Repainting your home can be a long undertaking and more so if the weather is wet. So, you’ve come here to answer the question: Can you paint when it’s cold and wet? In short, yes, you can. But there’s more to it than that. Painting during a wet weather period or in winter has its challenges. It will be a lengthy process, especially in patchy weather. We would recommend waiting until the weather dries up a bit before painting your home.
But sometimes you need a home painted asap, whether that’s because you need to sell it, or the paint is in a rather sorry state. If you hire our home painting services, we are going to do the best job possible, but we too cannot control the weather which could slow us down.
Don’t worry, whether you’re painting it yourself, or just want to know some of the behind-the-scenes of our professional Perth house painters, we have some dos and don’ts for painting in cold weather.
Exterior painting tips for cold and wet weather
Avoid the rain
Don’t make the mistake of painting your home while it’s raining. Paint needs to bond to a dry surface, and if there is any excess moisture trapped beneath the paint, it won’t adhere to the surface correctly. You’ll have a really ugly paint job, water will try to force its way out as the temperature warms up again, and will peel and split the paint all over your home.
Keep an eye on the weather
As you know, you can’t paint whilst it’s raining, but you can paint in colder temperatures. You’ll have to keep a close eye on the weather, to ensure it won’t rain on the day. Paint takes time to dry, so try to allow for six hours of drying time before the rain comes. If it’s going to rain in the evening around 6pm, you’ll want to be finished before midday. If you’re painting with latex paint, two to three hours should be enough time for it to dry.
How long to wait after it rains to paint?
Generally speaking, you’ll need to wait until the surface you’re painting is dry to the touch. There will still be some remaining moisture in the wall material, but that should be soaked up and evaporated by acrylic paint. The best thing to do if it’s going to rain is to wait a full day and check for any droplets of water on the surface of your exterior walls.
Oil-based paints though, will need to be painted over a completely dry surface. It’s best to paint with oil paint when the weather conditions are better. Not only does it have to be applied to a completely dry surface, it needs at least 24 hours to dry properly.
When is it too cold to paint?
The ideal temperature range for painting your home is between 15°C and 30°C, to allow for the best results. Sometimes though, we don’t get ideal painting conditions. But, yes, it can be too cold to paint even if it’s dry. Much like water, water-based paints have a freezing temperature of 0°C. So anything below freezing temperatures is a no-go. If you’re painting between 0°C and 15°C you’ll have to allow for a full 24 hours drying time for the lower temperatures.
Interior painting procedure
Does the cold temperature affect interior paint?
If the cold weather can affect the exterior paint, surely then it affects the interior’s. Well, yes it does, and in some ways positively.
What exactly are the benefits of painting in the cold? If it isn’t raining outside, the air for the most part will be dryer. To take advantage of the dry air, you’ll want to keep a window open to reduce the paint’s drying time.
Can you paint the interior walls while it rains?
Yes, as it turns out you can paint while it rains outside. The weather outside won’t affect the painting procedure inside, sometimes though, humidity can build up. If this is the case, you can turn the aircon on, a fan, or dehumidifier to dry the room out. Or just wait until the air is a little drier before getting your interior paint job done.
Best paint for cold weather
Latex paint
Paint manufacturers make a range of products perfect for painting in lower temperatures. Using latex paint is probably one of the most popular choices when it is cold and wet. Acrylic latex offers a faster drying time, meaning you can get it done before that annoying rain sets in again. And unlike oil-based paint, the surface doesn’t have to be 100% dry before applying, though it should still be dry to the touch.
Latex paint is great for painting in cold weather in Australia, but what about when it warms up? Well good news, acrylic latex paints are very durable and can withstand dramatic temperature changes. So during the warmer months, you won’t have to worry about whether it’ll withstand the brutal Australian summer.
In conclusion: Can you paint in cold and rainy weather?
Yes, you certainly can paint when it’s cold. Just keep in mind that you can’t paint the exterior of your home while it’s raining. Give it a day to dry before going ahead, and allow for plenty of drying time before it rains again. As for the interior, as long as the humidity isn’t too high, the wet weather will be no bother. So if you’re getting your whole house painted, and it’s beginning to rain, just start from the interior.
If you need a paint job done and don’t want to brave the wet weather yourself, we’re more than happy to do it for you. Hop onto our website and get in contact with our team, either by email: michael@elitepainting.com.au or by phone: 0404 681 371