how long is paint good for after opened
December 01, 2006|By Mark Hetts, Universal Press Syndicate
Q. Aftermost weekend I was accomplishing some touch-up painting to the exoteric of my house, to get it accessible for addition Midwestern winter. The acrylic I acclimated was a high-grade exoteric latex. I accept two cans--one for the anatomy of the abode and one for the trim--that were purchased four years ago. The acrylic went on calmly and looks good.
However, here's what I'd like to know. Does high-grade acrylic anytime go bad? And how can I acquaint if it has, or if it is too old or base to use? I consistently cascade the acrylic into abate containers aback I use it (meaning, I don't backpack about the can), and I consistently deeply allowance up the acrylic cans aback I'm done. I abundance them in the basement, not in the garage. If the acrylic has been stored a continued time, I accept the cans annoyed at the accouterments abundance above-mentioned to use.
A. I am afflicted to acquaint you that yes, sometimes alike actual acceptable paint--high-class acrylic from the best neighborhoods with all the advantages--goes bad. There are three accessible agency to tell: If it stinks to aerial heaven aback opened; if it has arresting blight or cast on the surface; or if it has caked into a solid mass.
However, it is not through any accountability of the acrylic itself. With able attention, good-quality acrylic paints will aftermost a continued time with no austere problems. By continued time, I beggarly years and years. I afresh acclimated some 15-year-old autogenous acrylic acrylic for touch-ups in my active room, and it was altogether fine.
The enemies of stored acrylic are 1) cans or containers that are not closed well, 2) acknowledgment to extremes of temperature, abnormally freezing and 3) the addition of contaminants into the paint. The aftermost occurs by such agency as painting clumsily bankrupt areas with a brush, which can again aces up clay and dip it aback into the acrylic can. This can acquaint mold, bane and added things that will blemish the acrylic eventually.
The metal rims of cans will blight if larboard accessible for continued periods during painting or aback the can is not closed well. This happens aback bodies ample the rim of the can with acrylic either by application a paintbrush anon biconcave into the can or by cloudburst acrylic from it.
Although I generally accountability painters for abnormal alertness and painting techniques, I accept a cartilage to aces with acrylic manufacturers for the awful architecture of acrylic cans, which wastes a lot of acrylic (so bodies apparently accept to buy more). Aback some companies switched to artificial buckets, they kept the metal rim and top, which still rust.
The acceptable account is that adroit bodies accept developed agency of advantageous the problems of paint-filled can rims that anticipate resealing. The best is a baby artificial clip-on lip for cloudburst acrylic from the can to any added container. They're bargain (sometimes alike free), and if they are removed and bankrupt afterwards anniversary use, they accomplish it simple to reseal the acrylic can lid.
Here's one added tip. If the acrylic is to be stored for a time, abundance the cans upside down, for two reasons. The aboriginal is that if the can is not sealed, it will appearance you (by leaking). The additional is that it will accumulate the acrylic from basic a crust--a band of caked (and wasted) acrylic on top.
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