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Can You Use Polycrylic Over Enamel? (Quick Answers)

Who doesn’t like their house freshly painted with polycrylic paint, right? It enhances the aesthetics of the house and makes the room more vibrant.

However, after applying the enamel paint, you might be wondering if you can use polycrylic over enamel paint. Let’s find out if you can use polycrylic over enamel.

Can you use polycrylic over enamel?

You can usually apply polycrylic over enamel paint as a protective layer. If the enamel paint has a high glossy texture, you will have to scrape off the surface before using the polycrylic. In the case of latex-based enamel paint, you can use polycrylic only after the paint completely dries off.

Polycrylic is basically a protective finish that forms a solid seal over any surface. It protects the walls and various surfaces from damage due to water, temperature, and light.

The polycrylic protective layer can be applied over enamel paint for protecting the paint for a long time. However, you will have to take different measures for applying the protective layer over different textures of enamel.

If the wall is painted with latex-based enamel paint, you can’t use polycrylic until the paint is fully dry. You will also have to scratch the surface of the enamel before using polycrylic if the texture is too glossy and smooth.

You will also have to apply different types of polycrylic over enamel in different ways. Let’s take a look if you can use Minwax polycrylic and Water-based polycrylic above enamel paint.

Water-based polycrylic:

You can apply water-based polycrylic above the enamel paint for protecting the painted surface. This water-based protective finish is non-toxic and doesn’t have any bad smell.

The water-based polycrylic will dry off very fast when you will apply it over enamel paint. However, it will take a bit of time for the surface to get fully ready for usage.

Minwax polycrylic:

You can use Minwax polycrylic on a wood surface which you have painted with enamel. This protective formula will keep your paint solid for a good couple of years.

It even dries off quite fast after being applied to the enamel paint. However, before applying this polycrylic finish, you should wait for the enamel paint to get dry completely.

Can you use polycrylic finish over enamel spray paint? Do you need to put polycrylic over flat enamel paint?

You can definitely use polycrylic finish over enamel spray paint if you feel the urge to keep the paint in place for a long period of time. The polycrylic finish on the woods and similar surfaces will make sure its paint doesn’t fade and get damaged due to external reasons.

Spray paints don’t have a perfect finish on the wall. The enamel spray paint also gets a bit rough over a period of time. By using the polycrylic finish, you can make the enamel spray paint finish perfectly smooth and glossy.

The flat enamel paint doesn’t necessarily need a polycrylic protective finish. Nonetheless, you can put polycrylic over flat enamel paint to keep the top layer safe from any damage. You can also put the protective finish over the flat paint to keep it safe from fading.

When can you polycrylic over enamel?

You can use polycrylic over enamel for various reasons and at any time after painting. Most of the time polycrylic is applied over enamel right after finishing the paint job to keep the paint as new for a long time. You can also apply the protective finish when the paint starts fading to bring the glow back.

Let’s take a look at when you can use polycrylic oven enamel.

At the very beginning:

Polycrylic finish mainly keeps the paint safe from light and water damage. So, you can apply polycrylic over enamel immediately after finishing the paint job. This will make sure the smoothness and brightness of the enamel paint remain the same even after a long period of time.

That being said, you should not use the protective layer of polycrylic over enamel right after painting. You should wait for the paint to dry off and cure. It takes almost 20 to 30 days for the curing process to complete.

A couple of months after painting:

After a certain period of time of painting your house with enamel paint, you can use the polycrylic protective finish. It dries off relatively fast, so you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of time outside the house after applying the finish.

When the paint starts to fade:

You can also put the polycrylic layer over the enamel paint when you observe that the paint is fading. This will bring back the lost shine and glow of the painted surface. However, you should make sure to clean the surface properly before using polycrylic over enamel for getting the best result possible.

How long to wait before applying polycrylic over enamel paint?

To get the best result of applying polycrylic over enamel paint, you will have to wait until the paint is fully cured. So, after painting the house with enamel paint, you will have to wait for almost 20 to 30 days to apply polycrylic.

You will have to wait for such a long time because it usually takes this amount of time to cure. It can take even more than 30 days a few times if the quality of the enamel paint is not up to the mark.

The process of the paint becoming completely set to the surface is known as curing. When the paint is applied to a solid surface, it undergoes a chemical bonding process. Until the enamel paint fully hardens and bonds to the surface, you shouldn’t apply the polycrylic protective finish.

How to apply polycrylic over enamel paint?

Applying polycrylic over enamel paint is not as complicated as it may seem at first. You can do it perfectly by following the proper step-by-step method. You will just need a little bit of effort and time to make the application process of the protective finish perfect.

Have a look at how to apply polycrylic over enamel paint.

Wait for enamel paint to cure:

You shouldn’t start applying the polycrylic protective finish until the paint is fully hardened to the surface. You will have to wait at least 20 days after painting for it to cure.

Clean the surface:

The painted surface will hold various dust and dirt particles while you wait for it to cure. So, you should clean the surface using a broom or a cloth. You shouldn’t clean it using a wet cloth as it will dampen the surface of the paint.

Scratch the paint if necessary:

If you have used enamel paint with a very glossy and smooth texture, you will have to scratch the surface of the paint. You can use sandpaper to moderately scrape off the smooth surface of the enamel paint.

Apply polycrylic over enamel paint:

Now that you have prepared the surface for applying the protective finish, you should apply the polycrylic above the enamel paint. You should use a brush to do so.

Apply polycrylic uniformly from one end to the other oven on the enamel painted surface. You should do it gently so that there is no residue of the protective finish on the painted surface.

Which is better Polycrylic or polyurethane over enamel? What is the best clear coat for enamel paint?

Polyurethane will be better than Polycrylic over enamel paint. This is due to the fact that the enamel will look more vibrant and appealing with the polyurethane finish on the painted surface. The polyurethane coating will also be more long-lasting compared to the Polycrylic protective finish.

Polyurethane is a plastic coating that can protect paints from damage due to external reasons just like polycrylic. It is quite rigid and flexible.

No matter which protective coating you will use, you will have to apply it over the enamel paint only after the curing process is done. Otherwise, both polycrylic and polyurethane won’t attach to the paint properly.

Rustoleum is the best clear coat for enamel paint. This is because this clear coat also has an enamel blend, so it will fit with the paint perfectly. The texture of Rustoleum and enamel will also match, making the paint much more pleasing.

Final Thoughts

You can definitely use polycrylic over enamel. By using the polycrylic coating above the enamel paint, you can prevent the paint from fading and maintain the texture for a long period of time. However, you will have to apply the polycrylic over enamel in the right way to get the best outcome.