Phoenix Winter Perfect for Painting

While some are digging out of snow or can’t get out from under a rain cloud, we’ve been blessed with an abundance of sunshine.

It’s not quite as easy as picking a dry day, though. There are a lot of other factors that go into the perfect painting day.

Rain

Saying not to paint in the rain is stating the obvious. What might not be so obvious is how long it should be between raining and painting. You should wait at least 2 days, 48 whole hours, before attempting to paint. There should be no rain in the forecast for the following 2 days.

Humidity

Rain is obviously bad for your paint job, but the less subtle form of moisture, humidity, can also be a culprit at ruining your work. Humidity is moisture in the air. The idea behind drying paint is to remove moisture, but humidity keeps it from dissipating. This means it will take longer for the paint to dry and will subject it to more imperfections.

Humidity can also soak into the wood’s structure and affect paint adherence, causing flaking and peeling. Not only that, but it could leach particular compounds out of the paint and cause patches of discoloration.

Temperature

While a warm, dry day is perfect, picking a hot day would be a mistake. The paint dries too quickly and could reveal brush strokes or small clumps of paint left from the paintbrush. On the opposite end of the spectrum, painting on a cooler day prevents the paint from drying fast enough and results in it not adhering to the surface. Choose days without a lot of temperature fluctuation. A warm day and a freezing night could result in cracking and peeling.

The temperature should be at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit for oil-based paints and 50 degrees Fahrenheit for latex. This temperature should be maintained for at least 2 days to dry thoroughly. According to US Climate Data, Phoenix has the least amount of temperature fluctuations in the optimum painting range during the winter months.

Daylight Saving Time

The sun comes up early, providing perfect light. Not only are conditions ideal, but there is also the chance that you could finish sooner since you started earlier. Enjoy your evening!

Bring It Indoors

Most of the concern with temperature relates to the exterior of the house, where conditions can’t be controlled. Indoor painting can be done at nearly any time of the year. Doing it in the winter when you get the exterior done makes sense. You only have to go through the process once. After the supplies are put away, you’re done.

The Sooner the Better

Don’t procrastinate. If you know there is an issue that needs to be addressed, like drywall repair or filling in cracks in stucco, it’s better to get it done sooner rather than later. Waiting only allows more damage to take hold. Instead of doing a few quick repairs, you could end up with a bigger and more costly job to worry about. Besides, having your house painted in the winter helps it hold up to any adverse weather conditions, like heavy winds. That layer of paint is like a layer of protection.

Spruce Up for the Holidays

It’s the time of year when friends and family make special trips to see one another. Why not have your home in tip-top shape in time to impress them? You can host and be sure that your home is comforting and welcoming, not looking like it needs a paint job. Other houses are showing signs of damage from the elements, but not yours!

Mark Another Chore Off the List

If the house needs to be painted anyway, why not have it done in winter and mark it off the To-Do list? With all of the preparation that comes with getting ready for spring, it will be nice to have one less thing to worry about. Maybe you’ll find some time to stop and smell the roses.

Choose Your Professional

When it comes to painting companies, you have a lot of choices. We at the Arizona Painting Company would like to invite you to give us a try. You won’t be disappointed.

We’ve been in business since 2001 and have the staff and experience needed to make sure you’re satisfied with the job. We know what to look for and how to fix it to make sure you get the best paint job possible. We use high-quality products to ensure durability, clean up after ourselves, and offer 3, 5, and 10-year warranties. Choose one of our three locations closest to you: Tucson, Phoenix or Glendale.