Professionals can look and tell. For the rest of us, use the smell
and taste test.
If you have known paint samples, then the old smell and taste test
will work every time. Use sandpaper to take off the top film and
then smell of the item and of the shavings. If that doesn't do it or
if you have no known samples, then taste never fails to determine the
'oil taste'.








On 24 Mar 2007 04:25:10 -0700, "John Ross" wrote:

This is a half bath in a home built in 1960. I want to repaint the
walls and vanity cabinets.

Looking at the walls, it looks like it could be the original paint!
It's not peeling, but has an appearance of being "thin"--it just
doesn't look like the other bathroom where multiple layers of paint
had been done over the years.

First question: If by chance it is the original paint, does that mean
in must be oil (1960)?

Anyway, I want to put on a latex paint and I asked at a few paint
stores and was told that if it is oil paint then I MUST use a OIL
primer over the whole thing before the latex. Not something I want to
do if not necessary.

I had heard that if you take denatured alcohol on latex paint it will
come off, but on oil it won't do anything. I only have rubbing
alcohol, so I tried that on a cotton swab and sure enough it took the
paint off the wall. The cabinets are more confusing because the backs
of the doors are a different color (original?) but when I rubbed the
alcohol it took the color off (i.e. white streaks where alcohol
rubbed). Plus, the inside of the main cabinet was painted and I doubt
anyone every repainted that. Again, in there the alcohol made white
marks, taking the color off.

Second question: Was using rubbing alcohol instead of denatured
alcohol acceptable or by chance does it just take anything off and it
was a meaningless test?

Any thoughts on what kind of paint is there or have I not done the
correct test yet? If not is there other ways to determine?

Thanks in advance!
John