Does paint go off?

[magicgirl74]

Iv found an unopened tin of farrow and ball gloss in a cupboard i think it must be 3 to 4 years old would it still be ok to use? The colour would be perfect for some wood furniture i want to paint.

Turn the tin upside down for about 30 mins, and then the right way up again. This will start it remixing. Leave it for a good hour to make sure the lid hasn't got too much paint on it, then open and have a look. You are most likely going to need to stir it well to get it all incorporated back in, but if it looks smooth after that, I'd use it.

I had some good quality Dulux paint that sat in a shed for a year before moving with me and being stored in an airing cupboard for a further 3 years.

I used it just over Christmas and three tins were all perfectly good. Apparently it is more dependent on how it is stored as opposed to how long.

I have some annie sloan paint and i opened it december. I was about to do some touch ups when i noticed it stunk of rot or mould. I will have to buy another pot

Agree that how it's stored matters, but so does type of paint. IME eco solvent free paints don't last as well as dulux/homebase waterbased emulsion, probably a year or two. Also try not to get the lid & rim all messy, as that definitely shortens life, no matter what type of paint.