Ideal Weather Conditions for Painting in Portland, OR

One of the most common concerns we hear from our customers is: “Is it too wet to paint?”  Great question! Here in the Pacific Northwest, we sometimes fall in to the trap of thinking that summer, and only summer, is painting season. We rely on bright, sunny days around 80 degrees from July 5^th until late September. That’s the best time to paint, right? Well, maybe.

The truth is, for interior projects, we can paint year round, no matter how humid or rainy it might be outside. As long as the wall is dry, the paint will adhere. Just keep in mind that it may take a little longer for your paint to dry on a cool, high humidity day. Also, don’t leave the windows open wide if it’s rainy and windy or your fresh paint might get wet and create drips.

Exteriors are a little trickier. Professional painters don’t think about painting seasons. We pay careful attention to climatic conditions to determine whether we can effectively paint the exterior of your home or commercial building. Each product has temperature and moisture guidelines determined by the manufacturer. Simply stated, the surface has to be dry to the touch, and to have had sufficient drying time since last being wet to insure we won’t run in to bubbling or streaks after the paint is applied.

We consider the time of year we expect to be painting when making paint recommendations during the estimating process. When we get those unexpected heat waves in May, we adjust! Expect a phone call from us asking if you’d like to change your paint product to get the best result, or delay your project and wait for ideal conditions. Is it bright and sunny in February, but dropping into the 20’s at night? We’ll make sure the surface is warm enough before starting to paint, and that there’s sufficient drying time before temperatures drop again after application.

We warranty our work, and through communication and preparation, we get it right the first time!