How Long is Paint Good for Once Opened in Lompoc, CA? Storing Paint Temperature & More

When your walls start to look bad, you’ll want to pull out the can of paint you used and touch them up. Is it okay to use? There are some things to consider before you determine whether or not you should use it.

Safe Paint Storage

Whether or not you use it may depend on where you had it stored. If you had it in an area with significant temperature fluctuations like the garage or the attic it may not be good to use. These areas are not climatized and the paint may have frozen or was exposed to extreme heat. Paint should be stored in a climatized area that will not have severe swings in temperatures. Storing cans of paint can be annoying. Instead, pour some into mason jars and label it for future use. Smaller mason jars are easier to store inside your home. If you want to store it in the garage, you can store it in a cooler.

Chunky & Other Signs of Bad Paint

If you open a can of paint to find it’s curdled and looks like cottage cheese or is very thick like pudding, it’s probably not good to use. You will need to dispose of it and get new paint. The way paint smells will also let you know if it’s bad. A bad smell or signs of mold means you need to throw it out. The last thing you want to do is spread paint on a wall that has mold in it. An ammonia smell means the paint is good. Give it a good stir and go for it!

How Long is Paint Good for Once Opened?

The paint can will let you know when the paint was originally mixed. You will probably need to add a year to that date to count for lag time between when the paint was manufactured to when it was sold to you. Higher quality paints will usually last longer and are easier to reuse. Cheaper paints will not last anywhere close to higher priced paints. Latex paints will usually last 5-10 years, and oil paints will last more than ten years.

Correct Paint Recycling & Disposal

Whether you throw paint away will depend on the kind of paint you’re wanting to dispose of.
Latex paint. There are some guidelines that should be followed before you throw latex paint away. Take the lid off and throw it away. Then, let the rest of the paint dry out before you throw it away. You can add cat litter to it to help it dry faster.
Oil paint. Oil-based paints contain chemicals in them that can be bad for soil and water and should never be thrown away in the garbage. It’s actually illegal in most states. You will need to take oil-based paints to your city or county’s household hazardous waste facility. You can also drop it off at household hazardous waste drop-off events.

Professional Painting Services & More in Ventura, Ojai, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills & Santa Barbara California

McKay’s Painting can answer any questions you have about paint. We can also help you with any painting projects you want to take on. Give us a call today!