Alkyd Enamel Paint

• Traditional enamel paint bonds well to both softwoods and hardwoods, and is valued for use on interior wood paneling because it highlights all the intricate curves of a wall's molding or wainscoting. In the past, enamel paints were created by blending pigments into a high solids varnish to produce a hard, glossy finish. In today's terminology, an alkyd enamel paint is a hard shelled glossy coating that is washable and impact resistant.
  
  

Acrylic Latex Paint

• Latex paint forms a vapor-permeable water-resistant barrier that protects wood from moisture and sunlight. A 100 percent acrylic latex adheres well to primed walls, and holds up to wood's weather-driven expansion and contraction cycles without cracking or peeling. When used on interior wood panels, an acrylic latex forms a smooth, easy-to-clean protective barrier coat that holds up well in high-traffic areas of the home.
  
  

Milk Paint

• Milk paints commonly were used in Colonial times and performed such lasting service that the original paint survives on the walls of George Washington's home in Mount Vernon. Milk paints' modern descendents are a blend of casein and pigment powders that are mixed with water immediately before application. This is a old-fashioned coating, but it can be applied to wooden walls by brush, roller or airless sprayer. Milk paint quickly dries and cures to form a soft matte antique-looking finish. These paints are considered environmentally friendly and are safe enough for use on children's toys.
  
  

Linseed Oil Paint

• Linseed oil paints commonly were used on exterior and interior wood walls until they were replaced by faster-drying alkyd and latex paints in the 1950s. Modern versions of linseed oil paints were developed in Europe as environmentally safe alternatives to conventional paints. While they have most of the characteristics of alkyd coatings, linseed oil paints also are vapor permeable and less prone to blistering, flaking and chipping.