How to Thin Acrylic Latex Paint

Difficulty:The novice can do this.

Time: It should take about 10 to 15 minutes to bring acrylic latex paint to the proper consistency to apply.

Acrylic latex paint can be used right from the can with no thinning. Also the thickness of the paint in the can will vary as to finish (flat, satin, semi-gloss), quality and brand. Thinning the paint does help with workability and making the paint flow on. The thickness of acrylic latex paint also lends itself to easily catching and keeping dust and debris that can ruin your paint job. Thinning out acrylic latex paint will solve many of these problems.

Adding the Thinning Mixture

To properly thin acrylic latex paint, add about 2 to 3 ounces of water per gallon, depending on the thickness of the paint. After adding a small amount of water and mixing it in, see if that is the consistency that you want it to be and add more water if necessary. Start with a small quantity of water. It is easy to add water, but if too much is added nothing can be done to reverse the amount. To mix the water into the paint, use a stirring paddle in an upward and downward spiral motion. Also pour the paint and water into an empty 1-gallon can and back and forth between the 2 cans.

TIP: Painting professional Edward Kimble, author of Interior House Painting Blog, adds “I do not use paint additives, and neither do any of the other painters that I know. Additives are not needed and generally have little effect on the paint or its application.”

Edward Kimble, professional painter and author of Interior House Painting Blog, contributed to this article.