How Cold Is Too Cold To Paint Outside in Charlottesville, Virginia?

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