There are many people who think that there is nothing wrong with painting the outside of their house during the fall season. They believe that the weather is ideal for working outside because it is neither too hot nor too humid and therefore exterior painting can be an ideal pursuit. However, this is not the right approach.

Many professional companies that provide painting services are against painting the exterior of a house in the fall. They claim that this is one of the most common mistakes people make. In some regions, the companies do not schedule any exterior paint job when October begins. This is because low temperatures can have adverse affect on exterior paints because they set and dry.

If you are renovating your home then there is a high chance that you have allocated a special budget for residential painting. If so, it is important that you make the most of your money that you plan to invest on this paint project. If you get your house painted in fall, the paint job might not last for a long time.

After a year or two, you will see paint flaking off from the walls and cracking and peeling will be visible. You will be left with no other option but to paint your house again. When people find they that they would have to reinvest the money on paint, they end up repairing the ‘failed-area’ and just touch up with the same color that was used earlier. Obviously, the result of such repair is not extraordinary and one can easily see a difference in shades due to weathering and fading overtime.

Role of temperature

If you ever get a chance to read the paint labels, you will find that they have clearly states the ideal temperature range recommended for you to apply the paint. Generally, the bottom line is set on fifty to fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Although paint quality has improved over the period of time, and you may feel that purchasing high quality paints will be enable you to paint your house in low temperature season as well. However, what must be realized is the fact that there is always a risk involved.

Once you have chosen any of the premium paints, you will see that they have their own requirements when it comes to paint application. The paint manufacturers have defined their ‘best hours of application’ and you should remain cautious about it. Ignoring this will simply put you in more trouble.

You must remember that paint does not only need drying time but there is a chemical reaction that has to take place. Hence, you must give that paint job proper time to complete. There are times when the paint has to be applied in the evening which means that the paint will dry at night. During fall season, the temperature can get quite low at times. A proper chemical reaction of the paint can only take place when the temperature is higher, at least around the room temperature.

Chemical reaction

The scientific reason lies in the bonding and drying of paint. There are two things that happen when paint is applied. At first, the vehicle (whether oil or latex) evaporates when the paint is set to dry. The drying process can be slowed when the temperature is low. However, this does not pose any problem.

The second thing that must be addressed is the chemical reaction that takes place within the paint. There are a number of chemicals in the paint and there are some catalysts that expedite the overall process. The polymers are to be formed from paint resin. Molecules are rearranged and the polymers end as chains of single molecules. This chemical reaction cannot take place in the low temperature.

Other reasons for painting failures in fall

There are several other reasons that compel that make it difficult to initiate the residential painting project in fall. There are some windows that need special type of putty (the glazing compound). Generally, putty needs a lot of time to dry primarily because it is very thick. It needs a warm temperature so that it can be dried and cured properly.

In low temperatures, it can crack and you will have to remove it and later replace it. There are times when people do not wait for the putty to dry. By doing so, the moisture that has to escape from putty passes through the layer of paint and as a result both fail. In order to attain the best results, you will also have to go for a lot of latex caulk. It must be remembered that caulk too needs a high temperature to cure and dry. Same is the case with primers because they do well in warm temperature as well.

What type of painting jobs is ideal for the fall season then?

Though painting the house exteriors is not recommended during the fall season, there are still other painting projects you can embark on.

• You can spray paint any metal lawn furniture. If you start in the morning, you can easily give them sufficient time to dry.

• Fall is still ideal for painting indoors. During this season, you can easily keep the windows opened for ventilation and allow the paint to dry. Well, some would say that the cool temperature of fall is a lot better than the hot temperature of summer!