Just counted my spare paint cans and hit 14, which means I'm basically running a small hardware store out of my garage.

Four of those are less than half-full from projects I finished two years ago, so I'm finally forcing myself to mix them into one weird gray color this weekend just to clear space - has anyone else done a "paint smoothie" and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_palmer7611d ago

Did you mix them all at once or do it in stages? I did something similar last year with five different beiges and taupes, and honestly it worked out fine once I made sure they were all the same brand and sheen. @harperschmidt is right that different finishes can mess things up, so I'd check that first before you commit to the whole batch. I just stirred it really well with a paint stick and a drill mixer, and the gray came out kinda nice for touch-ups and priming.

harperschmidt11d ago

Hang on, mixing old latex paints together might not turn out the way you expect. The different finishes and bases can separate weirdly, and you could end up with a tacky mess that never dries right. I did that once with three half-gallons of different whites and ended up with a streaky nightmare that looked like dirty dishwater no matter how much I stirred it. You're better off just taking the leftovers to a hazardous waste drop-off and saving yourself the headache.