Painting Your House in Winter: Should You Do It?
The rule of thumb says: winter and painting don’t go hand in hand. Despite popular belief that you can only paint indoors or outdoors during warmer months, cold weather works well on drying the paint faster.
Doability aside, can you paint in the winter efficiently? During colder months, we air our houses less and witness changing weather, so we cannot estimate how fast the paint will dry. On the other hand, painting a house in wintertime takes off a lot of the burden of doing it in the spring, alongside your other home projects.
If you are wondering whether painting your home in the winter is possible, read our thorough guide on winter indoor and outdoor painting
Can You Paint in the Winter? Exterior vs Interior House Painting
People typically opt for house painting during summer or late spring because of the hotter weather – the sun helps the paint dry faster. However, painting during the summer doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get the best painting results. Quite the contrary, the exterior, and interior paint drying process is different.
Moreover, there’s a specific drying temperature that allows you to have the best results.
For example, if it’s too hot outside, the heat may parch the paint, and you will notice little cracks or bumps on the walls. If the weather is too cold, however, the paint may have more difficulties attaching to the walls, and the drying process may take longer leading to wet paint issues.
Is it OK to Paint in Cold Weather?
Every paint formula has different drying specifications, but to answer your question – yes, painting in the winter is doable. Have a look at the optimal temperature for different paint types:
- Oil-based paint dries best at 40॰ – 90॰F
- Latex-based paints dry best at 50॰ – 85॰F
Keep in mind that some paint dries best at 35॰F, so double-check the indicator for the best results. If you don’t stick within the frames of the recommended temperature for your paint, you will end up with many poorly painted areas.
Painting the Exterior
Weather conditions severely affect the drying process of the home exterior because of air humidity. That’s why many people opt to paint the exterior of their homes during warmer months instead of the colder ones.
If you paint outside your house, and the temperature is below the lowest recommended, the coats will take too much time to dry. Additionally, the paint loses quality when it absorbs too much humidity. Comparably, hot weather – above the highest recommended temperature –
can dry the paint earlier without allowing it to sink into the wall appropriately. Ultimately, this may lead the paint to peel off the wall.
Another crucial factor that affects painting the home exterior paint is the timing of it. Namely, during winter, you want to start painting outside your home as earlier as you can in the day. Ideally, you should begin at 7 AM in the morning, given that the humidity is the lowest from 7 AM to 4 PM. This will give the paint enough time to apply to the wall and dry off during the day.
Can You Paint Inside during Winter?
Weather directly affects the exterior paint, but interior painting during the winter might be easier. Winter interior painting is simpler because the walls are exposed to less cold and humid weather. However, you still need to set up the optimal temperature so the walls can air dry right.
As interior painting takes place indoors, you must ensure that the paint chemicals air out constantly. In the meantime, you must ensure that the temperature you set up is not below 50॰F. Otherwise, the paint will need more time to sink into the wall and dry, resulting in poorly painted areas. Similar to exterior painting, when you paint inside the house, you must begin earlier in the day. You have to catch the daylight so the painted areas dry off faster.
Can You Paint a House in the Winter? The Pros
Have a look at some of the pros of painting your home in the winter.
Cheaper and Faster
As the demand is significantly lower during winter, you can get an entire house makeover for a super-affordable price. You may even negotiate the expenses with the company if they offer flexible payments.
Less Humidity
For the paint to settle in the wall, the humidity level needs to be low. But, the air should not be super dehydrated because the color will dry out before it sinks into the wall and result in cracks, bubbles, or dents. During winter, especially in early winter, sunny states like California make it possible to paint a house during winter.
Fresh Sight for the Holidays
Since people tend to spend more time at home during the colder months, having a freshly painted place where you spend most of your days can give you a newfound love for your home. Any psychological book will confirm that if you enjoy the room you spend most of your days in, you will feel inspired, energized, and ready for work. Painting during winter isn’t as big a financial burden – and can be sorted out in a few days – which gives you a window of opportunity to kill two bees with one stone.
Free in the Summer
People who paint their homes during the summer may have less difficulty with bad weather. But, summer painting projects require more organization and cleaning up. One crucial pro of winter painting over summer painting is that, in the winter, you can book painting experts more easily. Usually, during summer, if you have to get some painting done, you will need to book the service earlier and wait your turn. In the winter, however, you can book a painting provider faster and complete your summer projects ahead of time.
The Cons
Here is why painting your home in the winter might not be the best idea.
Difficulty with Maintaining the Temperature
A significant drawback of painting your home during winter is the difficulty to maintain the optimal temperature, especially for indoor painting – given you will have to air out the room often.
Minding the humidity level and keeping the room temperature above 50॰F requires you to use other heating devices which then hurts your electricity bill.
However, if the state you live in tends to be sunny throughout the year, you will find winter painting – indoor or outdoor – much more manageable.
Drying Could Take Forever to Finish
Winter conditions could severely affect the drying process, and even prolongate it for so long that the paint grows mold or shows bumps. For that reason, painting companies don’t suggest starting such projects on your own, especially for exterior painting. Ideally, you want to hire someone who can be quick, efficient, and detailed and get the job done without hassle.
Is It Safe to Paint Indoors in Winter?
As long as you provide frequent airing or ventilation from the nasty paint chemicals, it will be completely safe to paint indoors during winter. However, you should mind the temperatures.
To reach that fresh and high-end coloring, ensure that the temperature is optimal and that the humidity is regulated.
There are various paint types that can dry at low temperatures. But the average and optimal paint drying temperature for both interior and exterior painting is 50॰F.
Speaking of exterior painting, weather conditions severely affect the quality of the painting process in the winter. Therefore, you should always check the forecast, and start painting only if the temperature ranges between 50॰-70॰ F.
Ultimately, you should always begin painting early in the morning. The sooner you begin the better the quality because the humidity is lower in the mornings and rises in the evening.
Find Your Ultimate Winter Home Painting Provider
For expert consultation and professional assistance with a home painting project during winter, give AA Brite a call! With nearly 20 years of experience in the business, AA Brite successfully executes winter house makeovers in central Arizona.
Make the most of our winter painting discounts and get in touch to learn more about our designated service!
FAQ
What happens if you paint when it’s cold?
Painting during colder months is ideal for the paint-drying process. Cold works well on paint as it allows it to seal into the wall properly. During summer, the paint often dries even before it absorbs into the walls and becomes crusty and brittle.
Can you do outside painting in the winter?
Absolutely. You may save more money, and get the job done in a few days.
How cold is too cold to paint indoors?
Average paint dries at 50॰ F. However, there are paints that can dry at even colder temperatures such as 35॰.
How long does paint take to dry in cold weather?
This depends on the weather conditions. If it’s sunny and the humidity is at normal levels, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of days of painting. However, if it’s extra cold, the paint may dry for weeks.
