Your house in need of a summer refresh? Maybe you’ve been wanting to upgrade your space with a vibrant new colour, and your summer break is the perfect opportunity for that. A quick, DIY paint job is time and wallet-friendly way to revamp your home completely.
However, doing this during the warmer months can prove to be a little trickier than your average paint job.
Why?
The warmer weather means the paint dries quicker than it usually would. Now, I know this may not sound like an issue, but for your walls, paintbrush and your paint can it is.
The paint you buy is designed to dry at a specific rate to ensure a flawless and long-lasting finish. What happens when it dries to fast? The smooth texture of the paint is compromised, so your walls won’t have that perfectly silken finish.
Your brush drying out means you’re dragging a sticky, claggy brush across your walls - not ideal for creating the smooth surface your walls deserve. Another heat-related problem? Your can of paint drying out means the beautiful, silky paint you bought is now thick and clumpy.
Not to worry though, there are a bunch of easy ways to get the best possible paint job.
- Choose your paint wisely
Some paints are made to withstand warmer temperatures - they have special formulas to slow down the drying process. If you are painting in summer, talk to someone at your local hardware or paint store to ensure you get the perfect paint for you.
- Consider a paint thinner
Similarly, a paint thinner can sometimes be added to paints to prevent them from drying out too quickly. If you are planning on painting in exceptionally warm conditions, these can be super helpful to make sure the consistency is always perfect. Remember to mix them well!
Alternatively, you can add water to your paint to stop it from drying out too quickly. The key with this tip is to make sure you don’t add too much - paint can take up to about 5% water before the consistency gets altered.
- Check the weather
Generally, the ideal temperature to paint your walls is between 10ºC and 25ºC. If you are painting internally, it can be pretty easy to control the temperature of the room.
However, if you are painting externally, you should do so during the coolest parts of the day - early morning or late evening - and not in direct sunlight.
- Keep an eye on the temperature of your walls
Even with all of the above precautions, if the temperature of your wall gets above 35ºC, your paint job will suffer. Above this temperature, the paint will begin drying out super quickly, both on your walls, in the can and on your brushes. But that’s okay - if it’s going to be a scorching hot day, you probably won’t want to be painting anyway.
- Prevent drying out
To prevent your paint brushes from drying out, keep a bucket of water nearby. Keep one brush in the bucket at all times so you can swap between them as they dry out.