Painting is important when transforming a commercial or residential property. When you hire professional painters like Surepaint, your paint will be effectively used, meaning you might have leftover paint. The leftover paint is useful when repairing a home or building to cover up scratches caused by different things that look unpresentable.
Paint is durable when well stored after use to avoid contamination. Professional opinion on storing paint is vital to prevent wasting money by throwing half-used paint cans away. Finding the ideal way to store paint at home is difficult when you do not know how to store leftover paint. Below are useful tips to help in the process of storing your paint at home.
Find a dry and cool place
When storing paint at home, finding a dry and cool area is essential to avoid contamination of the leftover paint. Temperature changes affect the quality of paint. High temperatures will make the paint prone to damage, so it is advisable to avoid direct sunlight. The place you store your leftover paint should not be too cold to freeze the paint because that will also destroy it. Therefore, it is essential to know places like the garage or a freezing basement may not be ideal. Finding a dry, dark, and cool closet or cupboard within the right area of the house will be the best option.
Transfer the paint to smaller containers
Half filled containers of leftover paint make it easy for air to get in, which can cause deterioration of the paint. Once you have the ideal dry and cool place to store your paint, getting it ready should be your next step. Instead of using the big paint containers in which you bought the full paint, finding small jars suitable to put paint will save you from stress.
You will have enough space to put the paint, and organizing the cans will be easy. You can buy small containers from a paint store or use glass cans that you have at home, which will leave your paint closet or cupboard looking elegant. Ensure the can you transfer your paint in is properly sealed before storage. No air should go through the lid for the paint to last longer. Before sealing your paint cans, wipe residuals on the can to avoid having difficulty opening them when you want to reuse them.
Label your paint containers
Labeling when storing leftover paint is essential, especially after switching the containers to smaller versions. You have to write the number or name of the paint and mark the wall it is painted on to make it easy for you to trace it when a need to reuse comes up. It will make identification easy to avoid using the wrong color on the wall you want to repair. It is advisable to use a little paint on the lid before sealing to help pick the right paint container when reusing it.
Block air from getting into your paint containers
Sealing paint cans is essential when storing paint leftover at home. Air prevents the paint from lasting longer, which leads to waste. You can use a few tricks to ensure your paint cans are fully sealed and cannot let air pass. Using a plastic wrap between the lid and the can is a trick to tighten the lid and avoid air contamination.
Another way is storing the paint containers upside down to ensure there is no room for air in the container. Smaller cans full of leftover paint are another trick that works perfectly and prevents air from getting to the paint through the edges. You can store paint for years at home when you pay attention to sealing and use the right tricks.
Use the leftover paint right
When it comes to preserving paint quality, how you use the leftover paint when the need arises matters, you should not use it directly from the can if you are not planning to use all the paint. Pour the potion you need in something else and seal the remaining to make it last longer. Find tricks to pour the paint without getting it into the container rim, which will make it hard to seal the paint properly. Forcing the lid to close can deform it paving the way for air to enter. Maintain the quality of your leftover paint by finding the right methods to use it and store it again at home. The goal is to make maximum use of your paint and avoid wastage or damage to the remaining paint.
