Can You Paint a House in the Winter?

If you are thinking about painting your home’s exterior, but the seasons got away from you, you may be asking yourself if it is possible to paint your home in the wintertime. There are several factors to consider when deciding if it is a good idea to paint your house during the colder season!

The most obvious factor when considering painting the outside of your house during the winter is the temperature. If you paint your house when it is either too hot or too cold outside, the paint may dry unevenly or have a hard time adhering to the siding of your home. The exact temperature range depends on the type of paint you choose to use to paint your home’s exterior: if you decide to use latex paint, the temperature should be between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For oil-based paint, you will want to paint when the temperature is between 40 and 90 degrees. If your area of the country stays between these temperatures during the winter months, you should be able to paint your home’s exterior with no problem!

Additionally, you need to consider humidity levels when painting your house. Humidity impacts whether paint will adhere properly and dry within a reasonable timeframe. Luckily, the winter months tend to have lower humidity, which is optimal for painting your home! Relative humidity levels should be around 40-50% to effectively paint. Make sure you choose a day when the humidity is low to begin your painting project.

Another factor that will affect your ability to paint the exterior of your home is sunlight. It needs to be light outside to paint your house! In the winter, there are fewer hours of daylight for you to work. Direct sunlight also helps the paint dry faster. You will need to consider if there are enough hours of sunlight during the winter months for you to paint.

If it’s warm, dry, and sunny enough for you to paint during the winter months, you should be able to start painting! Here are a few tips for painting your home during the coldest time of year.

First, choose the right kind of paint for your home. When picking paint types, you will likely see options for oil-based and water-based exterior paints. There are a few considerations for each kind of paint.

Water-based paint, also called latex or acrylic paint, is breathable and will expand and contract with the siding of your house depending on the weather and season. For this reason, it is much less likely to crack or peel. It only takes between 1 to 6 hours to dry, which is ideal for painting in the wintertime because there are fewer daylight hours. It also won’t trap moisture underneath the paint. For these reasons, most homeowners choose water-based paint for the exterior of their house.

You may prefer to use oil-based paint because it adheres quickly to the siding and dries with a professional-looking shiny finish. It is long-lasting and dirt resistant, which is helpful for outdoor spaces. However, it takes a long time, around 8 to 24 hours, to fully dry. Oil-based paint also requires special solvents to remove. Most of the time, homeowners do not choose to paint their entire home in oil-based paint. Instead, save this type of paint for surfaces that are touched often, like doors and handrails.

Another wintertime painting tip is to make sure your siding is completely clean and dry before you begin painting. You can use a pressure washer, or a bucket of soapy water and a sponge to clean the siding. Just make sure that all dirt is removed before you start your project!

Additionally, don’t forget to put drop cloths on the ground next to the area you are painting. This will make sure the plants and grass don’t accidentally get coated with paint, and it will make cleanup much easier when you are finished painting.

Remove any paint that is peeling away from the siding before you begin your painting job. If you leave peeling paint in place and try to paint over it, the new paint won’t adhere to the siding and will quickly begin to peel off again.

Lastly, use a paint primer on the siding before painting. Primer is a base coat for paint that helps it last longer and dry evenly, with no streaks or dark spots. If you decide to use a water-based paint, choose a primer that is also water-based. Make sure this base coat dries completely before painting your siding.