Painting the interior of your house is an excellent way to give it a fresh, updated look. However, some seasons are more painting-friendly than others due to two factors: humidity and temperature. While you can paint at any time of year, early spring and late fall are often the ideal times to paint.
Factors Affecting the Best Time to Paint
Painting the interior of your home isn’t as simple as grabbing a roller and slapping some paint on the walls. Instead, it requires careful preparation to ensure a beautiful, seamless result. Part of this preparation is choosing the right time to paint, which is affected by two key factors: humidity and temperature.
Humidity
Relative humidity has an impact on how your paint job adheres and holds up. When the humidity levels are too high, surfaces in the space are exposed to water vapor. This can leave a sheen of moisture on the walls, so when you go to paint over it, you might end up with a bubbly or peeling result.
Ideally, choose a day with a medium humidity level ranging from 40 to 70 percent. At this level, the humidity isn’t too high or low and will allow the paint to adhere to the surface properly.
Temperatures
While it may not seem like a big deal, especially if you paint inside, the outdoor temperature matters. Why? It comes down to ventilation and drying.
The United States Product Safety Commission recommends keeping the windows open to promote ventilation while painting inside. If the temperature outside is a chilly 20 degrees Fahrenheit, opening your windows to keep fresh air cycling through isn’t ideal. While you can incorporate other measures to encourage ventilation and keep yourself safe, like taking frequent breaks for fresh air, it’s not ideal.
On top of that, paint can thicken at low ambient temperatures, so if you choose to paint in the winter with your windows open, the finished result might not be as seamless as it could be.
On the other hand, painting in the sweltering heat of the summer isn’t ideal either. While you could open your windows to promote ventilation, your house would quickly become unbearably hot, and if you leave your air conditioning running, it’ll have to work overtime to keep your home cool.
In addition, the paint will dry too fast in temperatures that are too hot. The binding properties in the paint can’t do their jobs, resulting in wrinkles, bubbles, and blisters that create an unsightly result.
The best temperature range varies based on the type of paint. For example, the ideal temperature for most oil-based paints is between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Latex-based paints prefer temperatures between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
When Should I Paint The Interior of My House?
If winter and summer present challenges for painting, when is the best time to paint the interior of your house? You guessed it – spring and fall. More specifically, early spring and late fall.
In late fall, the rainier autumn season is ebbing into the drier winter, but temperatures are still at a decent level. In the early spring, the drier winter hasn’t quite released its hold to the rainy spring season, so it’s also an excellent time to paint.
Of course, it’s important to note that you can paint at any time of year. You’ll need to make a few adjustments to promote safety and ensure the finished product is seamless, but you can paint the inside of your home during any season.
Upgrade Your Home With a Fresh Coat of Paint
A fresh coat of paint for your home’s interior can go a long way in brightening the space and helping it feel crisp and clean. If you’re ready to paint the inside of your home, we can help! Our skilled painters at Image Painting are well-versed in all things paint-related and can help you elevate the inside of your home with a fresh coat. Contact us today to book an appointment!