Fall is upon us; the leaves are beginning to turn, the days are growing shorter, and the nights are getting chilly. The fall is a wonderful season to take advantage of the last opportunities for outdoor activities and home projects before the wet, cold winter arrives. If you’ve been wanting to repaint your home, for example, don’t feel like you need to wait until next summer! Painting the exterior of your house can definitely be done during autumn. We’ll walk you through why fall is a wonderful time for painting and offer some tips for success.
Why is Fall Ideal for Painting Your Home?
- Humidity levels decrease during fall. Less humidity allows paint to dry more quickly and evenly.
- Low fluctuation between daytime and nighttime temperatures.
- There are way less bugs to deal with during fall!
- Generally, the paint you’ll use on a home exterior is best used at around 50 degrees. Autumn provides the perfect temperatures.
- Painting in fall also gives contractors an opportunity to notice any leaks or damage in your home’s exterior and you will have time to get the repairs needed done before winter comes.
- You’ll get the painting project done before the really rainy weather hits.
- Your home will look gorgeous for the holidays with the brand new paint job.
Helpful Tips for Painting in Fall
- Typically, the ideal time of day to work on painting the house during fall is between 10 am and 3 pm.
- Begin painting on the side of the house that receives the most possible sun. From there, work your way following the sun around the house. Basically, do the opposite that you would with summer painting.
- Leave plenty of time for drying before applying the next coat of paint. With cooler autumn weather, you’ll need more time for drying and curing. If the temperature is below 50 degrees, we advise you account for at least 24 hours of drying time. Also, make sure you check the forecast. If the temperature is meant to drop below 35 degrees for over 36 hours, delay painting that coat until the cold passes to ensure the paint can sufficiently dry and form a film.
- Pay attention to the dew points. The dew point refers to the temperature that will cause condensation on your home. If the temperature is 5 degrees or more higher than the dew point, you’re good to go! This applies to paints, stains, and primers alike. Condensation will prevent the paint or stain from drying and curing the right way. This could lead to water spotting or surfactant leaching. Surfactants refer to water-soluble components in latex paint, and leaching will leave brown, oily areas on the surface.
- Be aware of the wind. A very windy day could send a lot of falling leaves onto your fresh paint job, and that is less than ideal! So check the wind conditions ahead of time.
No need to wait until next summer to get that new paint on. Give us a call today and we’ll have your home looking fall fresh in no time!