March 22nd, 2017

Exterior Painting in the Fall?

We here at Parker CO Painting, LLC would love to paint your home whenever our Colorado weather allows, however if we are good stewards of our trade we would suggest that you wait until next season.  You may ask yourselves, hmmm Why would a painting company tell me to wait, Colorado Falls are generally mild, not too hot, it is a fine to get outside and get work done.  Although the weather is great for us painters, it isn't so good for the paint.  I know a lot of exterior paint gets completed in the fall but that is not a good idea.

We have been painting homes since the early 1980's and we do not typically schedule any exterior paint after October 1st.  Of course some folks do not listen and insisted on getting their house painted by someone else.  After a few years they understood why we did not paint outside during the fall.

Structures painted after October 1 start to show signs of paint failure a few years down the road.  The paint will start to crack, peel, and or flake and the home will need to be totally repainted.  So why does the paint fail? 

As paint dries their is a chemical reaction that needs to occur that allows the latex or oil to bond to the surface being painted.  If you read a can of paint it generally recommends that paint not be applied unless the temperature is above 50-55 degrees.  The paint needs to stay warm in order for the chemical reaction to occur the way it should to allow for a good bond, and that will prevent the peeling, flaking, and cracking that I described above.

In Colorado we can have beautiful days in October mid 70's during the day, but as soon as the sun sets it can easily dip down into the low 40's (or colder)  The paint needs time to dry and cure, it will only go through the proper chemical reaction when it is warm outside, otherwise it will not allow the chemical reaction that allows the paint to adhere to the surface properly.

So please do not paint your exterior in the fall. 

However, the fall is a perfect time to do some interior painting (right before the holidays!)