In the midst of the Wisconsin heat wave, it seems as good a time as any to discuss when it is safe to carry out your home's exterior paint project. 

Safety First

With the heat Wisconsin is currently experiencing, exterior paint jobs can be quite difficult and dangerous for the DIY painter. The best thing to do is to start really early and work in the shade. Complicating matters in 95-degree heat is high humidity. It's a killer—literally. In such heat and humidity, the body cannot properly cool itself, particularly when one expending a great deal of energy in the act of painting. 

Be sure to drink plenty of water, not soda. The idea is to stay hydrated because you will be losing a lot of fluids via sweat. Also, use sunblock. The amount of sunlight that painters receive is quite high and you don't want to get sunburnt. Also, check for signs of sun stroke: muscle cramps, headaches, elevated heart rate and incoherent speech. Related to sunstroke is heat exhaustion, in which individuals experience dizzyness, nausea, heavy sweat and clammy skin.

Interior painting is a different story. "Working inside is great as long as there is air flow and, hopefully, air-conditioning," says Lakeside Painting President Joe Pangburn. "We pulled a crew from an interior with no air conditioning today. Safety first."

Paint Application

If you decide to paint in this type of heat and humidity, know a few things before you start. First, in high humidity, the paint will not dry properly. Moisture will be trapped and the paint will soon peel, swell, bubble and otherwise not adhere to the surface. Also, check the surface before painting. The temperature is usually 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the air, so on a day like today with 95 degree heat, the paint's adherence to the surface will be made incredibly difficult if not impossible; unless, of course, you want an uneven paint job that will very quickly need repainting.

Another issue in painting surfaces is finding the right paint. Acryclic latex dries faster than oil-based paints, but in high heat and humidity it becomes difficult to maintain a "wet edge," as we painters call it, which is critical in applying a nice, even and attractive paint job.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind, as noted above, that aside from the obvious application problems when painting exteriors (or interiors) in high heat, the risk to the painters' health is even higher. At Lakeside Painting, we like to err on the side of caution and keep our painters safe and out of the heat and humidity. 

If you have any other questions, please give Lakeside Painting a call at 262.642.9445 or email us at [email protected].