Sherwin Williams Grain Filler - Shelf Life

[Dave Fairfax]

I just picked up a gallon of grain filler from Sherwin Williams. The can must have been on the shelf for a long time, the dust was thick on top and there was at least a 2 inch thick paste solidified at the bottom. and oh yea, the can was 15-20% low/empty

Is there a shelf life? Can I just use a mixer and get everything back to how it should be? How should the consistency be anyways, right now it seems to be just a little more watery than latex paint.

I would really like to not send it back, but I dont want an inferior product. Thanks.

[Scott Holmes]

Oil based or water based?

I'd check with store that sold it.

[David Macfee]

If you are using the oil based filler I believe product D70T1- the data sheets says 3 years for an unopened can, so you can't go by that. Plus the manufacturers usually estimate shelf life on the short end so they can stay out of trouble.

I would first look at the material in your can and see if it has skinned over at all - or in other words- there is material in there that you can't stir or shake back into solution. If that is the case I would not use it. If you can shake it or stir to an even consistency then it's probably ok. You can certainly test it by just taking a tablespoon of it and spread it on a scrap piece of formica or close grain plywood. It should dry pretty hard overnight- if it doesn't, I wouldn't trust it.

I use a fair amount of this product but it usually takes me a year to work through a gallon. I've never seen it skin over in my use of it.

[Prashun Patel]

Does the paste on the bottom redissolve? The Behlens pore filler that I used and reused for about 3 years eventually developed hard solids on the bottom that would not re-soften. When that happens, it's time to dispose.

[Dave Fairfax]

Thanks guys. The solid build-up on the bottom is like a paste, I may be able to mix it back into the right consistency. However, avoiding the headache I just had Sherwin Williams send me a new gallon, which they did with no problem at all. Got it from a factory that actually moves quite a few of these so it should be fresh. If I did want to salvage this one, I assume that i would use a paint mixer? Stir it up really good

[Kent A Bathurst]

Yeah - that would work. Or a stick and a lot of muscle. Probably a 2-beer job.

Me - I have a close relationship with the corner Ace Hardware - I'd just stroll down and beg for some time on the paint shaker. Lord knows I spend enough there - they would be happy to do it for me.