Weather Considerations for House Painting

The urgency to do house painting may happen anytime, especially if it’s for our custom home. Still, it might not be useful to paint right away–whether DIY or hiring a painting pro—whenever you feel the impulse to do so. Choosing the right timing for the perfect painting will give you a successful result. There are weather factors that need consideration in doing house painting. What are these? Let’s check it out!

Humidity

According to ScienceDaily, humidity is the concentration of water vapor in the air. It is commonly called relative humidity in some weather forecasts. Basically, the wetter the surroundings, the higher the humidity.

You can wait until the right relative humidity level when it is between 40% to 70%. It is the best time for you to do the house painting task. But when the humidity is too high, it can damage the paint. A prone level of moisture to avoid in house painting works is at 85% or above.

Rain

Rainy weather is the worst enemy of paint. A tremendous amount of water will probably damage the wall paints. It will wash out the newly applied and fresh coat and finishes. In addition to that, painting your house while raining will attract some dangers. The floor will get slippery when wet.

Time of the day

Another safety hazard circumstances to avoid in painting your house is working it during nighttime. It is not advisable to do it because of low and dim light. Plus, speaking of the humidity level, the relative humidity is high at night. The best time of day to start the house painting tasks is in the early morning. Doing so will allow you to finish the project safely and efficiently.

Read also: How To Be Safe During A House Painting Project

Temperature

Cold weather generally is defined as temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for painting purposes.

Some paint products have different temperature requirements. Based on Danny Lipford’s statement in Today’s Homeowner, most oil-based paint requires to apply at the temperature of 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. While on the other hand, 50 to 85 degrees F in the latex paints. 

However, civil engineer Juan Rodriguez noted that the minimum application temperature specified on the paint not only relates to the air temperature but also to the temperature of the surface to be painted. He added that often, the wall or ceiling surface is colder than the air. Supposed if the air is 55 degrees F, but the wall surface you’re painting is only 40 degrees F, it’s as though you’re painting in 40-degree weather.

The temperature requirements not only apply during the application but also for the entire curing process. The paint curing entails the process when the paint is fully preserved or hardened. Once cured, the surface is now durable enough for washing and similar stuff. Paint curing takes a longer time in colder temperatures.

However, the good news is that advanced technologies in this modern generation are now producing acrylic latex paints that can handle temperatures as low as 35 degrees. At lower temperatures, paints get thicker and require brushes, which work well with thicker paints. Using relatively stiff brushes with nylon, polyester, or Chinex bristles is recommended.

What if the house painting project needs to be done even during winter?

Civil engineer Juan Rodriguez specializes in large-scale civil engineering, suggesting a workaround in house painting during colder weather. Such generally applies to interior house painting but can seem doable even with exterior house painting projects. With added cost, of course.

“One way around cold temperatures is to build a bubble over the area where you wish to paint. You can do this using 4- to 6-mil plastic sheeting supported by a framework of 2x4s, zip poles, or scaffolding. Completely enclose the area you want to paint, and use a space heater to raise the temperature to between 70 and 80 degrees F. Keep in mind that you need to maintain the temperature in the bubble throughout the drying time. It’s also important to be safe and make sure the area is adequately ventilated and not left unattended when a space heater is running.”

Juan Rodriguez

House Painting During Winter In A Gist

Painting in cold weather and season is not the same as with the other time of the year. Success in exterior painting is thin.

However, we can do interior painting but with certain guidelines. Such include choosing specific paints and brushes that go well with cold weather and raising the temperature optimal for your painting projects.