When You Are Painting Be Aware of the Temperature

When you are painting the exterior of your house when it is cold outside you may not like the results. You have to be aware of the temperature outside when you are painting.

Many paint manufactures tell homeowners to apply paint that is solvent based when the surface temperature is above 45 degrees and latex type paint when the surface temperature is at least 50 degrees. Lower temperatures can cause paint that is solvent based to thicken quicker, which can cause paint brushes to become very thick and the paint is applied heavier and dries slower. What this means is that the paint can run, wrinkle, and sag on surfaces that are vertical. It also is the case when it is colder outside that there is a reduced rate of coverage for every gallon of paint that you use.

When the temperature is lower than 50 degrees latex paint dries slower, especially when there is high humidity in the air. This can cause the paint to coalesce and may lead to the paint forming a poor film. It can also cause the paint to not cover as well.

Some paint manufactures have latex paints that can be used in temperatures as low as 36 degrees. These types of specially formulated paints have coalescing agents that can help film form on the paint when the temperatures outside are cooler. You should check with a pain expert at a hardware store about these types of latex paints if you plan on painting your house in cooler temperatures.

When you paint when it is colder it is generally during the fall and winter, which means that there is less daylight. When the days are shorter there will be less sunlight and the more sunlight that is available the faster the paint will dry. If you are painting the outside of your home with solvent-based paint, which is a type of paint that dries by oxidation, having daylight is very important. You have to make sure that you paint in the early morning hours so you can take advantage of all the available daylight.

Another thing that you have to consider is the effect that heavy dew can have on paint. The humidity in the air can affect how paint dries, especially latex paints. Many paint manufactures make the recommendation that you let paint dry for at least 2 hours before the sun sets if you are painting when it is cooler outside and it is going to be a humid evening.

If you are not sure about what types of paints to use in what type of temperatures you should always consult with a painting expert at a paint store or your local hardware store.