Part of the art of painting is choosing the right time. Surface preparation, technique and environmental concerns are all important, and can ruin a job, but extreme weather can ruin an otherwise well executed job.
Rain is obviously going to ruin any outdoor painting. Water-based paint will wash off the walls, and oil based paint will be compromised by any rain. Oil based paint will take a very long time to dry in humid (wet) conditions, and the effect of the rain hitting paint will ruin surfaces. Even slight dampness on a wall will cause problems with paint adhesion. Check forecasts and avoid wet conditions. Wait till all surfaces for painting are completely dry.
Very cold weather causes paint problems. Bubbling and blistering is one issue, requiring much time consuming work to fix. Less troublesome but still bad is the uneven chalky appearance that cold conditions can bring about. And as the cold tends to come with moisture there can be problems with paint running before it dries.
Hot weather is preferable, as long as it doesn’t change. Remember to take day and night time temperatures into account; some areas go from extremely hot to extremely cool when the Sun sets. If you paint in the early morning this shouldn’t worry you, but it may well prevent you getting the whole project painted in one day.
Extremely hot temperatures can cause paint to dry before it properly adheres to the surface; direct sunlight can also cause problems with brush marks and paint setting on the brush or roller. If you must paint then alternating brushes/rollers with a spare kept in water will allow you to get some painting work done, but things will be much quicker if you wait for better weather. Testing a small patch of surface with paint will give you a good estimate of the drying conditions and results if you are in doubt.
Windy conditions are more of a safety issue than a threat to paint; never use ladders or work a height if there is anything beyond a mild wind. Remember that leaves or dirt blown onto the paintwork will ruin all you efforts.
For residential painters Sydney has reasonably good weather; there are seasonal fluctuations, but no sudden changes. We can paint most days and not worry about an unexpected weather situation causing problems with the paint.
