Will Ace Hardware Shake Paint

Whether you’re repainting a room or remodeling your whole house, you’ll need paint. And, when you buy new paint, you have to shake it.

Like all other hardware stores that sell paint, Ace Hardware shakes paint with your purchase. Most locations will also shake paint later if you buy the paint from them. Sometimes, they’ll even shake paint you bought from a competitor, but you may have to pay a nominal fee.

Why shake paint?

Knowing why you need to shake paint requires a little explanation. Although paint looks like a uniform liquid, it’s not. Instead, paint is made up of binders, pigments, and other materials that hold the mixture together or make it perform as required.

Like any liquid that contains solids, paint requires mixing. Otherwise, the paint solids will settle into the bottom of your can and renders the paint useless. And because the components of paint are so difficult to mix, it needs to be shaken with a machine.

Another reason why Ace Hardware and its competitors shake paint is that shaking allows any colorants to be appropriately mixed in. While larger stores will sometimes carry common household paint colors, a smaller Ace Hardware will usually custom-mix the paints. Shaking is essential even if the paint can come off a truck the night before the sale.

How does shaking paint work?

Shaking paint is very simple if you have the right equipment. There will be a small tabletop shaking machine at your typical Ace Hardware. After adding any colorants and re-closing the lid, the paint department employee will place the can in the shaker and turn it on. After a specified amount of time or employee input, the shaking will stop.

Some stores may also have a larger machine that sits on the floor. However, the overall shaking process is about the same, with the paint being placed into the shaker and the shaker turned on.

Can paint be shaken before purchase?

There’s no point in shaking the paint before someone is ready to buy it. That’s because the solids in a can of paint start to settle relatively quickly. The paint store would have to shake it again later.

With that said, most Ace Hardware locations will shake previously-purchased paint. Some stores may require that you buy the paint from them, while others may charge a nominal fee.

Need your paint shaken? Head over to your local Ace Hardware and speak with the paint department. We recommend heading to the store when it’s likely less busy. This way, you’ll get faster service.

Remember, paint must be shaken or mixed with a mechanical drill attachment in order to perform its best. Failure to properly mix your paint is a recipe for disaster — and a ruined paint job in the den.