Can It Be Too Humid to Paint? What Homeowners Need to Know

Humidity can make or break a paint job. In this episode, Jeff explains how excessive moisture in the air affects paint application, drying times, adhesion, and overall durability. Learn the warning signs, the risks of painting in humid conditions, and what homeowners should know before starting their next project. If you want long-lasting results, understanding the weather is just as important as choosing the right paint. 

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Welcome to Inside a Perfect Paint Job. I'm Jeff Adkins, your host, and today I want to talk about can it be too humid to paint? What a homeowner needs to know. And in a long short form, I guess of the long answer is yes, it can be too humid to paint. But let's go over a few things so that you kind of understand it. Painting is not just putting paint on the wall. Conditions matter. Humidity, temperature, moisture, and prep all affect whether the paint job lasts, whether the paint sticks to the material that you're painting. And that's why we pay attention before we even open a can of paint to what's going on. We look at a lot of different things, and you should too if you're painting yourself. And like I just said, yes, it can be too humid to paint. High humidity slows down drying and curing. Paint may feel dry or the surface is dry, but underneath it may not be cured correctly. Paint doesn't just dry, it has to cure. And in this curing process, it adheres to the material that you're painting. And if the humidity is too high, that will not allow that to happen properly. So problems with humidity, you know, that can cause these things here. Sticky or tacky paint, poor adhesion, bubbling or blisting, mildew growth, uneven sheens, lap marks, longer drying times, and permanent paint failure. Because if it's not done right, there is a chance of it failing. And that's something that we try to very hard to not happen because we do warranty our work. Alright, now drying versus curing. Drying means the paint feels dry to the touch. Curing means that the paint has fully hardened and bonded the way it should. A lot of homeowners think if the paint is dry to the touch, the job is done. But the paint has to cure, not just dry. Oh exterior painting is more sensitive than interior painting. The interior painting is controlled. The exterior conditions cannot be controlled. Mother Nature does that. Outside, you're dealing with the humidity, the dew, the rain, the temperature swings, the direct sunlight, the wind, surface moisture, shading areas that stay damp longer. There's just a lot of things here. The side of the house in the sun and the side of the house in the shade can be two completely different painting conditions on the same day. And I'm sure you understand that. Dew point matters. You know you have to get too technical, but explaining the dew can settle on your siding, trim, deck, railing, everything, and it's not rained. That water has to dry before we can do anything to it. Sometimes the wall is wet and the homeowner doesn't realize it until you're into it. And it may not have rained, but the dew or the moisture can still be sitting on the surface. Pros of painting in humid uh weather. Let's see, paint uh may stay open slightly longer, which can help with brushes and rolling in some cases. Less direct sun can sometimes help avoid paint drying too fast. And cloudy, humid days can be workable if the surface is dry and if the product allows it. Humidity isn't automatically a deal breaker. It's about how high the humidity is and whether the surface moisture looks like, what products we're using and the forecast looks like for the day. Cons of painting in humid weather slower drying times, more risk of moisture getting trapped, more chance of mildew because of the moisture in the air. Coatings may not bond properly to the surface. Recoating times may be pushed back because it's still wet. Rain and dew can damage fresh paint. Warranty issues if conditions are ignored. The biggest problem with humidity is not allowing what happens that day, it's what shows up six months or a year later. The biggest problem with humidity is not always what happens that day. It's what shows up six months or a year later. Think about that. Is your painter warranting his work? Because most painters don't. We have a three-year warranty, but six months to a year, who are you blaming that problem on? You call us and we'll make sure that we find out where the problem is. Why times why s why we sometimes delay a job because the conditions aren't right. I catch a lot for this. Um we know homeowners want the project done. We want it done too, but we would rather delay the job a day or two than to paint in the wrong conditions and risk failure and having to come back and fix it again. Um it's just smart. Let's see. Uh three-year warranty. Um let's just touch on that just a second, um, because you know, we're talking about conditions and proper conditions, and ours is a three-year workmanship warranty. Um, we've never had a product fail. It's always on the other end, it seems like. Um, and that's one of the reasons why we put so many SOPs and processes in play to make sure this doesn't happen. And also, this is one of the reasons why we probably start later than any other painting contractor in our area. Um, and it's because the conditions aren't exactly right, and I would rather wait and get it done when the conditions are. But um, the three-year warranty um that means that we have to follow proper prep and application standards. If we don't, it's not going to be right. Uh, we do not just paint because someone wants it done today. Weather delays protect the customer. A warranty is only as strong as the process behind it. Um our three-year warranty affects the way we work. Uh we don't want to uh do something and know we're gonna have to come back and do it. It makes us slow down, check conditions, prep crop prep uh correctly, and make decisions that protect the paint job long after we leave. That six to nine months, that year long, we're still here if you need us. Most of the time you don't because the way we do our job. Um some advice. Um not pressure your painter to paint in bad weather. Um I mean I think you understand that one. Ask what products are being used. Um in today's world, we can find out um so much information about products. Um just look at it yourself. Ask about humidity, temperature, and surface moisture. Do they check the surface moisture? What is the surface? Different surfaces are more prone. Um what kind of warranty is offered? Ask what happens if weather changes during the project. Um a good painting contractor is not just watching the calendar, they're watching the condition. If we don't watch the conditions, we can show up and not be able to do anything today. And that's not productive for anybody. At Jeff Atkins Painting, we believe the best paint job is not always the fastest paint job. Sometimes doing the right means waiting for the right conditions. Humidity, dew, rain, temperature, all matter. That's how you get a paint job that looks good today and holds up for years. Guys, if you have any questions, email Jeff at Jeff Adkins Painting. Please like, share, and follow our podcast. We are growing and very new, so the help that you can give us will help us greatly and we greatly appreciate it. If you have any questions, email me. Um I'll be glad to help anybody any way that we can. And until next time, thank you very much.