When Should You Paint the Outside of Your House?

All throughout New England, weather patterns are unpredictable. Fluctuations in temperature, wind conditions, rain patterns, and pollen count can make it difficult to figure out exactly which season is prime for painting.

What is the best time of the year to paint exteriors?

Let’s make this easy, then: paint season typically spans from April to October, and summer generally offers the longest, most consistent run of sunny, temperate days—ideal conditions for exterior painting. Spring and fall, meanwhile, are two sides of the same coin: the threat of rain and higher levels of moisture make them more variable times of year, less reliable than the drier days of summer. This leaves winter, the most inclement of seasons. Downpours, snow, and hard-blowing wind are tough on exteriors in the first place. It’s probably no surprise, then, that poor atmospheric conditions affect exterior painting. Whether working with stucco, concrete, wood, or metal, the amount of substrate moisture needs to be measured, known, and accounted for appropriately.

What temperature can you paint outside?

More to the point: while advances in manufacturing have allowed for the advent of new products (paints that can be applied in weather as cold as 35 degrees), anything chillier than that will prove problematic. After all, no one wants a coating failure. There’s an old carpentry proverb that goes like this: “Measure twice and cut once.” With exterior painting, the motto should be something along the lines of: “measure moisture and coat right”—particularly when working outside of optimal conditions.

All this said, anything is doable with the right team: at Tom Curren Companies, our experts are trained and ready to work year-round, in all seasons, with results you can count on. If you’re thinking about an exterior painting project, get in touch with us for a free estimate from the top painters in the Boston area. Reach out to us earlier than later for scheduling during your preferred dates and times.