Most people don’t want to paint their homes’ exteriors in 110° heat. But they might not think as hard about the appropriate conditions for interior painting.

So how do you know if it’s an okay time to paint, or if you should wait for the heat wave or the cold front to pass?

The range for good painting conditions is relatively wide, but it does exist. For advice on the best conditions for home painting, read on.

The Right Range

Different paints have different ideal ranges for painting, so make sure to read the recommendations on the back of your paint can before you get started.

Most latex-based paints have a temperature range of 50° – 85° Fahrenheit, while oil-based paints can endure slightly cooler and warmer temperatures of 40° – 90° Fahrenheit. If it’s too hot, the paint might dry too quickly and crack. If you can, try to set the thermostat to the center of the range.

Proper Storage

Be sure to take both the temperature of the room and the temperature the paint is stored at into account. You may keep the room you’re painting at 68°, but if you store your paint in your garage that gets over 100°, you may be compromising your paint’s ability to bond properly to the wall.

Make sure you store paints in the specified temperature range, in a dry environment, and out of direct sunlight.

Don’t Forget Humidity

Even though you’re inside, you should always crack a window while you’re painting, which means that exterior conditions can absolutely affect the climate in your home.

Everyone knows that humidity can be a pain in Florida, but not everyone understands how negatively it can affect paint quality. High humidity can alter the ratio of water to other ingredients in some paints, creating a thinner solution that bonds differently to walls.

High humidity may also lead to surface leaching, which leaves discoloration on your walls. If you’re painting on a particularly humid day, try using a dehumidifier.

Not Sure if Conditions Are Right? Call in the Experts

It may be easy to decide to paint on a day that’s a dry 72°, or to decide to skip it when it’s 105° with 80% humidity. But for conditions that aren’t so obviously good or bad for painting, you may struggle to know what to do.

If you’re on the fence about whether the weather’s right for painting, don’t risk it. There’s nothing worse than completing an entire paint job only to realize the paint is too thin or cracks have already started to form.

Contact our team at CorsPaint for expert guidance and knowledge on the right time and conditions to paint your home. We have the expertise and the equipment to make sure the job’s done right, no matter the season.