Painting in the summer can be challenging. The paint won’t act like it does when the temperatures are cooler. When temperatures get hot, the paint will lose water. When you add paint to your tray or bucket, the water will start to evaporate right away. The water in paint is there for a reason. It’s a solvent that is intended to evaporate. This process of evaporation is supposed to start when the paint has been applied to the surface you’re painting. When too much water evaporates, the paint will dry too fast.
Reconstitute / Separated Paint Problems
When you reconstitute paint, you’re putting water back into the paint so it’s the right consistency. This needs to be done whenever the paint loses too much water through evaporation but mistakes can be made when doing this. Reconstituting the same bucket of paint multiple times will thin the paint out too much, causing it to become too watery. To combat this problem, you need to use a separate bucket so you can thin the paint out in smaller batches. You need to remember not to add more than 10% water to each batch.
Orientation of Surface Being Painted
Direct sunlight will also affect an exterior paint job because it affects the drying time. You should determine the position of the sun throughout the day and schedule painting accordingly. This means you’ll probably be starting early and starting on the south side of the property. Doing so gives you enough time to move to the west side when it’s still cooler. Wait till the late afternoon or early evening so there’s lots of time to cool down after it’s been in the direst sun. Ice cubes can work great in hot weather. Before you place the liner in the bucket of paint you can put a layer of ice cubes on the bottom of the bucket. The ice will act like a cooler and help prevent the water in the paint from evaporating too fast. Keep track of the temperatures as you paint. The best time to paint is when the temperatures are between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets hotter than this, evaporation will speed up.
Can You Paint in Very Hot Weather?
You don’t need to wait till the weather cools off to start your next painting project, but there are things you need to keep in mind.
1. Avoid direct sunlight and paint the shaded areas as the sun changes position in the sky.
2. Limit the amount of water you add to the paint. Paint that is too thin is just as bad as evaporation. The agent you use to thin the paint needs to match the carrier of the paint.
3. You can get extenders that are provide by the manufacturer if you’re worried about thinning the paint yourself. Paint shouldn’t be left out in the sun either, so paint in smaller batches.
4. Use ice. If you’re painting out of the can then you can put it in a container with some ice and water under the can.
5. Remember to paint during the coolest parts of the day. This is early morning, late afternoon and in the evening. If you start at the wrong time of the day, you will rush and get subpar results.
Interior & Exterior House Painting & More in San Marcos, Vista, Oceanside, Encinitas, Carlsbad & Escondido, California
If you need more advice, you can contact Jeff the Painter. We will work to get the best exterior painting results regardless of the weather forecast. Give us a call today!
