Painting when it's raining

[Mick.H.]

I was planning on painting our second bedroom today but it hasn't stopped raining and it doesn't look like stopping. How true is it that you shouldn't paint when it is raining? And why do they say that you shouldn't paint in the rain?

Thanks

Mick

[wheelinround]

The walls absorb moisture you can end up with a real flat look
plenty of painters still paint when raining I have seen in new homes they use 500 wt lights and or heaters to dry the air but watch the fumes.

funny though to rid a room of paint smell you put a bowl of water in it.

[durwood]

It depends on what paint you are using whether its OK to paint when it rains.

The most important factor is the room temperature. If its above 15Deg C its alright if its less its going to be hard for the paint to dry out, so use a heater to warm the room or wait till its a warmer day.

If the paint is water thinned it won't make any differnce if its raining or not as long as the temperature is Ok. On a hot day you sometimes have to wet the surface first as the paint dries too fast. Inside on a wet day you may be lengthening the dryiing time not by the fact its raining but that you added a bit more water to thin your paint.

Turps based paints also can be painted on a wet day, same story, need heat to dry out the paint. When its raining you are probably going to have the doors and windows closed so fumes are then a problem. Better if its warmer and you can get some ventilation.

Why rainy days is a problem is for fast drying paints such as lacquers. When they dry they need lots of heat so on a cold day they take any heat in the air out of it fast. If there is moisture in the air then the heat holding it there can't cope and the moisture fall on the paint. First it makes the paint "blush" (it goes white) and second it leaves moisture on the surface and if you continue painting it gets trapped in the coating and when the paint dries and you have a hot day the moisture expands in the finish and causes blisters, which obviously wrecks the finish. Hence why painting on wet days can be a problem and should be avoided in those cases.

As water or turps based paints dry real slow there is little if any chance of blushing taking place.

[Mick.H.]

Thanks for the help. I'll go the heater option as it is a pretty cold room. Keep on painting...

Mick

[munruben]

Like has been said above, if you are using paints that are thinned with water, no problem.
With the oil based paints, it is preferable to have a dry, warm atmosphere. Oil paints have a habit of "running" when its cold and its usually cold when its raining.
Most modern homes are painted with acrylic paints today so the weather is not such a problem as it use to be. I am talking about interior painting.