What To Know About Using Old Paint In Your House
If you have had your house professionally painted in the past, chances are that your house painters left you with some spare cans of paint for you to use if you ever need to do touch-ups. If you can't remember the last time that you even touched that paint though, you may be wondering if it's still usable. Before you dip your paintbrush in the paint can, there are a few different things for you to know about using old paint in your house.
Mix the Paint
Paint that has sat in your basement or garage for years and years is going to be shaken well before you start painting. As paint settles, all of the color tends to go to the bottom of the can which means that if you don't shake it, you're going to end up with some really discolored walls that don't match at all. You can either take your paint can into a paint store and have them professionally shake it for you with a machine, or you can mix the paint by hand with a paint stirrer. If you decide to mix it by hand, just remember to try to bring the paint up from the bottom that it mixes with the paint at the top.
Strain It
If your paint has a lot of chunks in it or if you have a thin layer of film on the top of it, you can still get away with using it if you use a mesh paint strainer. Paint straining is a great way for you to preserve old cans of paint while still getting a great end product in the process. To start out, you will place the paint strainer over the top of another empty pain can or dish, then slowly pour the paint from the can into the strainer. Similar to other strainers, your mesh paint strainer is designed to get rid of chunks, dust, dirt or anything else that you don't want inside of your paint. Depending on how well it works the first time, you may have to repeat this process at least a couple of times.
It May Not Match Perfectly
Another thing to realize when you are touching up paint is that it may not match perfectly. Because your walls have been exposed to dirt, the sun, and more dirt, it's probably a different shade of paint than it was when you first had it painted. If you notice that your touch-ups don't blend in seamlessly with your existing paint, then you may just want to paint the entire wall so that you don't have to worry about it being blotchy. Contact Spray Right to learn more.