Painting - Using old paint.

I am about to paint my basement walls which have just been taped.

I have a wall that I will be painting with a dark blue color. I have almost a full gallon of Benjamin Moore deep base primer that, by chance, is almost the same color as the wall paint. But, the primer is >3 years old. I opened it and mixed it and it looks OK. But, are there chemicals in the primer that break down after an extended period of time?

Also, I have almost a gallon of a color that would work well in my utility room. This can is also from almost 4 years ago. The paint also looks OK to the eye.

I'm not looking to skimp. I have been comfortable spending a fair amount of money on this finishing project, but I don't want to be wasteful if I don't have to. (I realize doing a job twice is wasteful). I'd rather use these paints than dump them in a landfill, assuming the paints will do the job.

Are there issues I should be considering when using paint and primer that old?

Since the paint mixed up and smelt ok - it should be fine to use. Might be a good idea to strain the paint, just incase ;)

...Might be a good idea to strain the paint, just incase ;)

What do I use to strain it? Cheese cloth?

cheese cloth may work, but bag strainers work a little better because you can squeeze the paint through by hand. It is messy but they are cheap and you get to use most of the paint.

If I were you, I would take it to the place you bought other paint from or plan on buying from and politely ask to have them throw it in the shaker for 5min or so. We do it for polite people even if it is not a brand we sell. We will even open it up and attempt to determine if it is still good.

Thanks.

I'll see i f my local store will shake for me.

Like Mark said, smell and mixes good, then ok. For a buck or two buy at the paint store or big box store a paint strainer. Buy the big one for 5 gallons, this will be less messy to deal with. Also get some throw away gloves like food service gloves. If you have a utility sink, do this work right in it. You can wash the strainer right away and reuse.