I applied one coat of Rustoleum paint to my cabinet and it came out with many streaks. So now I’m thinking to paint over that with a latex paint. Can I do that?

I didn’t have the time this morning to say anymore. A regular small brush with fairly fine bristles will do the job well. The first coat always looks bad. As the second and third coats are applied the brush strokes aren’t noticeable. As it dries they smooth out. Don’t try to apply a lot at once, it will just run and take longer to dry. It will remain tacky for a week or so depending on how warm and dry it is. The warmer and drier it is the better. If it’s cool and damp it will take quite a bit longer to set up. But once it’s set up its almost like a powder coat. I wouldn’t put latex on metal unless you like the idea of it blistering off in a few years. You’d probably be able to easily scrape it off after it dried too. Rustoleum is a really good paint and lasts extremely well. It just takes awhile to dry hard. But once it does it’s bullet proof.

Thanks for the tips. In the meantime, before I read your message, I got impatient and went over it with latex. It looks good. I’ll be prepared, however, for the future blistering. But now I know that I need to put several coats of Rustoleum on, so the next cabinet will be better.

My pro painter friend tells me that it is never a great idea to put latex over enamel, despite what some of the paint manufacturers are saying now. It will not hold up as well, bond as tigthly, or look as good as enamel. That said, if you’re the type of person that can live with “not perfect” then you might give it a go. I am sensitive to the fumes in enamel paint, so I have compromised before. It’s up to you how good you need it to look to feel like it was worth the effort and expense.

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