Painting - Any hope for paint left stored in a garage over the winter?

:( For some unknown reason, ...(my dh)....LOL...left a number of quite full paint cans in our garage over the winter.

We opened them up, and they are really thick. Can we do anything to "revive" them, or should I just throw them out?

I can't even use them as a primer at this point, as they are so thick. I hate to throw them out, because they were barely used.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I did take them to the paint store to have them shaken up again, this did not really help with the thickness.

If I could even fix the texture, I could use them as a primer. I just hate to see things go to waste.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Generally, cold won't bother latex paints in the can. Especially, if the can is almost full. Taking them to have them shaken is probably the best first step. You might check the manufacturer's website to see it there is anything specific to be learned about the individual product. I use paint that sits around, so long as it has not gone bad.

Most paints can be thinned 5% - 15%. That may help with making the material more workable.

Latex paint and alkyd paints are different. If this is an alkyd or oil paint, it may not be any good. Depending upon the amount of air in the can. Alkyd paints set up by oxidation, a chemical reaction that occurs when exposed to air. This ruins the paint as far as its utility is concened. Latex paints set up through evaporation of the vehicle and bonding of the individual particles in the paint.

Hope this helps.

:D Thanks for the quick, and very informative response. I will take them to the paint store once we move and get settled into our new house!

It would be a shame to not be able to make some use of them!

If it is flat latex,it will look like thick oatmeal if it has been frozen.If so it is dead,tose it out.If its a gloss finish it should be fine,when thined as said.