How Long Do the Different Types of Paint Last?

Not All Paint Has The Same Lifespan

When you order paint for your new jobs at home, it’s easy to over-order, or to plan for extra gallons for touch ups. Common areas of your home take a lot of nicks and dings over time. It’s easily fixed if you have extra paint in reserve. If the paint has been sitting in a shed or garage for some time, how do you know if it’s still good? How long do different types of paint last?

Shelf Life Estimates

How you store your mixed gallons of paint will be the key to how long it will last. When stored in perfect conditions, it could last several years. To get these results, the gallon must be sealed from the store, never opened. In this case, you could get up to a decade of storage. A can that has been opened, sealed improperly or subjected to impurities from use might only last a few months.

Here is a general guideline:
Latex or Acrylic-Latex Paint 2 to 10 years
Oil-Based Paint 2 to 15 years
Chalk Paint 1 to 5 years
Milk Paint 1 to 7 days

Latex or Acrylic-Latex Paint

Companies that manufacture paint usually estimate shelf life more conservatively. PPG and Glidden both say a can of their latex paint, unopened should last for two years. Sherwin-Williams and Behr go with a more conservative year. Most experts, outside manufacturers say well preserved paint will last up to 10 years.

Oil-Based Paint

Oil-based paints are similar in longevity to latex or acrylics. Because the paint is made up of solvents, it can last longer if it’s preserved well and stored appropriately. Some experts suggest up to a 15 year shelf life.

Chalk Paint

Because of the makeup of chalk paint, the manufacturers generally give it a shelf life of one year. The paint doesn’t film over like latex meaning it could potentially last for several years, but the consistency thickens and causes less than ideal results. Some professionals suggest to use the thickened paint, add water to correct this issue.

Milk Paint

As you can assume, because of the milk proteins in milk paint, it will only last a couple of days before turning. If refrigerated, you might get it to last a week. If the paint is still in dry pigment and powdered form, it will last indefinitely as long as it dry and cool.

Has paint gone bad?

Smells Off

Generally, if your paint has gone bad, your nose will tell you. The smell of sourness or foulness will overtake you after the lid is opening. Some paints smell more like mildew or mold. If anything is off with the smell of your paint it’s a good idea to get rid of it and start over.

Frozen and Thawed

If you have stored your paint where it could have been frozen, there is potential that it has gone bad. Some manufacturers will tell you that if it has been thawed and doesn’t exhibit the aforementioned smells, it’s fine to use. Others say that once paint has frozen and thawed the consistency will prevent good adhesion. This is more so true if your paint has been repeatedly frozen and thawed.

Lumpy Consistency

Paint will develop a film on top after storage for some time. If the paint has progressed to more solid beyond that, it must be thrown away. Paint chunks that are solidified will not be dissolved by adding water.

Jellied Paint

If your gallon has gone from flawless to jelly, start over. A tell-tale sign paint is bad is when it is no longer liquid but also isn’t quite solid. A goopy, jelly paint consistency means it’s gone bad and needs to go.

Preserve your Paint

Here are some tips from the pros on getting the longest shelf life out of your paint.
Keep your paint in a cool, dry place that does not freeze.
Avoid extreme temperatures, both high and low.
Keep impurities out of the gallon. Especially things like leaves, grass or dirt.
Use a plastic container that is suitable for paint storage to avoid rust getting into the paint.
Put plastic wrap over the can, under the lid before sealing. Use a rubber mallet to hammer the lid on. Avoid denting the can.