# Shelf life of unopened paint



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

How long is the shelf life of exterior latex stain that has been unopened in a 5 gallon container?


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## oakley (Dec 14, 2007)

Stored in a cool and dry location, about 2 years.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

I just shot some the other day that was about 2 years old, worked fine for me.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

The paint is probably 5-7 years old, sitting at the paint store unopened. It is a brand they used to carry but dropped. The only reason I am interested is that it is a standard color that I will be using a lot of this summer and I would get a fantastic deal on 15 gallons. Not worth it though if the product could be bad.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

15 bucks, for 5 yr old paint, what other bargins does your paint store offer. Do they sell used paint to?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Hey, it would probably be free. It is the same product and color we used to use on a condo complex until 2000 or so when another company got the contract. I got the contract back this year. Since it is the exact color we used to use, I figured it would help to get the units standardized in color again since it looks like the last painter has 2-3 shades of brown through out the complex and this would help reset everything back to the original color.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

I can understand your thinking and i would use it. As long as your suplier warranties. Have them sample you a gal or 5 gal if you can get them too. If you have a few projects lined up im sure they would have no prob.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Dean

I say go for it. We were doing a rather nice house a year ago which was being repainted for the first time since it was built several years previously. There was exactly one screen door on the house that was to be painted a deep green in Moorglo. The job was 1.5 hours from my supplier. I found the original can of Moorglo used when the house was built, missing about the 4 brushfulls that it takes to paint a screen door. I used it and it was like going back in time to when Moorglo was REALLY Moorglo. I will have to send you a picture of the can (I brought it back to my shop for analysis and safe inventorying, as the customer is a regular) and at that time I will reveal to you what the date on the can was. It performed beautifully and still looks good this year in a harsh exposure. The key to success on shelf life is that the can be either full or darn near full.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Sweet find, i found 2 origanal cans of Old Quaker paint quarts from the 70's, asked the ho if i could have. They are now on displayed in my office.


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

I opened a gallon of emulsion (latex) last week that was previously unopened that I bought 19 years ago. My daughter wanted her room painted and I knew I'd seen that in my shed somehwere (just didn't realize how old it was). I knew the age because I stopped dealing with that paint supplier 19 years ago and only used them for about a year. The can was a little rusty and it took a good 15 minutes stirring to get it back to its original state but it worked like exactly like a new can of paint. The only thing that did happen was the can sprung a leak in the bottom because of the hard stirring to get the sedement from the bottom. 

I've got 3 or 4 more of those that I'll either have to throw away or find a use for them shortly - Before they go out of date :thumbup:


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## wje (Apr 11, 2009)

I had a customer this spring who had 6 gallons of designers touch they bought in 1998 at a 50% off sale. I got them tinted and they were fine. There wasn;t even and bits in the paint smooth as new. It was a little thick for my liking though.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

I've read PWC or APC once that the shelf life of a good quality latex paint is _about _3 years. I would use older paint that the customer had for touch-ups, but every job of mine gets new paint.


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