From restoring furniture and refinishing walls to adding a fresh splash of color to outdoor furnishings and coloring newly created crafts, each painting project requires specific properties to get the staying power, look and sustainability you need. These concerns lead DIY enthusiasts and professionals to ask, “What’s the difference between milk paint and regular paint?” When pondering the question, consider the main difference: eco-friendliness. Traditional paints have synthetic ingredients for adhesion and endurance. Milk paints provide an all-natural alternative.
Understanding the Unique Properties of Milk Paint
Unlike regular paint types, milk paint has all-natural ingredients. People have used it for thousands of years to get rich, vibrant color with a beautifully aged look on porous surfaces. Unlike modern paints, it has a biodegradable formulation that eschews toxic additives and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), making it a favorite for environmentally conscious homeowners and painting professionals. The matte finish adapts easily to modern and rustic painting project planning, and numerous color selections make it excellent for creative pursuits.
Advantages of Using Milk Paint
- A sustainable, biodegradable formulation: Made from milk casein, lime and pigments, it biodegrades for easy disposability.
- Unique color layering: It absorbs into porous materials like concrete and wood surfaces for a deep, authentic finish.
- Highly customizable finish: It pairs with Ultra Bond Adhesion Promoter for a sleek, smooth finish and layers with Chippy Paste for a naturally distressed look.
- Long shelf life: The powdered formulation enables easy long-term storage.
Real Milk Paint brings new life to old furnishings. Its food-contact-safe formulation is perfect for homes with kids and pets. Contact us today to find your perfect shade.
What Is Regular Paint?
Most people use regular paint on walls, furniture or trim, but these mediums have diverse formulations. For example, water-based paints like latex paint and acrylic-based paint typically use synthetic resins instead of natural pigments and plastic binders, improving adhesion while reducing breathability. Oil-based paints use oil instead of water, and many contain harmful VOCs and synthetic additives, helping them dry faster at the environment’s expense.
Regular paints adhere better on nonporous surfaces like drywall and metal and resist moisture well for fuss-free outdoor use. They also come in a variety of sheens, including:
- Matte. It has no shine, just a smooth, velvety finish that hides surface imperfections well. Less durable and more difficult to clean than other sheens, it works well for ceilings and low-traffic bedrooms.
- Satin. These stain-resistant sheens have a soft, forgiving luster, ideal for hallways, kitchens and bathrooms. Durable and easy to clean, they balance shine and practicality.
- Semi-gloss. It has a noticeable shine but isn’t overly reflective. Excellent for highlighting trim and molding and decorating kitchens and bathrooms, this moisture-resistant sheen is durable and easy to clean.
Gloss. Featuring a high-shine reflective finish, gloss sheen paint resists moisture and stains for a highly washable finish on cabinets, doors and furniture. However, it also showcases imperfections and may feel too intense.
Milk Paint vs Regular Paint – A Side-by-Side Comparison
Ingredients and Composition
- Milk paint: This natural, biodegradable medium doesn’t damage the environment. Ideal for safe, sustainable indoor use, this powder blends easily with warm water at a 1:1 ratio.
- Regular paint: Many paints include synthetic polymers, chemical-based binders and preservatives. These toxic ingredients and VOCs create environmental concerns.
Application and Surface Compatibility
- Milk paint: It works best on porous surfaces like wood, concrete, plaster, and raw brick. However, combining it with additives like Ultra Bond Adhesion Promoter enables use on nonporous surfaces like metal and plastic.
- Regular paint: These paints work on numerous surfaces, including drywall and previously painted areas. They also come in interior and exterior formulations for use in outdoor spaces, such as house trim, garden decor and patio furniture.
Finish and Aesthetic Appeal
- Milk paint: Create a naturally authentic, vintage or layered look with this indoor matte paint. It helps you achieve a rustic farmhouse finish when paired with Chippy Paste or Natural Crackle Paint Finish.
- Regular paint: It provides a consistent, uniform finish. Satin acrylic offers a smooth, stain-resistant color in bedrooms, while oil-based or latex paint creates a polished facade on exterior trim or doorways.
Durability in Different Environments
- Milk paint: It withstands low-moisture spaces well but requires a top coat like Half and Half in humid areas. Sealing it with Outdoor Defense Oil makes it ideal for fences, sheds and exterior trim.
- Regular paint: Many offer more moisture resistance and handle indoor humidity well. Some oil-based and latex paint formulas are designed for outdoor use in harsh environments and extreme weather.
Enhance your home with Real Milk Paint. Our versatile formulations play well with additives and finishes, letting you get creative with interior and exterior projects. Shop our selection of nontoxic paints today!
Maintenance and Upkeep – What to Expect
- Milk paint: Like fine wine, this medium ages naturally for a richly antiqued look. Hemp Oil and Wood Wax imbue it with a protective finish that enhances its beauty and extends its lifespan.
- Regular paint: It doesn’t age as well as milk paints, requiring touch-ups to maintain vibrancy over time and prevent chipping. Maintenance requirements increase when you use oil or latex paint in exterior spaces without the right topcoat.
- Cost considerations: Most regular paint has a higher price point than Real Milk Paint. The former needs storage in ideal conditions, while the latter comes in a powdered formula for customized mixing. Milk paint’s versatility makes it more affordable because you can easily refresh its smooth finish quickly just by mixing a little more and adding a second coat.
Choosing the Right Paint for Your Project
Making an informed choice about the right paint for your project ensures it looks great and provides personal satisfaction. Before you decide, consider your project goals and aesthetic preferences, and ensure the ingredients meet your sustainability values.
Choose milk paints for an all-natural, environmentally friendly medium ideal for wood furniture, handmade crafts and historic pieces. Their rustic matte finish excels at creating a layered, distressed look. Numerous safe additives let you customize it for use on numerous surfaces.
Consider regular paints for a uniform finish indoors and out. They come in several formulations, including acrylic, oil and latex paint, and feature various sheens. Unfortunately, many formulations have harmful VOCs, requiring use in well-ventilated areas for safety.
Get Started With Real Milk Paint Today!
DIY enthusiasts and professional painters turn to all-natural Real Milk Paint for an eco-friendly, versatile alternative to traditional paints. Our paints add character to furniture finds, homemade crafts and decor projects with deep color absorption and a customizable finish. Explore our range of milk paint colors today to find the perfect hue for your next big project.
