If you get the urge to paint, keep an eye on the weather forecast.  Painting exteriors in the Spring can be done but you need to be careful. 

 Exterior products need to cure a little before being subjected to cold temperatures and moisture.  Latex paint that feels dry to the touch can re-wet when dew settles on it causing it to streak or bleed out surfactants, a brown soapy substance that is in paint to keep it from foaming in the can.  It’s best if  the night time lows are above fifty degrees.

 If you have to paint, remember to paint early.  You can start applying paint as soon as the surface is dry and the temperature is above thirty-five degrees.  All of PPG Pittsburh Paint’s exterior latex paints can be applied if the temperature is above thirty-five degrees.  You should stop three to four hours before sunset so that the paint has several hours of curing in the warm weather before the dew hits it.  This doesn’t eliminate the possibility of re-wetting but we’ve found that, in most cases, the added drying time increases your chances of a good paint job in less than desirable conditions.

Never paint if rain is forecast in the next twenty-four hours and make sure that the surface is dry that you’re painting.  Remember that bare wood absorbs a lot of moisture  and you should let it dry several days before priming so that you’re not trapping moisture under the paint.  Trapped moisture is a main contributor to peeling paint.

So, let’s review.  Paint early, stop early and watch the weather.  Nobody likes painting enough to want to do the job twice.

Craig