Autumn Tips

Fall painting – Colors are coming out and leaves are already starting to fall. 

A lot of us have banged out a good portion of our to-do lists.  Now is a good time to finish up the projects you skipped during the summer. It’s a good time to paint your front door, exterior walls, or outdoor trim.

Fall is a great time to paint your home. After all, you don’t have to fight the summer heat. But you should follow these rules:

• Most exterior paints and stains should not be applied in temperatures lower than 50° F. 
• Temperatures should not drop below 35° for 36 hours after application to allow proper drying and film formation.

Here are some other tips to make your fall painting project successful:

• The best hours to paint in the fall are between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
• In the fall months, paint your way around the house in the other direction. Follow the sun to speed up drying times.
• Paint dries more slowly in lower temps, so if you need a second coat, wait at least 24 hours to let the first coat fully dry.
• Watch those dew points! Paints, stains, or primers should not be applied unless the surface temperature is at least 5° higher than the dew point. (The dew point is the temperature at which moisture will condense on a surface).
• Check the wind speeds. During the summer, a nice breeze is harmless. Now, even a 10 mph wind can fling falling leaves onto your wet paint! So be careful!

If you have any more painting questions, or need help choosing the perfect fall color, visit our experts at one of our locations.