How do you do exterior house painting in the rain?

In a word, “Don’t!”  The ideal conditions for exterior house painting are sunny with the temperature between 70-85 degrees and low humidity.  Painting the exterior of a house in the rain can lead to some dire consequences.   Even painting on a day with high humidity can be challenging and cause problems.  In some areas, unfortunately, the weather does  not permit much choice but usually you can postpone your house painting project until the sun is shining.  Sometimes contractors are more concerned with their schedules and getting the job done on their timeline than with doing it correctly.  This is why it is important that you check references on your painting contractor, get at least three estimates, make sure he has been in business for at least five years and that he offers a complete warranty for a minimum of two, but preferably five years.  Ironically, exterior painting when it is too hot is also fraught with danger as the paint can start to dry before it hits the walls resulting in less adhesion.

Exterior House Painting in the Rain – Wooden Houses

 If you have a lot of wood on the exterior of your house, the water can get into the wood.  Later, when the sun comes out, the water will be drawn out in an attempt at evaporation.  If, however, a fresh coat of paint if covering the wood, water-filled bubbles will form which will require your painting contractor to scrape, sand and prime them all over again.  It is very important to give the wood a chance to dry thoroughly before prepping it again.  This could take 1-5 days depending on weather.  When spot priming, an oil based primer will typically seal better than a water-based primer, although clean up will be a little messier, involving paint thinner which is hard to dispose of and has a strong scent. 

Exterior House Painting in the Rain – Stucco Houses

If you are painting stucco, there are still issues.  The paint can get diluted on the wall and literally drip off the house.  If the weather never warms up, the paint will literally stay wet to the touch and not dry properly.

Exterior House Paining – Rain Won’t Go Stop in Time!

 If you are forced to paint the exterior in wet weather, consider these tips:

• Use an oil-based primer just on areas of exposed wood and then wait for better weather
• If you are using oil-based paint, add Japan-dryers which will accelerate the dry time
• Make sure to fully seal all cracks with silicone caulking which is flexible and will move with the house
• Try to postpone the project to a dry time…overall painting in the rain is a bad idea

If your contractor is painting the exterior of your house in the rain, respectfully ask him to come back when the weather is better or consider a different painting contractor.  The fact that he is attempting it is a red flag.  , click here to find a qualified painting contractor.