With plenty of warm sunny days, southwest Florida has an ideal climate for exterior painting. This allows people in the Naples area to paint the exteriors of their homes and businesses throughout the year. That said, people should always take account of temperatures, humidity, surface temperatures, and other weather conditions when planning their painting projects. All of these factors can impact the ease of the job and affect successful paint application.  

With over 25 years of experience with exterior painting in the Naples, Florida area, FCI knows how weather conditions can impact exterior painting. Read on as we share our expertise with you. 

What is the Ideal Painting Temperature?

Generally, temperatures at about 77°F are considered optimal for exterior painting, though most exterior paints allow for wide temperature variations. Exterior paint container label instructions include suggested temperature ranges, with most latex-based paints recommending a range between 50° and 85°F and most oil-based paints recommending application between 40° and 90°F.

Issues that Can Arise in Warmer Weather

The main problem that can arise with paint application in higher temperatures is that it causes the paint to dry too quickly. This, in turn, can cause improper flow, wrinkling, cracking, blistering, and peeling. In addition to accounting for air temperatures, painters should also be mindful of the surface temperature as this can also cause overly rapid paint drying. A good rule of thumb is that the surface temperature should not be hotter than the air temperature.

Painters can often mitigate high air and surface temperatures by starting the day’s painting on the shady side of the home or business and then moving around as needed to avoid surfaces exposed to the sun’s full glare. This also helps painters avoid the full heat of the sunshine.     

Along with high temperatures, humidity can impede proper paint adhesion and significantly increase drying times. Humidity that falls between 40% and 70% is considered optimal for proper paint drying and surface binding. 

Issues that Can Arise in Colder Weather

Cold temperatures can significantly increase paint drying times. This makes it more challenging to apply a second coat and, if the second coat is applied before the first coat has dried, it will likely lead to blistering, bubbling, and uneven streaking. The longer paint drying times also make the paint more susceptible to collecting dirt, insects, and pollen, especially if it’s windy.

Conditions You Should Never Paint In

We reiterate that you should absolutely not paint in temperatures below the 40°F or above the 90°F recommended thresholds. Breaking these thresholds will almost certainly cause problems with your finished paint surface and may requrie a complete do-over.

You should also never paint in the rain because the moisture will prevent proper paint adhesion and cause streaks and other imperfections to the finish. Thus, you should not start painting if rain is forecast to begin within a few hours and, if you are hit by unexpected rain while painting, stop immediately and wait until all surfaces are completely dry before resuming the job. 

Consult with a Professional Naples, FL Painting Company

For more tips on ensuring the best outcomes of your exterior painting job, consult with the experts. Or you could just let the professionals take care of the job and tend to other projects around your house or business. With more than 25 years of professional home and business painting experience in the Naples, Florida area, FCI painting guarantees customer satisfaction. To consult with us about your interior or exterior painting needs in the southwest Florida area, contact FCI Painting online or call at (239) 435-1001.