Problem with 'bits' in paint

[Graeme]

Wifey was planning to paint some walls yesterday, using a new tub of Dulux vinyl silk paint. We removed the lid, to find an inch or more of clear liquid on top of the paint, and printed instructions to not stir. We stirred anyway, to disperse the liquid, and found a big lump at the bottom of the paint. Needless to say, stirring broke up the lump, which is now distributed throughout the paint. I suppose we could filter it through an old stocking, or similar.

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at the bottom? To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures were -19 a few months ago. Could the cold weather have damaged the paint?

[Peter Andrews]

My tub of Dulux says do not store in extreme temperatures and protect from frost! So I think the answer is buy a new tub.

Peter

[Dave Osborne]

AFAIK, the reason "not to stir" is that the paint is thixotropic, so stirring it would make it go thin and it would lose its non-drip quality.

Having let the paint stand for some time, the ingredients have separated out into three distinct layers of increasing density. The paint will be formulated with one or more "emulsifying agents" to stop the ingredients from separating out "creaming". However, gravity will eventually have its way.

So, you definitely need to re-homogenise the paint before you use it. You need to give it a jolly good stir (preferably for a few minutes with a power stirrer in a drill).

However, having done that, you should leave it to stand for 24 hours before using it, so that it can become thixotropic again and you can then use it (without further stirring) and get the non-drip quality back.

Just my two penneth. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[zaax]

next time leave the tin upside down and skin will form on the bottom

[Andy Champ]

Google "dulux storage frost" (no quotes). BTDTGTTS.

Andy

[NT]

Filter it if you dont mind diong that, and see if its ok, it normally is.

NT

[Andy Dingley]

Frost

Frost.

You _might_ recover it, depending on the paint. Whack it with a big slow drill and a rotary paddle stirrer. It might recover, it might not. If it does it shouldn't need filtering, if it does it didn't recover and merely filtering is unlikely to make it usable again.

After stirring, let it sit for a couple of days and see if it separates out. If it does start to, then it has had it.

[Graeme]

In message , Andy Dingley writes

Thanks to everyone for the descriptions and possible remedy.

Cheers,