Residential Painting Ottawa, Ontario: Ideal Temperature and Humidity

If you’re planning for residential painting as soon as things get back to normal in Ottawa, Ontario, you might be wondering when the best time is.
Painting when it is too hot, too cold or too humid can adversely affect the quality of your paint job
In this article, we want to share some quick tips on the ideal weather condition for residential paint jobs in Ottawa, Ontario.
Read on:

The Temperature Must Be Optimal

Temperature too high
If the temperature is too high, the paint may dry too quickly.
The warmer it is, the faster the water in the paint will evaporate. The paint thickens and becomes more difficult to apply evenly.
Above 20 °C, the drying process becomes faster and faster; the application of paint then becomes more and more difficult (provide slight ventilation to cool the room). Over time, drying too quickly promotes the formation of cracks and scales.

Temperature too low
If the temperature is too low, the paint may not dry at all: the drying time is longer when the temperatures are below 10 °C (then plan to heat the room for drying)
The paint in the aqueous phase does not dry when the temperature is below 5 °C; it is impossible to paint.
Besides, below 10 °C, the paint is pasty and becomes difficult to apply, and there is a risk of depositing thicker layers that dry less well and compromise quality/durability.

What Is The Happy Medium?

The ideal is to apply the paint in a room tempered between 10 and 20 °C.
Readjust the room temperature with heating or air conditioning for example

Too Much Moisture Is To Be Avoided: Monitor the Humidity

Too high or too low humidity?
The air humidity affects the drying time of the interior paint:
• if the humidity is low (30 to 40%): the paint dries too quickly
• if the humidity is high (above 80%): the paint in aqueous phase dries slowly
• if the humidity in the air is saturated (100%): the paint in the aqueous phase does not dry, remains wet for too long runs.
What is the happy medium?
The ideal is to apply the paint in a room with a humidity level lower than 70%.
Readjust the humidity in the room air by closing the windows during drying and activating the VMC to renew the air and allow the paint to dry properly.

Avoid Direct Sunlight

If the surface to be painted is in direct sunlight, consider closing window dressings for the interior or paint under shade for the exterior: painting in the sun is not ideal because the paint dries too quickly and makes application difficult.

No wind, drafts, dust, and pollen

Avoid painting in a dusty room, open to the wind: dust and pollen can stick to the freshly applied paint.

What about Materials and Paint?
The higher the room temperature, the faster the brushes and rollers tend to dry out and leave marks.
In the cans or paint trays, the paint forms a film, making the paint less smooth.

Need Help With That?

Perfect timing can mean the difference between an even and durable paint job, and premature paint failure.

So, if you need professional help with wallpaper removal and repainting your home interior, our team at Millers Painting Company can help.

We offer high-quality residential and commercial painting services in Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, and Westboro areas of Ottawa, Ontario.

To get started with us, book a FREE estimate or call us on 613-979-5435.