Fall Painting Tips

Although it’s been getting colder in the Twin Cities — as evidenced by the snow covering the ground this week — there’s still time to finish up your exterior painting projects before winter arrives.  Fall can be an excellent time of year to paint the exterior of your home — you can paint in temperatures as low as 35º — but there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure the success of your painting project:

• As a general rule of thumb, the best hours of application are between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

• Start your painting on the sunny side of your home and follow the sun around.  (In the summer months we recommend just the opposite – painting in the shade.)

• Lower temperatures mean slower drying and longer curing times.  Be sure to allow ample time between coats, generally 24 hours.  This is especially critical when using darker colors (more colorant) or when applying a latex paint over an alkyd primer.

• Watch those dew points!  The dew point is the temperature at which moisture will condense on a surface.  Paints, stains or primers should not be applied unless the surface temperature is at least 5° higher than the dew point. Remember that all surfaces to be stained or painted need to be clean and dry.  If dew forms on a painted surface that hasn’t had a chance to cure properly, you may experience some water spotting or surfactant leaching problems, especially in darker colors.

• Remember all surfaces to be painted or stained need to be clean and dry.

Be sure to follow all label directions, or for more information consult the paint experts at your nearest Hirshfield’s store.

Tags: Cold Weather Painting Tips, Exterior Painting