I opened a can of Sherwin Williams paint that my neighbor got for me, and it looks completely separated, like there are two different liquids inside. I tried stirring with a stick, but it seems like a never-ending task. I know hardware stores have those mixers, but should I keep stirring by hand, buy a cheap drill attachment, or just take it back for them to mix it? I don't paint often, so I'm unsure if investing in tools is worth it. Has anyone dealt with this? Is manual stirring enough, or should I head back to the store?
3 Answers
You can go either way! If you feel up to it, you could keep stirring it by hand, just make sure to get the bottom scraped really well to mix in all the pigment. But if it’s really separated, I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up spending more time than it’s worth. A drill mixer might help speed things up, but honestly, the store will shake it for you for free and that guarantees it’s all good to go.
Honestly, just take it back and have the store run it through their mixer. It’s the quickest and most reliable method to get it properly mixed. Hand-stirring often doesn’t do a complete job, and even using a drill attachment might leave it uneven. Most paint stores, including Sherwin Williams, will remix it for you in no time, usually for free!
Many people encounter this with paint cans after a while. If you don’t want to deal with stirring it yourself, just take it back to Sherwin Williams and let them shake it for you. It’s super fast and you can be sure the paint is fully combined. Just keep in mind that some separation is normal, and a quick stir before use is usually all you need!