Taking up a painting job is difficult in extreme cold weather and rains. It is even tougher during a sweaty day. These hot summer days are highly tiring to take up an outside painting job, and the humidity levels do not help either.
So, undergoing a painting activity in this weather renders several challenges, right from the location, to the rustic conditions and surface to be painted.
Water, the most significant ingredient in paint, tends to evaporate quickly in hot weather, resulting in the paint getting dry quickly without proper formation of the film layer.
Quick-drying also results in an incomplete and uneven look to the newly painted outer wall. But A Perfect Finish Painting of Littleton can help you uplift the look of freshly painted surfaces.
Nevertheless, here are some effective tips for painting during hot summers. Have a look!
Try painting in the shade
When you have undertaken any painting work during hot summers, try working in the outdoor shades and not directly under the sun. Staying in the shade is best during hot days.
To do this, you will have to start painting that side of the wall where the sun rays are not direct and change the position as per the change in the direction of the sun’s rays.
There is an increase in temperature when the sun rays fall directly on the surface being painted, and this results in an increase of 15% temperature of the exterior of the house. So, you can plan the painting job early in the day or later in the day to enjoy the shades on a hot sultry day.
Check the weather condition
Too hot weather makes the paint dry faster, which is not good. Direct sunlight can cause bubbles and let the paint chip off quickly.
If the climate is very hot, the surface will also turn hot, and it is not advisable to paint that area. Direct sun rays and heat are not good during the painting sessions.
Thus, while painting on hot days, it is advisable to check if the paint dries properly due to the external temperatures.
You must ensure that the temperature is not above 95-degree Fahrenheit due to the direct sunlight, as painting a hot exterior will not materialize. In addition, hot walls will dry the paint faster than your brush strokes, causing the paint to form blisters.
Use water in your paint
Before use, all color paints have to be thinned, as they are water-based. Especially due to extremely hot weather, water has to be added to the paint for the thinning process.
With a hot climate outside, water has to be mixed with the paint to put off the drying time of the paint film for proper formation. However, when the paint loses water due to evaporation, it is reconstituted with the addition of water to restore its consistency.
Sometimes the paint needs to be reconstituted many times. It results in the paint having more proportion of water.
You can even add ice cubes to your paint to keep it cool, as it helps slow the evaporation process. The correct amount of ice cubes will also help keep the surface cool when the outside climate is hot.
Check the humidity level while painting
In humid conditions, high moisture levels will make the water evaporate slowly from the paint. In addition, it delays the time to dry due to an element surfactant. Surfactant is a vital component of water-based paints.
So, you have to keep in check the humidity levels during the painting sessions as it leads to surfactant leaching. Due to surfactant leaching, the paint may appear rough or broken.
Besides, a humid climate due to sudden rain or moisture in the air also disrupts the painting process. Moisture in the air gets trapped in the paints and causes them to be shaded and dim in color.
Another problem is that the paint does not stick on the surface properly when it is humid outside.
Prepare the surfaces properly
Before starting the painting work, preparing the surfaces will help. The wall sidings have to be checked for fungus and algae accumulation and cleaned thoroughly. Next, the external surfaces have to be cleaned well so that the painting work gets done neatly.
You can even clean the stubborn dirt and dust by watering your walls. Once the walls cool down, the surface will be ready for paint. However, always ensure to remove the old paint before the new coats are applied so that the new paint doesn’t peel off the walls.
Also, the surfaces are to be cleaned by scrubbing and scraping before applying the paint for better results.
Clean the brushes and rollers once the painting is complete
The paint you apply to the walls sticks on the brushes used due to the hot temperature. So, they have to be wiped clean of any excess paints on the bristles.
Turpentine or lukewarm water needs to be used to clean the water-based paints from the brushes, as too hot water may damage the brush hairs. You can also rinse off the brushes in mild soap to remove the paint.
Opt for good quality paints
The most important factor to consider before painting the exterior of your home is to ensure the quality of the paint. Any cheap quality paints will damage the walls. Hence, it is always better to use high-quality paints, even though they are expensive to protect your walls.
Paints of good quality prevent chipping and peeling off the walls. In summers, as the paint dries off quickly, ensure to use top-quality thinners in small quantities for the paint.
Conclusion
You can make your home beautiful with the best quality paints and some well-planted greens. Summer is the most appropriate time to have plants and trees bloom around your house.
So, choose the right paint and color for the job. High humidity levels affect the external painting works. Up to 50% humidity is suitable for painting outdoors. So, ensure the day you are planning to paint outside doesn’t have too high humidity levels.
Also, it is always better to go for lighter shades as they absorb less heat compared to the darker shades. Light shades also help improve energy efficiency.
So, before you start painting the outside walls of your home in summer, inspect the whole place and plan the painting process as the sweltering sun can bring on new sets of challenges.
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