Undercoating and glossing in the cold General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[AlanA]

Hi
Are there any hard fast rules about painting outside now -ie October as it's getting quite cold now. I've read all the instructions on the cans but they don't mention temperature tollerancies (particularly cold) and if there's a frost before it completly dries.

[Ken Woodchef]

Hi, generaly speaking you should avoid painting outside surfaces this time of year as the paint can take an extended length of time to cure due to the time taken to evaporate the solvents in the paint and with the likelyhood of frosts, this can cause the structure of the paint to be affected before it cures.

Oil base paints fair better in colder weather, but even these can be affected by warm days / cold nights which produce condensation that can affect the finished look.

Best avoid it if you can and wait for the Indian Summer to set in or late spring next year, whichever is the sooner.

[rosebery]

I agree - leave it until the weather turns. A pro will do outside glossing at this time of year but he'll chose his days carefully, start early when the morning humidity has disappeared and work reaaallly faaaaast.

Never gloss in late afternoon this weather. It won't be glossy in the morning!

Cheers

[kimhodd]

We always had a saying of: from October to March never gloss outside before 10 and after 3. The gloss will lose it's shine, undercoating is o.k. if you have to do it go toa specialist decorators and buy some terebine driers BUT ADD ONLY A CAPFUL TO A GALLON OF PAINT, any more and the paint will crack.