Can Your Facility Be Painted in Cold Weather?

March 8, 2013

Monthly Archives
Blog Categories

The answer is yes, but you and your contractor will want to proceed carefully.

Here are some issues that will impact how quickly your facility can be painted as well as when it can be painted. Be careful engaging industrial painting contractors who seem to diminish or ignore these conditions.

Check the weather forecast. You will need a clear window of at least two days, preferably longer, to ensure that the job is done properly. The temperature needs to stay above the paint manufacturer’s recommendations, not only during the day, but also at night.

Generally, the sweet spot for painting is to apply when the temperature will stay above 50 degrees for at least 48 hours. There are paints available that can be applied as low as 40 degrees, but several other factors have to be kept in mind.

Temperature is one consideration, but there are several others. How cold is the substrate? Steel will remain below 50 degrees even after the outside temperature hits 50. What will the relative humidity be while the paint is applied and drying? Dew point also matters because condensation forming on your newly painted surface can be a problem. A quality contractor will take all these conditions into consideration.

The work will need to be done during the midday hours. Painting may not be able to start at the beginning of the work day, although prep work can be done. The preference in cooler periods is to follow the sun. This may mean that the work cannot always start and finish where you would prefer (or the job will take longer, to accommodate those desires).

Even with these restrictions, you don’t have to put off painting the exterior of your facility. If your exterior needs work, don’t put it off. Just make sure that you understand the constraints that have to be faced by your commercial painting company or contractor.

Questions or comments?

Ready to get your project started?

White Brick Texture