PSA: That old urethane in the back of your shop probably expired 2 years ago

I grabbed a forgotten tube of seam sealer from my shelf last week, the one that's been sitting since 2019. Smelled fine but it came out clumpy and never fully set. Had to sand down a whole quarter panel job and start over because it cracked after two days. Check the date codes on your adhesives, especially if you buy in bulk like me. Anyone else get burned by old material that looked okay?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewgonzalez4d ago

Funny you mention that because it mirrors something I've noticed with all kinds of stored products, not just car stuff. I had a can of spray paint that looked fine on the outside but the nozzle clogged and the paint came out chunky, just like your sealer. Another time I found a bottle of wood glue that was totally solid inside even though the cap was on tight. It's like the stuff just gives up on you when it sits too long, no matter how perfect the conditions look. Your mileage may vary, but I've learned to test everything on scrap before I commit to the real job, even if it passes the smell test.

quinn_king164d ago

I don't know, man. I've had the same can of WD-40 in my garage for like 6 years and it still works fine. And that bottle of wood glue you mentioned, I think that's more about the glue drying out because the seal wasn't perfect. Most of this stuff has a pretty long shelf life if you store it right. I've never had a bottle of paint or sealer just go bad on me unless I left the cap off or it froze. Maybe you're just unlucky or your garage gets too hot in the summer.