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Paint experts: is it too cold to paint outdoors?
March 06, 2021, 10:22 AM
coogerPaint experts: is it too cold to paint outdoors?
I have some ship lap boards going in a bathroom I need to paint. The boards are in my house right now so they are warm but I need to take them outside to paint. It’s about 47 degrees, sunny, 33 percent humidity. Will I run into problems if I paint them outside at this temperature and leave them to dry for a few hours before I bring them back inside?
March 06, 2021, 10:31 AM
LS1 GTOI'd wait, or use a garage.
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March 06, 2021, 10:38 AM
PASigI’d wait, why risk the paint flaking or bubbling and you have to sand it all down and start over?
I’d wait to paint outdoors until it’s 60 or over.
March 06, 2021, 10:39 AM
tatortoddIt depends on the specific product you're using. Some are dual rated indoor/outdoor and will have a wider temperature application range than a pure indoor product.
May I suggest a different approach, check the paint manufacturer's website which should contain the actual paint application temperature range for the product you're using. Much better than a bunch of Internet strangers making general comments.
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DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. March 06, 2021, 11:21 AM
PASigThe can should list the acceptable temperature range for painting, I think it’s usually like 55-85 degrees?
March 06, 2021, 11:28 AM
Flash-LBHere's what the "experts" say:
https://www.hirshfields.com/fi...B0%2D%2085%C2%B0%20F.
Here is what our experts at Hirshfield’s suggest for the best time to take on an exterior paint job.
An overall general rule of thumb is that oil-based paint can be applied when the temperatures are between 40°- 90° F and latex paint is best applied between 50°- 85° F. However, latex paints are best for most exteriors (we recommend 100% acrylic).
Ideally, choose a day to paint your exterior with temperatures ranging from 60° to around 85°F with little to no wind. Too much wind can cause the paint to dry too quickly.
40% to 70% humidity is the perfect range to ensure that the paint dries properly.
If the temperatures are too high or too low, your paint may not bind together correctly which can lead to unwelcome cracking and peeling. Latex paint can also be difficult to apply at high temperatures because sometimes the heat will cause it to dry out too soon.
In the hot and humid summer months, it is suggested that painters begin painting on the shady side of a house and working around the home to avoid the glare of the sun. This is an added bonus because it also keeps painters out of the blazing heat!
March 06, 2021, 12:06 PM
lbsidWhat kind of wood are you using and what color of paint?
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March 06, 2021, 12:11 PM
smschulz55 or greater is what I've always heard
March 06, 2021, 12:42 PM
snwghstDepends on the product being used
There are many premium paints which can be applied with a surface temp of 35
Best results will be achieved with surface temp 50 and above
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March 06, 2021, 01:02 PM
arfmelRead the fine print on the can of paint. It’ll have the info you seek.
March 06, 2021, 04:31 PM
hrcjonI live in Maine. If you waited for some of those suggested temperatures we could paint like 3 weeks of the year. I used Sherwin Williams exterior paints when I painted for a living. The minimum application temp is 35degrees with some modest restrictions on dew point (easily managed). That's both air and substrate. The paint last just as long as paint applied at higher temperatures. Have at it if the mfg. of your paint permits the temperatures you want, it will definitely be on the can.
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March 06, 2021, 04:36 PM
MikeinNCWe used to drape plastic tarps and run torpedo heaters on the hull to get it warm enough to paint in the winter....just made sure it was over 50° on the hull. If someone made a paint you could apply underwater, we’d have been out there painting then too!
Read the can, it’ll tell you, but I’d paint about ten degrees above the printed minimum...or drape tarps and warm it up, if it can’t be painted inside and then put up.
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hrcjonI can only relate my personal experience over hundreds of houses painted. But its a pretty extensive sample with SW paints (an I would expect that every top tier mfg. of paints is the same) IF you can follow the can directions you will be fine. You don't need to adjust in any way. At 47 degrees get a paint rated for that or below and paint...
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
March 06, 2021, 07:09 PM
coogerThanks guys. It’s Behr enamel. I ended up throwing a tarp down inside and painted them on saw horses. I probably should’ve waited and avoided the risk of spilling paint but I really want to get this project done. Changing out a toilet has turned into removing a whirlpool tub, new flooring, painting walls, and ship lap on the walls where the tub was.
March 07, 2021, 10:57 AM
snwghstquote:
Originally posted by cooger:
Thanks guys. It’s Behr enamel. I ended up throwing a tarp down inside and painted them on saw horses. I probably should’ve waited and avoided the risk of spilling paint but I really want to get this project done. Changing out a toilet has turned into removing a whirlpool tub, new flooring, painting walls, and ship lap on the walls where the tub was.
You will be fine with that product.
I have 20yrs experience with all those products
I just can’t say who I work for in an open forum

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Live today as if it may be your last and learn today as if you will live forever
March 07, 2021, 05:37 PM
Woodmanquote:
Originally posted by cooger:
Changing out a toilet has turned into removing a whirlpool tub, new flooring, painting walls, and ship lap on the walls where the tub was.
I hear you. Plugging a mouse hole under a radiator last month resulted in: entirely relocating the bedroom; repairing, sanding, refinishing the fir floor; repairing the roof and ceiling; eliminating air infiltration along all of the outside-wall baseboard; priming everything previously puttied, spackled, or patched; 2-3 coats on the ceiling, walls, and trim. Building a 19" x 22" x 94" cedar closet in an unused cubby. I've just finished the 1st coat of ceiling paint, a milestone. But hey, it was a really big mouse.
The room is much quieter and warmer already. Now, what to pack into switch / recepticle boxes to stop airflow from the attic ... and do not suggest steel wool, please.