Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pursue Painting Pronto

October 2, 2012  
Filed under Blog

Touch Ups Get Touchy in Winter WeatherWomen painting fix it professionals john silva

If you’ve been procrastinating about painting, there’s not much time left! Soon Indian Summer will make way for the rainy season, which is exactly the wrong time to paint – inside or out!
 
Here are three things to consider when preparing to paint or touch up that interior wall:

1. Temperature – Paints have improved over the years, so this is less of an issue if your paint is new. When it’s cold, your paint will take longer to dry. This might not seem like a big deal – unless you are painting or touching up a high traffic area. Imagine your “delight” as you forget that you’re waiting for paint to dry and you flip on that light switch or close a door out of habit – and have to paint all over again! When you paint in warm, dry weather, the area will dry more quickly and your chances of “forgetting” that you’ve painted before the area has dried are lessened.
 
2. Humidity – Morton Salt has a tag line – “When it rains, it pours” meaning their salt has an additive to prevent sticking in humid weather. While you may not consider the San Francisco Bay Area a place with a lot of humidity, it is a factor when it rains. Humid weather, especially cold humid weather will also slow the drying speed of your paint. I heard a story about one client who had touched up a wall in her bedroom. It was cool and rainy out but she left the window open hoping it would speed up the drying process. Unfortunately her paint didn’t dry fast enough – a mosquito became stuck in the paint and she had to do it all over again. (This also convinced her that a new bedroom window screen was in order!)
 
3. Ventilation – If it is pouring down rain, most likely you won’t actually want the windows open. While it is true that paint doesn’t out-gas or smell as bad as it used to, you don’t want to be locked down in a room with wet paint. We discover every day how something we thought was harmless is not. Even “less smelly” paint could carry a health risk if applied in a closed up room on a day when drying time is extended because of the weather. A much better idea (I think) is to find someone else to take care of painting that wall or touching up that spot, while YOU enjoy a nice cup of tea in another room – or even at the local coffee shop!
 
Have you heard the saying, “I love work, I could watch it all day?” When it comes to painting, I suggest that you do. It’s easier, faster and you won’t have to clean up! When you’re ready to put your feet up, enjoy a beverage and watch someone else work, give us a call. Now is the best time to get that touch up done or that wall repainted.

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