One question we've been fielding a lot this week is 'How Cold Is Too Cold To Paint Outside?'  We figured we'd devote our blog post this week to answering that specific question!

Water-based exterior paint requires certain conditions to cure properly. And if it doesn’t, you might be repainting your home’s exterior sooner than you planned.
It should be at least 50° F when applying the paint and shouldn’t drop below 32° F at night for several days after.

Paint needs several days to cure, and as the temperature dips, dew can form on surfaces and cause the water in the paint to evaporate too slowly. Even if it’s warm during the day, the paint won’t form a good film if temperatures drop too low at night. That affects how the paint holds up over time, including how well it resists cracking. Colder temperatures and moisture on the surface can also result in staining or mildew.

Some manufacturers now claim that certain paints will cure in temperatures as low as 35° F.
But what about an upper limit? For summer days—say, when temperatures hit 90° F—there’s no hard rule about how hot is too hot outside. But you’ll want to pay attention to the surface temperature of the exterior walls of your house.

If you can’t keep the palm of your hand on the exterior wall of your house for more than a few seconds, it’s too hot to paint.

Check the label on the paint can for any instructions on the ideal temperature range - with over 20 years experience professionally painting houses throughout Charlottesville and Albemarle County.  Contact us today for a free estimate!

Roberto Becerra
Owner, RB Paint Company

A new paint job may not be far around the corner. It’s important to do regular checks of your home or business and look out for signs of a deteriorating paint job. After these checks, you may find that it is time to get a new paint job. A paint job that lasts is important to keeping curb appeal high and your dollars down.
Ways Paint May DeteriorateThere can be numerous reasons that paint can deteriorate as well as obvious signs you should look out for. Be sure to perform a walk around your house or property. Look for paint that is exhibiting signs of decay and consider getting that new fresh paint job to get your home market and guest-ready.
Signs of Its TimeWarped Siding – caused by the accumulation of moisture and by baking in the sun, warped siding is a manipulated area that cannot be flattened out. The best option is to either replace it or have the area prepped and painting.
Blistering or bubbling- the paint has lost adhesions and begins to pull away from earlier walls, this can be caused by high heat If one applies paint to a hot surface this can cause the paint to bubble and not completely adhere to the surface.
Peeling- Peeling is an unsightly result of sun damage and those bubbles and blisters bursting open. Those exposed areas only get worse with more sun exposure and continue to peel and blister, breaking down the paint on the surface.
Cracking or Staining Stucco- Your stucco should not be cracking, cracking stucco results in further damage as moisture and water enters these areas, making them crack and become damaged even more.
Fading- Another common issue is the process of fading or bleaching. You may not notice it but your paint job slowly begins to fade with sun exposure. Happening slowly, it may be hard to notice. It is important to find paint that is lasting, also you can take photos of your initial paint job and compare after a few years how the paint job is faded.
Chalking- Chalking can seem similar to that of fading, although it is actually a chemical change, by ultraviolet rays, causing the topcoat of paint to change and form a film of white dust, and if you simply paint over it may not completely adhere to the surface and further cause issues.
Mildew- sets in when moisture doesn’t evaporate, causing it to eat away at the paint. It is unwise to just paint over without removing and prepping the surface, the mildew will eventually come through again if it is just painted over.

Interested in taking advantage of our painting maintenance plan?  Contact us today for a free estimate!

Roberto Becerra
Owner, RB Painting Company