Can You Paint Your Home When It Rains? Pro Tips and FAQs
Are you planning to paint but worried about rainy weather? You're wise to ask, can you paint when it rains? As you'll find out, there definitely are some rainy-day do's and don'ts you need to be aware of for a successful paint job.
Sometimes it's just not feasible to wait for ideal painting conditions. And professional painters usually don't cancel a job when clouds darken the sky. In general, there's no problem painting the interior of your home when it's raining. However, exterior painting during rain has some challenges that you'll want to know before you plan your project.
This article covers everything you want to know about painting during rain. Our answers to FAQs will help you understand more about the possibilities. Additionally, we provide expert guidance and rain-friendly pro tips to ensure you're able to complete a successful paint job.
Painting Your Home When It Rains: Is It Possible?
The duration and intensity of the rain will help you decide if it's possible to paint. While it's possible to complete an interior paint job when it rains, exterior painting puts up more challenges.
The Best Weather Conditions for Exterior Painting
Even a few drops of rain that touch fresh paint will cause problems. The ideal weather conditions for exterior painting include:
No rain, low humidity, and temps ranging between 65 to 85 degrees F are the best conditions for exterior painting.
Allow sufficient time for the paint to dry and cure within the conditions specified above. Among the questions to ask painters, be sure to inquire about drying and curing time for your selected paint.
If it has recently rained, an exterior wall will need at least 4 hours to dry in the sunlight at or above 72 degrees F before painting.
Painting Challenges in Rain
Painters face some distinct challenges when they have to paint in the rain. One of the many benefits of hiring a professional painter is that they have experience painting in wet conditions and know the best ways to manage the challenges that would overwhelm most DIYers. Challenges can include:
Moisture gets trapped under new paint, resulting in blistering and peeling.
Drying times take much longer before the second coat can be applied.
The paint won't cure properly if the paint is applied to wet walls or if humidity is over 70%.
Rainy weather causes a longer wait time to apply a second coat of paint.
If rain touches the paint while it's drying, the finish will have a streaky appearance when it's fully dry.
The painting area will need to be completely tarped, adding to the cost of the paint job.
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Tips for Rain-Friendly Painting
Denver's average precipitation is 17" per year. May is the rainiest month with an average of 2.30". However, with Denver's average of 300 sunny days per year, there are many opportunities to paint between storms. If a surprise rain interrupts your painting project, check for humidity levels and wait to paint until the humidity level is below 70%. Better yet, stop painting and wait for the storm to pass!
Planning and Preparation
Always check the long-range weather forecast and plan your painting project around storms.
Although you can complete an interior paint job when it's raining, take care to keep rooms well-ventilated.
If windows are open, be sure rain doesn't sneak in.
Even if it's not raining, cloudy skies can mean higher humidity. Prepare to control interior humidity by turning on a dehumidifier or air conditioner.
Before painting, make sure all surfaces to be painted are thoroughly dry, and then complete the typical prep work such as repairs, cleaning your walls, and taping off non-painted areas.
Choosing the Right Paint
Water-based paints like latex are the best rain-friendly choices. They tend to dry fast and won't trap in moisture like oil-based paints can.
Latex paint will need at least two hours of drying time in direct sunlight before it can be exposed to rain. Read the paint can label for interior drying times. But an ideal scenario is to have at least 5 days of dry weather before a surface can be exposed to rain.
Some paints can be applied in cold temperatures as low as 35 degrees F. Again, be sure to check your paint can label.
Protecting the Work Area
If you're painting inside during rain, protect the work area as you would on a sunny day, except be sure rain doesn't enter if windows are open for ventilation.
With exterior paint jobs, it's important that no rain touches the paint until after its dry.
Painting the exterior during rain will require complete tarping or better yet, waiting until the storm passes.
Drying and Curing in Wet Conditions
Patience is the key to making sure paint dries and cures properly during rainy conditions. Absolutely make sure the first coat of paint is completely dry before applying the second coat.
Use heaters, fans, dehumidifiers, or an air conditioner to bring down the humidity level.
Keep exterior tarps up until you're sure the rain has passed. Make sure you follow the suggested drying and curing times for your specific paint.
FAQs About Painting in Rainy Weather
What Happens If It Rains on Fresh Paint?
Rain and fresh paint are not compatible. If rain touches fresh paint, the paint won't cure properly and will look streaked when dry. Other problems like bubbling, chipping, and flaking can occur.
Why Can't You Paint When It Rains?
You can successfully paint an interior when it rains as long as you keep an eye on humidity and temperature. Humidity shouldn't exceed 70% and temperature should be between 35 to 100 degrees F.
Exterior painting is another story. Unless you can completely protect an exterior surface from rain, you shouldn't paint. Until the paint has completely dried, even a few drops of rain could affect the finish look and durability of the paint job.
Can You Paint Inside When It's Raining Outside?
You can! As long as the humidity level doesn't exceed 70% and the temperature remains between 35 to 100 degrees F, you can successfully paint inside when it's raining outside.
Paint Your Home's Exterior with Singletrack Painting
Singletrack Painting has many years of expert experience with interior, exterior, and cabinet painting in metro Denver. We have a true understanding of Denver's climate and keep an eagle eye on the weather when we schedule your painting project.
At Singletrack, we provide high-quality workmanship and top-notch customer service – rain or shine. If you're ready to transform your home with paint, simply request a quote to get started!
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