How To Avoid Paint Pot Skin To Form?

We have all experienced an old or even new pot of paint from forming a skin when it has been stored for a few months. To avoid this skin from forming once the lid has been fitted in place is very simple. All you have to do is shake the pot before storing it and keep it in a cool dry place.

TOP TIP: Shake your paint pot before putting it back into storage, this mixes the water back into the paint and avoids skinning over time.

• Water-based paint – need to be shaken before storing
• Oil-based and acrylic paint – use cling film and create your skin

What Does Skin Form In A Pot Of Paint?

Water-based paints (emulsion) are more prone to skinning especially in the summer months. Once you open your paint pot it will start drying because fresh air has started to flow over the paint.

If you are using a separate tub to decant your paint for easier handling, be sure to cover your paint pot straight away. This avoids a skin from forming while you are painting, it does not take long before skin forms.

Resin and acrylic paints will also form skins that tend to stick to the lid of the paint, so when you open the lid this can fall into the paint and cause issues when painting.

If you are using acrylic or resin paint grab some cling-film and cover the paint making your skin. This helps oil-based, acrylic and resin paints from drying to the lid of the paint pot.

Conclusion – Paint Skinning

It pays to look after your stored paint because good paint is not cheap. There is nothing worse than starting to paint and realizing you have a skin that needs to be cut out or flaking paint that will ruin your paint job.

Just shake the paint pot before storing it, if it’s water-based such as emulsions if your paint is a gloss, varnish or resin types paint then create a skin using cling-film and it will be as good as new when you come round to painting again.

Happy Painting 😉