Most people love the winters. The first signs of snowfall, the drop in the weather, and the thought of Christmas can bring a smile to anybody’s face. After all, who doesn’t like making angels in the snow or getting stuck in a snowball fight? However, as winter approaches, forward-thinking individuals generally get down to business. If you are a painter, the winter months pose a unique challenge: how to provide an optimal temperature for your paints. Ideally, throughout the year, you wouldn’t really have to think this hard about storing your paints.

Unfortunately, if you don’t take any precautions during the winter months, any paint that you have will freeze by the time the snow begins to melt. As you already know by now, this would essentially mean that you have to chuck out several gallons of paint without even using them. Here’s what you need to know about storing paint and chemicals during the winter.

How Do Temperatures Affect the Paint?

First off, let’s talk about what really happens. Latex paints are water based, which means that they will freeze at the same temperature as water. On the other hand, if you have oil-based paint it will freeze at a lower temperature than conventional latex paints. Paints are made by emulsion, which will be permanently damaged if the paint freezes. This will permanently alter the consistency of the paint. After you thaw the paint, you will notice that it develops a clumpy, stringy texture. It might start looking like sandy water.

The Best Practices for Storing Paint During the Winter Months

You can’t just leave your paints out in the open as the winter months approach. If you leave them in the garden shed or the garage, it won’t be long before the paint freezes. Therefore, the first thing that you need to do is to find a place where you can place containers of paint without the fear of freezing. It’s best if you can keep the paint containers in a temperature-controlled environment. If you don’t have climate control in the garage, you can keep the paints in the basement or your attic. Remember, you need to choose a place that’s moderately cool.

Keep the containers of paint in airtight containers and place a single layer of plastic wrap to create an airtight seal. Use a standard rubber mallet and gently pound on the lid to seal it firmly in place. Then, turn the paint can upside down to prevent it from leaking. However, for added security, you should still place the cans in a plastic tub in case the paints leak all over the floor.