Wifey was planning to paint some walls yesterday, using a new tub of
Dulux vinyl silk paint. We removed the lid, to find an inch or more of
clear liquid on top of the paint, and printed instructions to not stir.
We stirred anyway, to disperse the liquid, and found a big lump at the
bottom of the paint. Needless to say, stirring broke up the lump, which
is now distributed throughout the paint. I suppose we could filter it
through an old stocking, or similar.

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at
the bottom? To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. Could the cold weather have damaged the
paint?
--
Graeme, Aberdeenshire

"Graeme" wrote in message
...

Wifey was planning to paint some walls yesterday, using a new tub of Dulux
vinyl silk paint. We removed the lid, to find an inch or more of clear
liquid on top of the paint, and printed instructions to not stir. We
stirred anyway, to disperse the liquid, and found a big lump at the bottom
of the paint. Needless to say, stirring broke up the lump, which is now
distributed throughout the paint. I suppose we could filter it through an
old stocking, or similar.

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at
the bottom? To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. Could the cold weather have damaged the paint?
--
Graeme, Aberdeenshire


My tub of Dulux says do not store in extreme temperatures and protect from
frost! So I think the answer is buy a new tub.

Peter

Graeme wrote:

Wifey was planning to paint some walls yesterday, using a new tub of
Dulux vinyl silk paint. We removed the lid, to find an inch or more of
clear liquid on top of the paint, and printed instructions to not stir.
We stirred anyway, to disperse the liquid, and found a big lump at the
bottom of the paint. Needless to say, stirring broke up the lump, which
is now distributed throughout the paint. I suppose we could filter it
through an old stocking, or similar.

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at
the bottom? To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. Could the cold weather have damaged the paint?

AFAIK, the reason "not to stir" is that the paint is thixotropic, so
stirring it would make it go thin and it would lose its non-drip quality.

Having let the paint stand for some time, the ingredients have separated
out into three distinct layers of increasing density. The paint will be
formulated with one or more "emulsifying agents" to stop the
ingredients from separating out "creaming". However, gravity will
eventually have its way.

So, you definitely need to re-homogenise the paint before you use it.
You need to give it a jolly good stir (preferably for a few minutes with
a power stirrer in a drill).

However, having done that, you should leave it to stand for 24 hours
before using it, so that it can become thixotropic again and you can
then use it (without further stirring) and get the non-drip quality back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thixotropic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsifying_agent

HTH. Just my two penneth. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

On 31 May, 21:01, Dave Osborne wrote:
Graeme wrote:

Wifey was planning to paint some walls yesterday, using a new tub of
Dulux vinyl silk paint. *We removed the lid, to find an inch or more of
clear liquid on top of the paint, and printed instructions to not stir.
We stirred anyway, to disperse the liquid, and found a big lump at the
bottom of the paint. *Needless to say, stirring broke up the lump, which
is now distributed throughout the paint. *I suppose we could filter it
through an old stocking, or similar.

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at
the bottom? *To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. *Could the cold weather have damaged the paint?

AFAIK, the reason "not to stir" is that the paint is thixotropic, so
stirring it would make it go thin and it would lose its non-drip quality.

Having let the paint stand for some time, the ingredients have separated
out into three distinct layers of increasing density. The paint will be
formulated with one or more "emulsifying agents" *to stop the
ingredients from separating out "creaming". However, gravity will
eventually have its way.

So, you definitely need to re-homogenise the paint before you use it.
You need to give it a jolly good stir (preferably for a few minutes with
a power stirrer in a drill).

However, having done that, you should leave it to stand for 24 hours
before using it, so that it can become thixotropic again and you can
then use it (without further stirring) and get the non-drip quality back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thixotropic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsifying_agent

HTH. Just my two penneth. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

next time leave the tin upside down and skin will form on the bottom

Graeme wrote:
To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. Could the cold weather have damaged the paint?

Yes.

Google "dulux storage frost" (no quotes). BTDTGTTS.

Andy

Graeme wrote:
Wifey was planning to paint some walls yesterday, using a new tub of
Dulux vinyl silk paint. We removed the lid, to find an inch or more of
clear liquid on top of the paint, and printed instructions to not stir.
We stirred anyway, to disperse the liquid, and found a big lump at the
bottom of the paint. Needless to say, stirring broke up the lump, which
is now distributed throughout the paint. I suppose we could filter it
through an old stocking, or similar.

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at
the bottom? To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. Could the cold weather have damaged the
paint?

Filter it if you dont mind diong that, and see if its ok, it normally
is.


NT

On 31 May, 20:26, Graeme wrote:

Question is, what was the liquid on top, and why was there a big lump at
the bottom? *

Frost

To be fair to Dulux, we have had the unopened paint for
several years, and it has been sitting in a shed, where temperatures
were -19 a few months ago. *

Frost.

You _might_ recover it, depending on the paint. Whack it with a big
slow drill and a rotary paddle stirrer. It might recover, it might
not. If it does it shouldn't need filtering, if it does it didn't
recover and merely filtering is unlikely to make it usable again.

After stirring, let it sit for a couple of days and see if it
separates out. If it does start to, then it has had it.

In message
,
Andy Dingley writes

After stirring, let it sit for a couple of days and see if it
separates out. If it does start to, then it has had it.

Thanks to everyone for the descriptions and possible remedy.

Cheers,
--
Graeme