Have you ever had unpleasant stories with paints? For example, you bought the paint of a well-known manufacturer. The price is not cheap, and the quality is checked out. However, when you open your paint, there are lumps in it. The story can be even more offensive – you stocked with the interior paint of large packaging, so that it was enough, but in fact, it does not lie on the wall at all and does not give a uniform color. Who is to blame for these troubles? In most cases, the cause of unpleasant surprises is the incorrect storage of paint. So that you never had such problems, find out how to store the paint correctly.
Why is it important to store paints correctly?
It seems that hermetically sealed containers are already a guarantee of the high quality of material saving, under any conditions. No. This is not true. Sealant protects the material from air and debris, but does not correct, for example, the influence of sunlight or low temperature.
The paint must be kept no less carefully then food.
The quality of paint depends directly from the fact, in what conditions the material is kept. With the wrong storage, you can damage the paint even before opening the can. It loses its basic properties, it can delaminate, lumps form in it. Such material is already unfit for work. With proper storage, any paintwork materials properly serve you for a full period of their use.
Storage conditions for paints
Regardless of the composition, all paint and lacquers materials must be stored in compliance with the five rules.
- The optimal temperature regime.
- For water-based paints it is from 0 ° C to + 35-40 ° C. Paints on a water basis must not be frozen. If the water component in the material freezes, it is not suitable for application anymore. You can just throw it away.
- For alkyd paints up to + 35-40 ° С. As a rule, alkyd materials are not afraid of frosts and high temperatures. However, do not go into extremes. The closer the storage to the norms, the better.
If to generalize, the best storage temperature is from + 5 ° С to + 25 ° С. This temperature does not affect the quality of the material, it is comfortable to work with, and the material dries well.
- Keep away from sunlight, somewhere in a dark place. Sunrays heat the material; promote rapid drying of the paint.
- Keep the packaging tight. In a poorly closed container, the paint dries faster.
- Keep away from fire. All alkyd materials are fire dangerous; therefore, it is an indispensable condition of storage safety. Water based paints, however, just deteriorate at high temperatures.
- Keep metal containers in a dry place. Otherwise, because of the moisture, the can begins to rust, loses strength, and eventually rust can get into the paint.
Storage conditions for paints must meet all of the above requirements. The products by TRIORA are stored in the heated warehouses of the manufacturer, in a dry room. We demand similar conditions from the points of sale of our materials, we monitor that the paints are stored in the proper conditions. Buying paintwork materials, be sure to pay attention to the conditions in the stores.
How to store the rest of the paint?
If you have paint left after repair – this is a valuable reserve for other works. The more carefully you save it, the more likely, that the paint is suitable.
What needs to be done?
- If there is a little paint left, transfer it to a smaller container. The less free space in a container, the less excess air. Hence, the paint will not dry. Use glass or plastic for water-based paints and glass and tin for alkyd ones.
- Take care that you have any recommendations for application. It is possible that you forget them after six months, and a small note can help you to use the material correctly in the future.
- Observe the five basic storage rules.
What does not make sense to store?
- Diluted materials. Their basic composition was changed after dilution and it is not the fact that the paint will persist for a long time. It is better to use it all.
- Materials that expire. Buying paintwork, the storage period of which ends after a month, do not count on the perfect quality of the residues.
Store the paints correctly. Therefore, you have a supply of useful materials in case of emergency repairs or the embodiment of creative ideas.