How Does Humidity Affect Painting?
Posted on May 20, 2019
There are two things that can impact the drying of your paint. They are temperature and humidity. Too little or too much of either can cause issues or even ruin your painting. Knowing the conditions to avoid can help you determine when to paint, to get a beautiful outcome. But how does humidity affect painting?
Temperature
When the mercury goes too low or too high can cause issues with the paint. When it’s cold out, the paint can linger on the walls without drying, ultimately ruining the job. If it freezes the night after you freeze, your paint can become crystalized. If it’s too hot outside, the paint will skin over before layers underneath have dried causing blisters, bumps and more extreme problems.
The best temperature to paint with oil-based or latex paints is above 50°F for at least 48 hours. There are some paints that are created to be used in lower temperatures, even near freezing. It is risky to paint near freezing, since the paint needs hours to dry without dipping below 32°F.
Humidity
Humidity can linger in the air making it impossible for the paint to dry. The resulting blisters, cracking and peeling will compromise the protective quality of the paint. You’ll also have to repair damaged paint areas.
If you are painting a wooden surface, the humidity can leach into the wood prior to your painting. Without proper dry time, it’s trapped in the wood where is can cause damage, rot and mold. Ultimately, if you trap moisture in wood, it will deteriorate and need replacing. Your paint will have a hard time adhering to the wood if it is wet.
How Temperature Affects Drying
As temperature lowers, the paint thickens. The thicker the coating, the longer it takes for the paint to oxidize in the case of oil-based paints. In addition, when a coating is thicker, it extends the time it takes for the solvent to evaporate.
How Humidity Affects Drying
As your paint is drying the humidity in the air will make the dry time, regardless of paint type, much longer. Acrylic and oil-based paints are subject to the moisture in the air whether it is from humidity or condensation. The finishes will be damaged or ruined with the introduction of water.
If you are unsure of painting and the weather in your area for exterior paint jobs, contact our experts. They are used to dealing with the precipitation and humidity for outdoor projects. Get a free estimate on your paint job today.
