Does Rain Mean an End to Exterior Painting?

Does Rain Mean an End to Exterior Painting?

Painting the exterior of a building or home is dependent on the weather conditions. Temperature changes and moisture can change the way your paint job looks. The problem is that sometimes the time of year that has the best temperatures for painting might also have humidity or rain. Does rain mean an end to exterior painting? No, but you need to plan around it because you cannot paint while it is raining.

Avoid Rainy Days

Rainy days and wet surfaces pose two major problems for painting. Rain will wash wet paint off the surface and paint won’t be absorbed into a wet surface. When it is raining outside, the paint will wash away if it isn’t dry. The best way to handle this is to be sure to avoid rainy days. If there is rain forecast for significant parts of the day, plan it for another time.

How Long Does Paint Need to Dry Before the Rain?

If you are using latex paint, you need a minimum of two hours of direct sunlight before the rain comes. Paint may feel dry to the touch after an hour but it will still wash away. After two hours, light rain will not completely ruin your work but you may still have to repaint some of it when it is dry.

It really takes paint six hours of sunlight to dry completely but if you want it to be its most durable, five days of normal weather is ideal. You need to pay attention to the forecast and choose a time when it is supposed to be nice for a few days in a row.

How Soon Can You Paint After Rain?

This answer depends on how wet the surface is. If the surface is dry to the touch, you can generally use acrylic paint because it will allow any remaining moisture to evaporate through the coating. The important thing is that the surface you plan to paint is dry. Some surfaces may take longer than others so you will need to check. However, you can often resume painting the following day if it is nice out.

Oil Paint

Oil paint is different. You must have a perfectly dry surface to use oil paint. You will probably have to wait for a few nice dry days before you can resume painting with this kind of paint. In addition, it needs a longer period of time to dry. You want to have at least 24 hours of dry weather after you paint with oil. Oil is not often used in more humid climates because it weathers quickly in sunny climates.

Final Verdict

Rain doesn’t mean an end to exterior painting for good but you will need to stop before it rains and wait until the surfaces are dry to the touch to continue. The best thing to do is to watch the weather forecast, start early in the day, and allow for six hours of time with direct sunlight exposure.

Related post: What Happens If It Rains on Fresh Paint: Tips and Solutions

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