Painting Contractors - How To Avoid Paint Problems On Hot Summer Days
Painting contractors are quite aware of the problems associated with applying paint when temperatures are reaching the high 90s and above. However, most homeowners aren't aware of the problems associated with the high heat when attempting to paint their home themselves.
When applying paint to the exterior of your home during temperatures this high, it is usually difficult to achieve a smooth film of paint. Brush strokes do not lay down properly, paint begins to glob up on your brush, and paint fails to spread evenly. Once the paint has had time to dry, it becomes apparent that the layer of paint you just applied doesn't look good.
To make matters worse, the temptation is to lay another layer of coating over the layer that failed to smooth out properly only to find that you are making matters much worse. However, There are a number of things that will help get you through this tough condition without totally trashing your project.
The first thing I recommend is to work on the side of the house where you don't get direct sunlight. As the sun moves in the sky to other areas then you move accordingly avoiding the direct sunlight. This will not only help with avoiding drying to fast, but will lessen the risk of you falling victim to sunstroke.
The next thing you must do is use a paint conditioner such as floetrol. Paint conditioners extend the drying time of the paint allowing you more time to properly spread it evenly before drying down. It will also help the leveling process and will aid in avoiding brush strokes drying into the paint.
Floetrol doesn't degrade the paint, so it can be safely used without voiding the warranty. Your paint chemistry isn't altered and you can expect to get just as many years out of the freshly painted house. In fact, it may extend the life against what you can expect with trying to paint during conditions that don't allow it to properly set.
Another thing to consider for the sake of your health and the house is to avoid the hottest parts of the day. You can still get a lot of work time in by shifting your work load to the morning hours and the late afternoon hours when things aren't so hot.
Most paint stores sell their version of floetrol so you shouldn't have trouble locating a paint conditioner. Just ask for a latex paint conditioner. Make sure it is a latex conditioner if you are painting with latex. There are oil based paint conditioners as well and you do not want to make the mistake of adding an oil paint conditioner into latex paint.
On last thing to consider, when painting the siding it works better in hot temperatures to spray the siding rather than brushing. You will achieve a smoother looking paint job and it will last just as long. You will not have to worry about brush strokes and failure of the paint to lay down and spread out.
When applying paint to the exterior of your home during temperatures this high, it is usually difficult to achieve a smooth film of paint. Brush strokes do not lay down properly, paint begins to glob up on your brush, and paint fails to spread evenly. Once the paint has had time to dry, it becomes apparent that the layer of paint you just applied doesn't look good.
To make matters worse, the temptation is to lay another layer of coating over the layer that failed to smooth out properly only to find that you are making matters much worse. However, There are a number of things that will help get you through this tough condition without totally trashing your project.
The first thing I recommend is to work on the side of the house where you don't get direct sunlight. As the sun moves in the sky to other areas then you move accordingly avoiding the direct sunlight. This will not only help with avoiding drying to fast, but will lessen the risk of you falling victim to sunstroke.
The next thing you must do is use a paint conditioner such as floetrol. Paint conditioners extend the drying time of the paint allowing you more time to properly spread it evenly before drying down. It will also help the leveling process and will aid in avoiding brush strokes drying into the paint.
Floetrol doesn't degrade the paint, so it can be safely used without voiding the warranty. Your paint chemistry isn't altered and you can expect to get just as many years out of the freshly painted house. In fact, it may extend the life against what you can expect with trying to paint during conditions that don't allow it to properly set.
Another thing to consider for the sake of your health and the house is to avoid the hottest parts of the day. You can still get a lot of work time in by shifting your work load to the morning hours and the late afternoon hours when things aren't so hot.
Most paint stores sell their version of floetrol so you shouldn't have trouble locating a paint conditioner. Just ask for a latex paint conditioner. Make sure it is a latex conditioner if you are painting with latex. There are oil based paint conditioners as well and you do not want to make the mistake of adding an oil paint conditioner into latex paint.
On last thing to consider, when painting the siding it works better in hot temperatures to spray the siding rather than brushing. You will achieve a smoother looking paint job and it will last just as long. You will not have to worry about brush strokes and failure of the paint to lay down and spread out.
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