Why Mixing Your Paint Before You Use It Is Important

rprcontractors

9 minutes ago

3 min read

You picked the right color, bought quality paint, and you’re ready to get started. But before that first brush or roller hits the wall, there’s one simple step you should never skip:

Mix the paint thoroughly.

Even brand-new paint can begin separating while it sits on the shelf, during transportation, or after you bring it home. Properly mixing your paint helps ensure the color, sheen, and consistency are uniform from the beginning of the project to the end.

Paint Naturally Separates

Paint contains pigments, binders, liquids, and other ingredients that work together to create the finished product. When a can sits for a period of time, some of those ingredients can settle toward the bottom.

That means the paint near the top of the can may not have exactly the same consistency as the paint sitting on the bottom.

Simply opening the can and dipping in your brush or pouring it into a tray can result in an inconsistent finish.

Mixing Helps Keep the Color Consistent

This is especially important with darker or heavily tinted colors.

Pigments can settle, and if they aren't properly mixed back into the paint, the color you apply at the beginning of the job can look slightly different from the color you apply later.

For a large room—or especially a whole-house or multi-room painting project—even a small difference in color can become noticeable.

It Helps Maintain an Even Sheen

Mixing isn't only about color.

Paint sheen can also be affected when the ingredients aren't evenly distributed. Whether you're using flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, or another finish, proper mixing helps produce a consistent appearance across the entire surface.

Without proper mixing, you can sometimes end up with areas that look shinier or flatter than others, even though they came from the same can of paint.

"But the Paint Store Already Shook It"

That's true—and having the paint store shake the can is important.

But paint can begin settling again after it leaves the store, particularly if several days or weeks pass before you use it.

Before painting, we still recommend stirring the paint thoroughly and making sure there isn't any heavy material sitting on the bottom of the can.

If you're using paint that has been stored for a while, proper mixing becomes even more important.

Don't Forget to Stir During the Job

For larger projects, it can also be a good idea to stir the paint periodically while you're working.

A quick stir helps keep everything evenly suspended, particularly when the paint has been sitting in a bucket or tray for an extended period.

It's a small step, but professional-looking paint work is often the result of paying attention to small details.

Using Multiple Gallons? Consider Boxing Your Paint

Here's another professional painting tip.

If you're using several gallons of the same color on a large area, painters will sometimes "box" the paint by combining the individual gallons into a larger container and thoroughly mixing them together.

Why?

Even paint mixed using the same manufacturer's formula can occasionally have very slight variations between cans. Boxing the paint helps create one consistent color throughout the project.

This can be particularly helpful when painting large rooms, open floor plans, hallways, or multiple connecting rooms.

Proper Preparation Makes a Difference

At RPR Contractors, we know a quality paint job is about much more than putting paint on the walls.

Proper surface preparation, drywall repairs, choosing the right products, thoroughly mixing the paint, and applying it correctly all contribute to the finished result.

Sometimes the smallest steps are the ones that prevent the biggest problems.