How Cold Is Too Cold To Paint Your Home?

Years ago when my father and uncle painted homes in Boulder winter time painting was fairly simple

. As long as it wasnt snowing or raining, and wasnt about to, you could paint outside. The rule was bundle up and get to work. We had to work with a short day so once we did get started we didnt stop until it was dark. All the paint was oil based and therefore much less affected by lower temperatures.

Along came easy-to-use water based paint. First used for interior painting it was soon developed for painting outside. Water based paint had many advantages. It was more flexible, held its color in Colorados bright sun longer and was less likely to peel. And of course it was easier to clean up after the days work. Water based paint was taking the country by storm.

Some problems became evident soon after water based paints use eclipsed that of oil base. Bonding to oil based paint could present problems if the surface wasnt properly prepared by cleaning and sanding. Higher humidity caused some paints to dry too slowly and often with odd color patterns in the finish coats. Painting in hot weather made the paint dry too fast. Lap marks, brush marks, ropey finishes and dull and shiny spots became more and more common. Each of these issues was recognized and minor adjustments in methods of applications solved the problems.

But one big issue plagued Colorado painters for years. Water based paint couldnt be, or least shouldnt have been, applied when the air temperature was below 55 degrees. That rule of thumb pretty well shut down exterior painting from Thanksgiving until Easter. The main problem was that the paint wouldnt coalesce properly. The paint job would look ok for awhile but cold weather created some hidden problems. The coating life was shortened, colors would fade quickly, and odd looking peeling would start within a year or so. It was much better to be safe rather than sorry, so we just never painted outside in the cooler winter weather.

In the late 1980s paint companies started to manufacture paint that could be used in what we called the shoulder season. Now the magic temperature became 35 degrees and above. We could safely paint many days in November and even some in December. Spring painting could now start in late February. The painting season was successfully extended to almost ten months of the year.

In the last twenty years paint technology has advanced to the point where low temperature paint performs every bit as well as normal paint. You can be assured that a job done during cooler weather will hold up just fine. In fact, at Jacobsen Brothers Painting, we now extend our industry leading three year warranty to all our exterior work, no matter when the work is done.

The days havent gotten any longer and we still have to bundle up and get to work just as when my dad and uncle were leading their crews, but nowadays you can have all the advantages of high quality acrylic water based coatings just about any time of the year.

by: Mark Chase-Jacobs

POST COMMENT

Mesmerizing Patio Furniture Need Moving Help From A Professional Moving Company? Homelessness For Seniors The Bad Credit FHA Home Loan Readily Available Beanbags- the latest trends in sofas and furniture Nasal Congestion Home Remedies for Nasal Blockage Reasons galore to avail of Atlanta plumbing services What Every Trademark Owner Needs To Know About The Relationship Between Trademarks And Domain Names Movers Packers In Delhi Ncr A Solution For Peaceful Home Shifting Are You Looking For A Guaranteed Home Sale? Home Loans - Property Purchasing, And Financing Outline A Simple Approach to Home Composting Indoor Grills, HEAR YE HEAR YE How to choose the best indoor grill for your home!