Last time we began a look at some of the more common exterior painting mistakes. Here are some more things to avoid if you want an attractive, long-lasting job.
Painting in direct sunlight
Sunlight causes the surface of the paint to dry quickly, trapping the liquid paint thinners under the skin. When they turn to vapor and expand in the heat of the sun, they make themselves known as air bubbles. Dark colors are more likely to absorb the heat and cause this problem.
So, follow the sun around the house as you paint, beginning with the north side, and finishing up at least two hours before dew forms. It’s best to paint in a temperature range above 60 F (15 C) and below 90 F (32 C).
Painting on windy days
The most obvious problem with this is the dust and debris that can get blown against your nice paint job. But wind also dries the paint faster than it should, leading to the potential for blistering.
Not properly sealing cracks and crevices
Wood sucks in water through its end grain, so the joint where the end of one piece of wood meets another is vulnerable. If there’s a crack, the paint gets in the wood, is vaporized by the sun, and expands, causing blistering. Make sure these joints are properly sealed with paint and caulk them if necessary. If you’ve scraped to bare wood, it can help to apply a paintable, water-repellent preservative before priming.
We’ll wrap up next time.