When Is the Best Time to Paint the Exterior of Your House?

A fresh coat of paint on the outside of your house can completely change its look. It’s one of the most cost-effective home-remodeling projects, but you need to ensure your painter specializes in hand painting. Environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity are also of critical importance for a quality paint job. This article explains how to time the painting of your house exterior to get the best results.

Overview

The best time for exterior painting is when the temperature and humidity allows the paint to dry quickly, which generally means the weather should be warm and dry. It’s also important for environmental conditions to be stable while the paint is drying. These requirements typically mean you should paint during the summer, but this option isn’t always practical. Some contractors try to stretch the painting season by painting in late spring or early fall.

Temperature

Exterior paint generally requires the temperature to remain above 50 degrees while it’s drying for good results, but higher temperatures are even better. Rhode Island doesn’t typically receive consistently warm weather until early June, although warm days can occur in May or even late April. However, freezing temperatures at night are still common during during the spring, so it’s best to wait until you’re sure summer has truly arrived before starting your painting project.

Humidity

Rain can ruin a paint job if the paint is still wet, and even high humidity can prevent paint from drying. Contractors must therefore keep a careful eye on weather predictions when scheduling a paint job, especially rain forecasts. March is the rainiest month in Rhode Island, which is too early in the year to paint anyway. However, our state’s location on the Atlantic coast can also bring heavy rains during the summer.

Summary

Spray painting the exterior of a house typically lasts for five years, while painting by hand can last for 15 years. A quality paint job also requires the contractor to perform other steps such as scraping, sanding and priming. Call an experienced painter in Rhode Island today to ensure your house gets painted right the first time. Many painters in your area provide free estimates and assistance with paint selection.