Shelf Life vs Pot Life vs Working Life of Paint and Coatings

When discussing the life of paint and coatings, there are terms that seem to be used interchangeably. For example, shelf life, pot life and working life are used in describing the life expectancy of a paint of coating, but they don’t mean the same things. Let’s take a look at what each of these terms mean:

Shelf Life

Shelf life is, quite simply, how long an item can remain on a shelf and still be usable. For paint and coatings, it means how long a can of paint can last on your shelf and still be used to paint or do touch-ups. Home painters typically have leftover paint, and that can separate or harden over time. Stirring the paint with the traditional wooden stirrer can re-integrate the paint if it has separated, but if it has hardened, that’s beyond fixing.

So how long can a can of paint last on the shelf? That depends on the type of paint, and of course whether the can has been opened and whether it is being stored properly. For example, I’ve seen numerous estimates placing water-based latex paints and acrylic paints at anywhere from two to 10 years, and oil-based paints from two to 15 years.

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