Exterior painting is admittedly challenging during the winter. Professional painters simply don’t like to paint when temperatures dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Paint can take a long time to dry, which means that all kinds of debris can stick to it and ruin the job. Paint also peels, blisters, bubbles and just doesn’t stick to a surface well. Cold weather can make oil-based paint so thick that it’s hard to apply. Still, with a little planning, successful exterior painting in winter is possible.

Why Paint in Winter?

You might wonder why anyone would want the exterior of their home painted in winter when other seasons have more clement weather. Some homeowners have to sell their home before spring. They may be having their home inspected, and it needs to look its best. A paint job during the winter might cost less since painters are hungry for work then.

Watch the Weather Forecast

Professionals who paint during the winter always keep an eye on the weather forecast. Ideally, there should be a spate of days that reach at least 50 degrees F. This would be unusual in parts of the country where average daytime highs are colder than this. However, it’s always possible that temperatures could rise high enough for a successful paint job.

Choose the Right Paint

There are now paints that work well in cold temperatures. These are usually acrylic and latex paints, and professionals can successfully apply some of them even when the temperature dips to 35 degrees. Some oil-based paints also work on cold days, but they can be stiff and harder to apply. So far, there’s no paint that can be applied when the temperature is below freezing.

Start Early

In winter, it’s best to start prepping for the job early in the morning, and start painting at around 10 a.m. The job, or at least part of it, should be finished by 2 in the afternoon or whenever is the warmest part of the day. This gives the paint time to dry before the chill of the evening sets in. Painters also let the first coat of paint dry for at least 24 hours before they apply the second coat.

Dress for the Job

Cold weather isn’t just hard on paint — it’s also hard on painters. Professional painters know that they’ll need to bundle up if they’re going to paint a house on a cold day. They’ll even find ways to keep the paint warm during the project.

Call Us for Your Exterior Paint Job

It’s possible to have a successful exterior paint job in the middle of winter if it’s done the right way. When you need an exterior paint job for your home in Milwaukee, WI, contact our professionals at QGC Professional Painting.