When is It Too Cold to Paint?

If you know anything about painting, then you know that the outside temperature can greatly affect the way paint dries and adheres to different surfaces. In very hot temperatures, the paint will bubble, blister, and easily peel away from the surface. Humidity has similarly damaging effects, especially on latex and oil-based paints. Brown spots can show up ruining your hard work, but what happens in cold weather, and how cold is too cold to paint?

How cold weather affects paint

In the cold weather, the paint thickens; making it difficult to apply to your desired surface and you may end up using much more paint than necessary which would increase the overall cost of your project. The drying time is also affected.  The cold air prevents moisture from being evaporated causing an extended drying time. This shouldn’t be too big of a problem but add wind, dust, and insects and your new paint job looks like an old one!

How cold is too cold?

Interior painting has its advantages. One of them is the ability to control interior temperatures. However, with exterior painting, it is best to avoid temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That may seem pretty warm but the effects to paint when temperatures dip below this point are well documented. If there is no getting around it and you have to paint during cold weather, the best course of action is to use a latex paint that has been prepared for just this situation. These paints are made to work in temperatures as cold as 35 degrees and contain special ingredients that help paint dry faster even in cold weather.

What this means for you

To sum things up, yes you can paint in cold temperatures with latex-based paint made for cold weather but if you are not using latex-based paint, it may be best to wait until the temperature rises above 55 degrees.

When to call a professional

• If you have a large exterior job during less-than-ideal temperatures
• Interior jobs with soaring ceilings may call for professional attention. A professional painting company will know the right paint and conditions in order to provide you with flawless painting services.
• If you want to avoid additional stress.
  Painting can be a big job and stressful job if you don’t have much experience. Letting the professionals do what they do best can be better in the long run.
• To avoid wasting time and money – Far too often homeowners spend hours, sometimes days not to mention money painting their home only to be left with an undesirable result. The errors can be so great the job may have to be done over and over again until it is done right. Don’t let this happen to you. We here at Franklin painting know how stressful this can be, so we take care of all the details that come with interior or exterior painting. Call us or contact us online for your free estimate.

Frank Campanelli

Frank Campanelli, the esteemed founder of Franklin Painting LLC, has been leading the company since 1986. He takes immense pride in the stellar reputation his dedicated team has built by consistently delivering top-notch service to each customer.