Aerosol Spray Paints
Proper Use of Your Rattle Can
by Jason Anderson, Operations Manager, Roofmaster Products Company
(Editor’s Note: Jason Anderson is the Operations Manager of Roofmaster® Products Company’s Fort Worth, Texas, office and has celebrated over 20 years of service with the third-generation company. He is a second-generation roofing industry veteran with experience specializing in roofing equipment and applicators, and he has worked from the warehouse to counter sales to management.)
Growing up in Texas everyone knew aerosol spray paints by the nickname of Rattle Cans. That’s because the directions told you to shake the can up to mix the ingredients, pigments, solids, and solvents, before spraying. Inside each can is a marble that helps to mix the ingredients together before spraying that makes a noise when it bounces off the inside of the can like a baby rattle, or toy.
Following are some tips for extending the life of your spray paint can. First, if you don’t shake the can well enough, the paint may come out in a stream instead of the normal aerosol spray, making it difficult or impossible to spray on your target or object. This is especially true in cold weather. Many roofers in the winter months keep their paint inside the truck, or briefly introduce a warm air heater to bring the temperature up to a normal spray range of around 70 degrees. However, you don’t want to store paint inside a vehicle during warmer months, it should always be stored in a well-ventilated area.
Think of it like your favorite salad dressing. If it sits, you can see the layers as they separate and settle and can look unappealing. A good shake can bring everything back into a mixed solution and is ready to use.
The second tip to extend the life of your spray paint can is, after you’ve finished your job and still have paint in your can, turn the can upside down and spray the paint out until the spray runs clear or just air. This is the solvent that cleans the line and tip from paint and prevents the tip or internal drawtube from clogging with dried paint.
A final tip is to refine your spraying distance from your target. Too close, and your paint will run on the surface of your target, drying and showing drips. Too far, and you risk losing your paint to the wind or atomizing, and then having to reapply a second time. Optimal spraying distance is 12 is 18 inches away from the surface you are painting, which will result in the maximum coverage.
I’ve had paint that I put on the shelf in the garage that is still reusable after six or seven years. Shake it up, clean the tip, and use the proper spray distance to get the best results.
