PAINT FACT SHEET
Buying:
Important issues to consider when buying paint are the amount and
type.
1. Buy latex paint; it is the most environmentally friendly and will work the best for most projects.
2. Buy only what you need.
One gallon of paint will cover about 400 square feet of interior surfaces
and about 300 square feet of exterior surfaces. To calculate area,
measure the length of each wall, add the lengths together and then
multiply that sum by the height of the wall (floor to ceiling).
3. Don’t forget that you can buy paint in different quantities, from quart to gallon.
4. Instead of buying a basecoat, take the bits of leftover paint that you have and mix them together. Make sure that they are the same kind (don’t mix latex and oil) and that they are the same type (don’t mix glossy and matte).
Using:
Make sure to read and follow directions for proper usage and safety
measures.
1. Use it up. ALL OF IT! Storage and disposal are only an issue if you don’t use up all of the paint you buy. Think of locations you are likely to clean, like around a light switch, and paint an extra coat. If you have young children, paint an extra coat on the lower half of the wall where they are likely to draw.
2. Use it up! It’s worth repeating. Find a doghouse or fence or inside of a garage wall and paint them. Don’t stop painting until your can is empty!
3. An extra coat of paint never hurt anything, so paint up.
Storage:
Paint colors fade over time, so saving it for “touch-ups”
really doesn’t work. New technologies make matching paint easy
and precise, eliminating most of the reasons we have for storing paint.
However, if you do store it, follow these tips:
1. Store paint above freezing. This is especially important in Oklahoma with our inconsistent winter temperatures. Three cycles of freeze-thaw will ruin latex paint.
2. Store paint away from other chemicals and away from children’s toys and recreational equipment.
3. While you are painting, place some of the paint on the lid or outside of the can so it is easier to identify the color in the future.
4. Write with a marker on the can the date the can was opened and what surface you painted.
5. A proper seal is essential to keeping stored pain useable. To help create an airtight seal, place some plastic wrap over the top of the paint can before putting the lid back on. Once the lid is secure, turn the can upside-down. This will help create a seal to make the paint last longer.
Disposal:
Full or nearly full cans of paint can be given away to non-profits
for home remodeling or to theater groups for set design.
1. Small amounts of latex paint can be dried out (EXCEPT on Ozone Alert! Days) and thrown away in the garbage.
2. A medium amount of latex paint can be dried out using wood chips or cat litter. Additionally, paint hardeners can be purchased at many paint stores.
3. Oil, hobby, and other specialty paints can be brought to the M.e.t.’s free, twice-a-year pollutant collection event. Check our website, MetRecycle.com, to find out when the next event is scheduled.
4. If you cannot wait for the next event, call the M.e.t. office, 584-0584, for other local fee based disposal companies.
5. Dry or empty containers can be thrown in the trash. A container is considered “empty” if no paint pours out when it is held upside down, or any paint remaining in the container cannot be removed by chipping or scraping.
Helpful Sites:
- Lowes.com
- KellyMoore.com
- http://162.42.246.43/Paint.html (this is the DIY network’s paint calculator)
- PaintQuality.com
- AnchorPaint.com
Contact Us
The Metropolitan Environmental Trust
201 W. 5th Street, Suite 600
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103
Phone: 918-584-0584
Fax: 918-584-0594
Email: MET@metrecycle.com