Storing
Paint
By Paulette Rossi
Most painting
projects produce some leftover paint. Since 1992, Metro’s household
hazardous waste facilities have received over 900,000 gallons of surplus
latex paint.
While Metro is
able to re-blend the majority of this paint into good paint for re-use,
20 percent of the paint Metro receives is no longer useable, according
to Jim Quinn, Metro’s hazardous waste program supervisor. “All
we can do with the sour, gloppy latex is solidify it and send it to
the Arlington landfill,” he says.
However, Quinn
suggests that by knowing a few simple tricks, you can keep leftover
paint from “going bad.” Then, you’ll have it available
for touch-ups, or you can give it to Metro to be re-blended into good
quality recycled paint.
Keeping air out
of the can is the key to preventing paint from drying out. To keep
paint fresh longer, many professional painters claim they exhale several
times into a paint can before putting on the lid. The carbon dioxide
from their breath displaces oxygen in the can.
Another trick
is to cut a round piece from a plastic shopping bag, making it two
inches larger than the diameter of the can. Placing this over the
top of the can before replacing the lid serves as a gasket, and prevents
metal-to-metal corrosion when the lid is replaced. Using a rag to
remove paint from the groove on the lip of the metal can will also
make the lid fit tighter.
If you dip your
brush directly into the paint can while painting, punching holes in
the lid groove will allow excess paint to drain back into the can
during a painting project. However, painting directly from the paint
will contaminate the paint with bacteria and debris. Contaminated
paint will mold and has a short shelf life. If you want to paint like
a professional, ladle small amounts of paint into a painting tray
while you paint.
While an “ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” securing the lid on
the can by bashing it on with a hammer only deforms the lid and leaves
spaces for air to enter. Instead, use a rubber mallet to tap all the
way around the lid. This technique will secure the lid without making
it difficult to remove later. If you don’t have a mallet, place
a block of wood on top of the can, and hit the wood with the hammer
instead of directly striking the metal lid. Draping a rag over the
can before the lid is tapped on will absorb any paint spatter. Once
the lid is securely in place, the can should be stored upside down
to make an airtight seal.
Store the paint
in a dry location, raised off of cement surfaces, which hastens rusting.
Heat accelerates the deterioration of paint. Latex paint should be
stored out of direct sunlight and away from furnaces and fireplaces.
All latex paint
labels emphasize the instructions, “keep from freezing.”
Latex paint is water-based paint that will freeze at 32 degrees F.
While some quality
paints are formulated to go through several freeze-thaw cycles without
problems, many inexpensive paints or low-VOC and solvent-free paints
do not use glycols and have no freeze resistance.
Frozen paint should
be thawed at room temperature. If the paint stirs into a homogenous
liquid and has no foul or unusual odor, it can still be used and should
be properly stored. Often, though, thawed paint resembles cottage
cheese, has a thick, dough-like consistency, or smells rotten. This
paint cannot be used.
Never pour spoiled
or useable leftover paint down the storm-drain, and never dump it
on the ground. Latex paint pollutes ground water and kills fish and
wildlife.
Metro’s Oregon
City and Northwest Portland transfer stations have household hazardous
waste facilities. These facilities are open Monday –Saturday
9 am to 4 pm to accept paint and other household hazardous waste at
no charge. Call Metro Recycling Information for directions, 503-234-3000.
Or logon to www.metro-region.org. For information on the Metro recycled
paint program, call Metro Recycling Information, or log on to www.metro-region.org/paint.
A brochure showing Metro’s new paint colors is available by request
or can be seen on the website.
Paulette Rossi
is a Certified Master Recycler promoting the use of Metro Recycled
Paint available in a rainbow of colors. She can be reached at: rossip@metro.dst.or.us
or 503-797-1827. |
