emergency" calls) that was open to business. I layed it out, and striped it while customers were going in & out by blocking off the stalls I painted for about 5 minutes. Of course I used alkyd paint and the $150 job was done in just over a half hour. Latex would never have allowed me to get in and out so quickly. When it's warm, I'd rather spray latex but I'd rather use alkyd at any temperature or any (dry) weather condition.

hey I am a latex guy. Quick color change and esay cleanup But I am not going to talk bad about oil because never used the stuff. the whole stencil going drip drip Get you some more stencils. I guess ever body has said bad things about latex in coler temps. I did a lot after they paved it in January (35 degress aat night) it take a while for the lines to dry but they are still there and look good. But we did some striping yesterday @ 100 degrees and by the time we got done with the seventh line. The first couple of lines were already dry. If you are getting your lines to dry in 20 minutres you might want to try another product of paint. -Dean

Dean, If it works for you great. I wish it worked for me.. really I do. One of the first jobs I did was latex, at night, about 45 degrees and humid, almost foggy. The arrows I sprayed at 11:00 was still not dry at 5 AM !! I had the exit to the shopping center blocked off with cones and a truck driver decided he didn't want to go around. Right through the cones. You might say he opened the flood gates, because when I came back to that side, my arrows and stop bars were now part of the intersection. Had to use it occasionally over the years at night and watch the paint dry for hours. Also, when we used to work for coal tar sealcoaters, on a cloudy, humid day using a dozen 6" reserved stencils, we could only paint each a couple times before we had to stop and clean them. They just wouldn't dry. Guess it all depends on your location. You should try oil sometime, you will love how it sprays. There IS a difference. Clean up?!? you can just leave the paint in the machine, and only clean when it NEEDS it. Dave

I would rather use latex any day. But the dry time of oil base in Louisiana's humidity is far more faster. You can barely get a can pored and strained before it skims up. I once waited for a day and a half for latex to dry during the winter (thats 35 - 60 degrees down here). It was a pain in the @#$. I finally got three machines so I don't have to change colors in them (if I ever get them straight). One day I'll have me one of those Lazy Liners when I grow up to be a "parking lot planet hero". I better watch what I wish for... LOL Earnest

Willie, Add an inline filter and try using my hole punch system. It will decrease mucho problems along with paint skinning. Straining paint takes a LOT of time.

Ken, I'm trying to buy into the hole punch idea so help me out a little. When you get paint, do you remove the suction/siphon hoses every time and put them in a new bucket. Or do you pour new paint in the same bucket? If you pour paint in, you must have a funnel or something. Forgive me if I'm missing the obvious. Dave

A little bit of all you have mentioned. It is a process that has kind-of "evolved" since I started using the punch. I'd try to explain here but it be too difficult even though it is really simple. If you'd like, e-mail me your phone number and I'll give you a call. I've been looking forward to speaking with you anyway as it appears we have some very similar operating procedures and philosophies.

For the machines that we have alkyd paint in here is how we set up the machines and add paint. 1. Use a 60 mesh filter 2. Use 319 or larger tips (we use 321 or 323) 3. Pour fresh paint into the bucket that stays on the machine. 4. Use a factory lid on the machine that has a factory hole or hole punched off the edge 2+ inches. 5. Bend tabs up only enough to remove / replace lid to keep paint from slopping out 6. Remove lid but keep suction and return tubes in bucket while filling 7. Pour 1 cup (approx) of mineral spirits on top of filled bucket 8. Replace lid - snap into place 9. Purge out any air from system through return line, pressurize and get back to work By using this "system" or these steps, I can't remember when I last had a plugged tip. We NEVER strain alkyd paint and we don't use line filters before the gun (just the standard 60 mesh strainer in the housing). I will keep the same bucket on the machine for a month or more until it is time to celan the build-up off the suction tube & return tube but even they stay fairly clean with at least a cup of mineral spirits on the top of the paint at each filling. It only takes a minute to bend open the tabs and remove a lid from a pail. Not as quick as punching a hole but how many buckets do most people go through in a day? The maximum we have gone through in one day is around 40 buckets in one day. A minute per bucket to remove the lid is not a lot of time wasted and it keeps the ongoing operation clean with no bunch of cans containing 1/4 gallon to "combine" at the end of the day. You do need to be proficient with pouring paint without slopping. I can say it is easy but I am tall and have the leverage to lift the bucket. I have seen shorter people not be able to lift a 5 and pour it without slopping it all over the place. An alternative to the above steps would be to place a fresh full bucket on the machine while still using the factory lid as described above. Latex is a whole different animal. We strain most latex but use the "pour into the same bucket (or large hopper)" technique during an ongoing job. At the end of the job or when changing colors, we clean with water as normal. Try different techniques and you will fall into a pattern that works for your operation. What Ken and I do are slightly different but have many similar steps. Both are efficient.

I started using Randy's method but found out that I always had to much pint to pour into the bucket on the machine and always had a little left over to pour in after I had used some out of the machine. I thought I would try the punch so I made one. it worked great, faster, not as messy, but always had a little paint left when the machine started sucking air. So I ordered a 3 6 gal buckets for about $6.00 each each with different color lids (blue, yellow, white) I cut the hold in the lid to fit snugly on the pickup tube and another to fit the return tube. removed the rock screen inserted the pickup tube in the hole and reinstalled the screen. I now have a 6gal bucket with a tight fitting lid, never run out of room to pour a full 5 gal bucket of paint in and with the cup of thinner floating on top there is almost no buildup on the tube or inside of the bucket. Only thing that bothers me is the buckets are plastic and I am concerned about static electricity buildup in the paint. I still have my punch and may go back to that method but for now this is working best for me. best of all I have no left over paint in old buckets.