Tips for Fall House Painting
Posted on October 7, 2019
With kids back to school and the weather turning colder, it’s very clear that fall is here. If summer slipped away too quickly and your house painting project got put on hold for next year, don’t wait! This can be the perfect time to catch up and prepare for winter with repairs and painting. Here are tips for fall house painting.
Paint choice
To make sure you get the best results possible, choose an exterior paint that is suitable for the temperatures you’ll be painting in. Ideally, latex paint requires temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There are paints that boast extended temperature ranges, and even as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lower temperatures mean that paint can take longer to cure. This means you’ll need to allow extra time for drying between coats. If the temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll need to wait at least 24 hours between applications.
Heat will make the paint get thinner and require more coats to get a good vibrance and coverage. In contrast, cold will make the paint thicker and very difficult to work with. Neither is ideal for an exterior paint job.
Timing
To get the most benefit from the sun and ambient temperatures, paint between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. This allows time for the morning dew to burn off and the house to dry out before you start to paint. Your house will also have time to dry in the sun before it sets.
Dewpoints
Beyond the sun, you’ll need to keep a close eye on the dew points. Again, paints, stains and primers need ample time to dry in appropriate dew points. This is the temperature at which moisture condenses on surfaces. They temperature must be at least 5 degrees higher than the dew point. This will avoid dew sitting on your paint film while it is curing and causing leaching and spotting.
Labor
Whether you have chosen to paint your home yourself or hire in a crew, working in lower heat makes the job easier and doable. Also, because fall is not traditionally a painting season, crews will be quicker to get on site for your work.
Are you ready to get started? Schedule your free, in-home estimate now.
