I have some leftover latex paint that I'd like to mix together to paint our basement powder room - one-half of a gallon can of FLAT pale blue, and one-half of a quart can of HIGH GLOSS white. I'm not concerned about the resulting color but wonder whether a the high gloss paint can be successfully blended into the flat paint?
Liz
Paint's cheap, your time to recover from the disaster is probably a lot more expensive...
Besides, in order to mix it you'll have to use a shaker. I can't imagine a paint shop being all that willing to go along with this idea.
It's not a matter of saving money. I'm a recycler and hate to see anything wasted. I'll just add the 1/2 quart to the larger can and shake the bejesus out of it. I can't envision a disaster as this is a basement powder room which is rarely used.
Liz
The paint is fresh - I just finished using it in my upstairs bathroom - the flat on the walls and the high gloss on the trim. As I wrote to the previous poster, it's not a matter of saving money this time but rather a chance to use up leftover paint rather than trying to dispose of it safely.
Thanks everyone!
Liz
===> Baloney: It'll take some extra mixing/stirring, but it's not unreasonable by any means. I mix colors all the time and for 3/4 gallon of paint, that's not going to be a problem, especially as a one time thing.
Actually, a shaker is the wrong thing to use with latex paints too. Better to stir by hand or with a mixer bit in an electric drill if one's handy.
You probably mean well, but please be a little more discerning in advising that something "must be" when it clearly is a little outside your area of expertise.
Happy to meet a fellow recycler, Liz; mix away!
Pop
===> Yes, it can, but the result of course will not be a high gloss. It might be something akin to a semi-gloss but that's not even a given. Best way to find out's to try!
Best of luck!
Pop
It's not a problem.
It would depend on how old the leftover paint is and under what conditions it has been stored.
If you're looking to save money and you're not picky about the color, you might consider picking up some fresh "opps" paint at either Lowe's or Home Depot. By that, I mean paint that was mixed by their paint department for a customer and the color didn't come out quite right. The Lowe's near me sells this paint for $5.00 a gallon and it's frequently their better quality paint.
Just a thought.
Go for it. Latex is pretty benign stuff so mixing types will not cause any serious disasters. You'll probably end up with a paler blue that is not quite flat. Worst case scenario is you paint over it after you get tired of looking at it.
The mixed paint gloss should be a combination of the two paints probably closer to eggshell than semigloss. The high gloss has stuff in it to provide the high gloss and when mixed with the flat paint it will just be diluted
In case you don't know, the safe way to dispose of it is to open the can, let it dry out, then just put it in the trash.
Thats "oops"
Mixing colors is one thing, mixing type is different.
Flat paint is just glossy paint with the addition of a flatting agent. There is no problem mixing left over paints of whatever sheen.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
I tried mixing paints of different gloss, and it was a gooey mess. YMMV, but I wasted 2 half gallons trying to make 1 gallon.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.