Milk paint furniture became quite popular in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries – it was favored for its soft velvety and rich colors. During the Renaissance painters would mix their own paints using either or oil based paints or water-based milk paints.ĭuring Colonial Times traveling painters would roam the countryside with powdered pigments which could be mixed with farmers’ milk and lime, which most communities had. Later on the Greeks and Romans tried mixing olive oil in but had a difficult time with drying. Cave paintings were a primitive form of this paint – they mixed together milk, lime, and earth pigments. Milk Paint was used as far back as 200,000 years ago. Chalk Paints: The composition of clay, lime, and other minerals found in chalk style paints can typically mean withstanding hotter and colder temperatures once painted on a surface. Another benefit of lime is that it is mould and mildew resistant. When lime dries it becomes very hard – resulting in almost a stone like layer. One difference between chalk paint and milk paint is that chalk paint can be used immediately whereas milk paint has to be combined with water.

For example, a coat of light or dark wax or finishing oil like hemp oil or tung oil on top of milk paint conveys exceptional durability.

The milk, or casein, acts a binder and the water you mix in becomes the thinner. Chalk Paint vs Milk Paint Finishing Finishing home decor and home improvement projects painted with chalk paint and milk paint has some major differences, though both need a sealer for completion. You will find a lot of milk paint products in the powdered form. The ingredients are natural and eco friendly. Lightly sand for a distressed appearance. Add additional coats or multiple colors to create your own custom look. One coat of Milk Paint creates a semi-transparent, modernized appearance. Once again, milk paint can create a distressed finish without sacrificing durability, is eco-friendly and safe to work with, and will last for a long time. But their subtle differences are what make them stand out, too. The other ingredients are lime and pigment. Unlike Chalk paint, milk paint has been around for years. Milk Paint’s premixed, one-step application bonds easily to most surfaces with no primer needed. Chalk Paint Milk paints and chalk paints are similar in a lot of ways. It can also be further thinned with more water, which is why it works. It comes in a powder form and you need to mix it with water to create the paint. Milk paint is much thinner than chalk paint or any other paint when applied to surfaces.

Milk paint vs chalk paint