Painting indoors can be a great way to breathe new life into any room, but it’s not without challenges. In particular, dealing with humidity is crucial when painting inside a home or building. For instance, you want to paint a bathroom with high humidity, but you fail to consider the moisture in the air or take the apporiate steps to reduce it. Guess what? Your paint job might end up being disappointing.
To ensure you get the best results possible for whatever indoor painting project you tackle next, we’ll explore what humidity does, the ideal humidity for painting indoors, and some tips for controlling it while painting inside.
What you must know about humidity and painting indoors
When it’s bitterly cold out, drying paint becomes a challenge because the cold temperatures cause paint to cure slowly. On the other hand, extreme heat can also negatively influence paint by causing the surface to peel before the bottom layers can dry completely. Bumps and blisters may also form, or crack and discolorations may occur.
The maximum (and barely acceptable) humidity level when painting indoors is around 70% for most paint. If you want the best results, it’s ideal to maintain humidity levels between 40% to 50%. This percentage will help you achieve the perfect finish!
Here’s a simple guide to help you out:
- Below 40% – Not recommended (too dry)
- 40% to 50% – Most acceptable range (balance between dryness and moisture)
- 50% to 70% – Acceptable
- 70% to 80% – Acceptable but not highly recommended
- 80% to 85% or more – Highly discouraged (too wet)
When humidity levels drop below 40%, there’s not enough moisture for the paint to dry correctly. Paint needs some moisture for a well-calibrated drying time. On the other hand, humidity levels from 80% and above is excessive, and your paint becomes tacky or gummy even after humidity lowers enough for the paint to cure. Therefore, you need to find that perfect balance. Aim for around 40% to 50% and you’ll hit the sweet spot!
How can you control humidity levels?
In terms of controlling humidity and painting indoors, don’t forget to check the moisture levels before planning any indoor painting projects. You should do this, especially if you’ve been dealing with a lot of rain lately! You see, during rainy seasons, there’s a ton of water vapor in the air. As you can imagine, humidity levels are always at a constant high.
Painting on a damp surface isn’t ideal because the paint won’t stick properly and can even lead to mold growth.
Even though controlling humidity and creating the right painting conditions isn’t always easy, it’s worth the effort! After all, you wouldn’t want to invest in a painting project only to have it look worse than before.
Plus, there are plenty of tips you can try; some of these include (but are not limited to):
- During low temperatures, use a space heater to raise the temperature.
- Run a fan or create a draft by opening windows.
- Use a dehumidifier for a day or two before you plan to paint.
Monitoring the humidity levels to achieve the best painting conditions is essential. You can use a humidity gauge to help you out! These devices provide the most accurate humidity measurement inside your home, helping you achieve quality painting finishes.
Some tips to follow before painting while humidity is high
Let’s say you’re not aware of the ideal humidity for painting indoors, and you just move forward and start painting without paying much attention. You’ll find that the result is far from what you hoped for and wonder where it went wrong.
Besides mold growth, many undesirable things can happen. For example, if you paint on wood surfaces with a lot of moisture in the air, the wood can end up swelling.
Try these tips out:
- Dry the surface: After washing the walls, use a dry cloth to dry them thoroughly so that excess water gets soaked up.
- Choose the right time of the day: It’s best to start painting during the early morning hours since temperatures rise and humidity falls during the midday. That way, the paint will begin drying as humidity levels get lower.
- Paint thin layers: One way to combat high humidity levels is to paint thin layers since they dry quickly. Additional coats are required, but you’ll be pleased with the overall results!
Don’t hesitate to work with indoor painting experts.
Any indoor painting project can be accomplished without significant problems once you know the ideal humidity for painting indoors. If you’re still not confident in your abilities, working with professional interior painters with years of experience in the field is best. They’ll know how to properly prepare and paint an area, even under challenging conditions.
Thanks to Image Painting’s expertise, we can provide the best solution for your indoor paint jobs. Whether dealing with high humidity or low temperatures, rest assured you get the best quality finish. Plus, we’re rated A+ painters by the BBB & 5 Star Rated!
Contact us, and one of our professionals will get in touch with you shortly to discuss your project needs. Get estimates, and we’ll make sure your expectations are met every step of the way!