The Secret to A Successful House Painting in Cold Weather
Painting your house is a simple task that doesn't necessarily require a professional, especially if you are a DIY enthusiast. However, there are some things that you still need to consider before you start your painting project and temperature is one of them. Temperatures affect the curing process of paint. In fact, manufacturers even recommend a standard range of temperature required for effective painting. Unfortunately, if you live in an extremely cold region or you've scheduled your painting in winter for various reasons, you may have a problem with the low temperatures. For this reason, the following tricks will help ensure your project is a success.
Use Cold Weather or Wintergrade Paints
The first tip to getting your painting right in cold weather is using products designed specifically for cold temperatures. Usually, water- and alkyd-based paints require a certain range of temperature to cure properly. The range may vary amongst manufacturers. Temperatures below this range means your paint will be vulnerable to fading or cracking. Luckily, there are low temperature paints that work best in cold weather. However, while these paints will tolerate the extreme winter temperatures, they still need warmth to work effectively. If the temperatures are extremely low, you paint may start clumping or freezing inside the cans. For this reason, you can submerge your paint cans in some warm water as you continue your painting. If you have to use more than one can, keep the rest in a place that is warm and dry inside your house until you need them.
Check The Temperature of the Surface You Want to Paint
Just because the temperatures outside are within the required range doesn't mean the substrate or surface on which you want to paint has also reached these desired temperatures. The surface could still be cold from the low night temperatures. Therefore, before you apply your paint, make sure the substrate is warm enough. An infrared thermometer that you can find in your local home improvement store can help you get the temperatures. If the surface temperatures are below the recommended range, you can warm it up using a heat gun or hair dryer.
Work from Mid-Morning to Mid-Afternoon and Follow the Sun
Moisture problems are also a major challenge when painting. The collection of morning dew on your surface means moisture can be trapped under the paint coating, affecting its longevity. For this reason, working between those hours when the temperatures are a bit higher helps prevent this problem. Besides, this will allow the paint to cure before the dew falls.
While in summer painters recommend following the shade of the sun around your house when painting, you may want to do the exact opposite in cold weather. Painting in the sun in cold weather helps the paint to set.