3 tips when painting your home’s exterior in the winter months

Exterior painting in the colder months can be a tricky juncture. It could be sunny and warm in the afternoon, but before long the sun drops and the temperature follows. Mornings could be cool and dewey or perfectly for painting. But where is the line? Here are 3 tips when painting your home’s exterior in the winter months.

There are paint products on the market that boast the ability to create beautiful results regardless of the temperatures outside. Our pros suggest painting when the temperature is between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. So can you paint your home’s exterior during the colder months without sacrificing the outcome? Maybe.

Product Choice

There have been many developments with acrylic paints that allow a good film to form even during the colder months. Because of these changes in the manufacturing of the paint, some crews say you can easily paint even into the thirties. Even with these specialized paints, you should not paint if the temperature is predicted to drop below 35° F. With the options available, do your research. Make sure you choose a paint that is recommended for the current air temperature over 36-hours around your paint job.

Warmth

It can be tempting to get up and move on your project first thing in the morning. Avoid that urge! Wait for the dew to burn off and the day to warm up. The house exterior, whether siding, stucco or other materials, will have a chance to come up to ambient temperature. Working during the warmer hours in the sunlight will allow your paint to cure before the temperatures drop again. Never apply paint when the surface area is below the minimum recommended range.

Fluctuation

Avoid days where the temperature is forecasted to fluctuate drastically. With big changes in mercury, dew can form and soak into the new paint. This will leave behind bubbles or droplets on the paint finish. Worse yet, the paint might not have a chance to adhere to the surface and essentially fall off. If you are working in an area with great temperature changes over 24 hours, try a paint with MoistureGuard technology. This will help the paint film form in about half of the time and protect your project.

So while painting during the other seasons might be ideal, do not feel limited during the winter time in painting your home’s exterior. There are still options and products that can help your project turn out great and survive the colder weather. If you’re still not sure, schedule a free, in-home estimate to speak with our pros. They can advise you one-on-one about your painting.