# Paint inventory app



## Enrich (Oct 29, 2016)

My garage is full of old paints from different jobs.
The ones I keep are generally the most popular colours that are likely to be reused on another job, but it's getting more and more difficult to know what's there and how many litres.

Does anybody use an inventory stock app that they can recommend that can filter products by:
Name of paint:
Sheen level (matt, low sheen, gloss..)
external/internal
oil/water based
other (2pack, varnish....)

Thank you,
Richard.


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## Gracobucks (May 29, 2011)

We used to run into the same problem, so all we keep is untinted whites, varnishes, safety yellow and primers.

This way no need for a app. Most of the time its not worth your time to dig through the garage looking for a colour that will now need to be mixed by hand and maybe even strained because it has been sitting for a while. IMO cheaper to buy a new one.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I'd rather spend my efforts not accumulating, getting rid of leftover paint than inventorying it. I get a kick out of it when customers suggest that I should be the one to hang on to any leftover paint in case they need touchups in the future. Yeah, I've got space in my house for that.

Cottagers are the worst. Most of the time, leftover stuff goes right into some piece of crap non heated shed with leaks in the roof to let the stuff freeze and thaw countless times over the winter leaving it completely useless and the can rusted shut.

Like Graco said, the only thing I might gather a bit of is my go to ceiling paint, some CC40 semi or primers. Other than that, the rest of it isn't mine to deal with.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Very interesting thread.

I've been grappling with a paint inventory system in order to manage our paint storage stock. We use multiple products from primers to epoxies. A lot of these products are too expensive to just toss after using one quart from a gallon kit. We also have numerous colors and performance requirements. And granted, disposal is the best practice for storage, but we have a lot of paint that needs to be stored.

I created a spread sheet inventory that matches a code to a shelving location, but all that quickly failed. The problem with managing a paint inventory, is dealing with a product that is returned to stock. I thought of using bar code sku's, but haven't yet.

The challenge with managing a migrating paint inventory, is in tracking. Maybe this might require placing a GPS, or LPS ( Local Positioning System...just made that up. Need patent) device attached to a product container. Then, maybe an app could be developed. Let me know when you develop it. 

You're welcome!


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## ElTacoPaco (Dec 11, 2015)

Plus formulas are changing always and different stores use different machines thus not being exactly the same


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

Yeah, I agree with Wildbill, If it is not a generic white, poly, ceiling paint or a primer I ain't holding onto it. And, since my storage area is not heated I have to store any water based paint in my cellar. So, I am not holding onto much more than a gallon of each.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Customers tell us to take left over paints just incase we need them on another job. Nope. I know it will sit on a shelf in our office, shop or my basement. I already have enough paint related crap to store let alone a bunch of paint cans.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

cdpainting said:


> Customers tell us to take left over paints just incase we need them on another job. Nope. I know it will sit on a shelf in our office, shop or my basement. I already have enough paint related crap to store let alone a bunch of paint cans.


Do you tell them about the shelf life?

Most homeowners are going to store paint in poorer conditions than a painting contractor would, in most cases. Every paint contractor I have worked for, had a paint inventory proportionate to the work they did. But that doesn't mean you have to store a customers maintenance materials for free, and indefinitely. 
A homeowner that wants a paint contractor to store their paint, must realize that it will be disposed of at a certain date. 

I am still interested in how others manage their inventories. Particularly, larger outfits that accumulate a significant paint stock.


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