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Store Paint for Good-as-New Reinforcements

In any remodeling project, it is good to guess heavy when calculating how much material you'll need. That goes for paint as much as anything else. Beyond that, you'll have some extra for touch ups down the road (especially important if you are buying a custom color). Now, if you are going to save some paint for later – and paint cans do add up – then you'll want to make sure it is stored properly.

Avoid Freezing

As it turns out, how paint is stored has quite an impact on how well that paint performs on the wall when it is needed once more. For example, do not let paint freeze. For homeowners in northern climates, the garage may seem like a logical place to store paint, but if frozen the paint will separate and become useless. Keep it indoors if at all possible. The basement or crawl space are viable options.

Maintain an Airtight Seal

Beyond freezing, the key to storing paint is an airtight seal. Here are some tips to ensure that is exactly what you get:

  • Use some plastic wrap to cover the top before putting the lid on. The plastic will help fill in the gaps.
  • Do not hammer directly on the can or lid. Put a towel over it before hammering the lid down. Any dents in the paint lid facilitate air escaping and allow the paint to thicken and go bad.
  • Keep the rim of the can clean. Allowing paint to cake up in these canals prevents that precious airtight seal.
  • Use the right tool for the job. That is, use a paint key to open the paint can. This, too, prevents dents and scrapes that can cause spoilage over a long period of time.

Okay, now when a doorknob or a baseball find their way through the sheetrock and your beautiful paint job, you've got some good-as-new reinforcements at the ready.

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Here is what has been said about our House Painting Contractors:

Thank you John for a superb job especially the way you cleaned up at the end of each day, it was nice to come home after work and find our home in same manner as we had left that morning except for the beautiful new paint on our walls and trim. I will highly recommend Burke Painting to any of my family and friends who are looking for a custom painter.

I've already recommended you to a couple of my friends. Thank you for a first rate custom paint job, my doors look like they have a factory paint finish on them. Exactly what I was looking for. -- Darlene - Lafayette