The best way to Revive Outdated Paint

If you happen to’ve ever painted a room in your home or condominium, you realize the ache of storing leftover paint. You pour the surplus from the rolling pan into the paint can, you faucet the lid again into place with a hammer, and also you stick the outdated can someplace out of the best way, the place you promptly overlook about it. Then the day comes when it is advisable contact up the room or repaint it solely, and also you haul that outdated can out from its hiding place, solely to find that point has not been variety to your paint.

In case your outdated paint hasn’t aged nicely—it’s skinned over, chunky, or in any other case doubtful—however you actually don’t wish to spend cash on a recent can simply to do some contact up work, you possibly can attempt to revive the paint. This occurred to me lately: I had an outdated five-gallon bucket of grey paint with a few gallon of paint left in it, and once I opened it up, it appeared like this:

My outdated, chunky grey paint
Credit score: Jeff Somers

However I didn’t wish to run out to purchase a recent gallon for a small job, so I made a decision to carry this paint again to life.

First, a number of fast caveats: Not all paint will be introduced again to life. It must be largely liquid, even when it’s chunky and skinned over—if it’s completely hardened, simply toss it within the trash. A couple of different issues to test for:

• Mould. If you happen to open the can and it smells like mildew (or worse) or has a development on it, it’s not usable—even in case you combine it up and get it into usable form, you can be portray mould spores onto your partitions. Whereas fashionable paints usually include biocides to inhibit mould development for years, varied local weather situations or storage variables can impression their effectiveness.

• Thinned. When you have already thinned the paint with water (for water-based paints) or paint thinner (for oil-based paints), you in all probability gained’t be capable to carry it again.

• Frozen. If the paint froze at any level, it’s in all probability accomplished for. Paint that froze up could have a “cottage cheese” texture to it.

If you happen to see these indicators, toss the paint and resign your self to purchasing a recent can. In any other case, include me on a paint-resurrection journey.

The best way to revive outdated paint

My paint had by no means been thinned, and whereas it was chunky, it was nonetheless liquid. It didn’t scent unhealthy, so I assumed I had a fairly good shot at bringing it again. Right here’s what you want readily available to do this:

All the pieces it is advisable revive your outdated paint.
Credit score: Jeff Somers

1. Bucket. That is the place you’ll accumulate the revived paint.

2. Display screen. You should buy disposable paint filters or paint filter luggage, however you can too use an outdated aluminum window display screen, or a bit of fiberglass display screen. I occurred to have a bunch of fiberglass display screen left over from one other mission, so I reduce a bit of that.

3. Drill with paddle bit. You’ll be able to stir the paint manually, but it surely’s lots simpler to get a paddle attachment on your drill.

4. Paint thinner. In case your paint is water-based, you possibly can skinny it with some heat water. Mine is oil-based, so I would like paint thinner—I had mineral spirits readily available, so I used that.

5. Painter’s tape. Any tape in any respect, actually, however painter’s tape is best to work with right here.

Upon getting all of your supplies, your first step is to skinny the paint just a little. Add a small quantity of water or paint thinner, then stir the paint, beginning off at a low setting and rising the facility step by step.

Thinning my paint with some mineral spirits.
Credit score: Jeff Somers

Stirring out a number of the chunks within the paint.
Credit score: Jeff Somers

This could get rid of the worst of the chunks in there. How a lot to skinny the paint is extra artwork than science—you don’t wish to over-thin it and make it watery. I didn’t attempt to get rid of each single chunk of hardened paint and was very conservative with the thinner. You’ll be able to all the time add just a little extra and repeat the stirring, however you possibly can’t take away extra thinner after you’ve poured it in.

Subsequent, you display screen the paint. Connect your display screen to your bucket—in my case, I simply wrapped the fiberglass display screen across the lid and taped it into place:

My high-tech paint screening machine.
Credit score: Jeff Somers

Then, I poured the partially thinned paint into the bucket by way of the filter:

Screening my paint.
Credit score: Jeff Somers

I let the paint drip by way of the filter for a couple of minutes. This screened out the remaining chunks, leaving me with a provide of usable paint in my bucket:

My thinned, screened, and stirred paint, prepared to make use of.
Credit score: Jeff Somers

I didn’t want a lot; truthfully, in case you’re going to repaint the entire room, you in all probability shouldn’t depend on outdated paint you’ve thinned and screened. However for a small touch-up job, this spared me from having to expire and purchase a recent can of paint. It labored nicely, the paint adhered with out issues and matched up moderately nicely with the outdated coat. I plan to prime and paint the room once more subsequent yr, so it doesn’t need to final without end, both. As soon as I used to be accomplished, I disposed of the remnants at my metropolis’s recycling middle so it’s now not haunting my closet.