How Cold is Too Cold To Paint

When Is It Too Cold To Paint?

The leaves have fallen, the wind is blowing and the snow is coming!  That all adds up to one thing… colder temperatures are here. And if you live in Colorado, you know that they might not always be here to stay, especially along the Front Range. One of the things that folks in Denver and the surrounding areas love is that we can have 60+ degree temps even just days after a snowstorm. As evidenced by the storm on the 23rd of October last week, Denver got hit with snow and the very next day it was blue skies and 60 degree temps.

How Does Temperature Affect Paint?

Temperature is something that has a big effect on the quality of a paint job on your house. Cold temps can determine whether your paint dries effectively. On top of needing to dry, paint actually needs to cure as well. Paint dries in about one to two hours, but it’s not just drying that we have to consider. Once your paint dries, it also needs to cure. The first hour to two is the hard enamel on the outside of the paint layer that dries. However, that doesn’t mean that the paint is done adhering to your house. The full cure process allows what is called surfactants within the paint to completely dry. If the temperature outside is below 32 degrees the surfactants can freeze, which can affect the finish and the durability of the paint. 

Can You Paint My House In Fall Weather?

As the snow starts to fly in Colorado, we get asked this question a lot…. “How cold is too cold to paint the exterior of my house?” Since we can have such warm temps even in the dead of “Winter” we are often asked whether we can still paint our clients houses, even well into Fall. The simple answer is.. Maybe!  It really all depends on what the surface temperature of your house is, and that is all dependent on the air temperature outside. So even in the Fall, we likely can paint your house and insure that it will be the highest quality paint job possible. In general, 45 degrees is typically the lower end temperature we’d paint your house. This will insure that your paint has time to dry and cure to give you the best quality we can provide. 

We always insure that our work is done so that you have a quality job. A paint job that we stand behind with our industry best warranty.  So even though it’s snowy and stormy right now in Colorado, that doesn’t mean we still don’t have time to paint your house before Winter is fully here. Call us today at 720-370-3063