Painting Tips

Periodically, our Technical Director publishes "Lab Notes" to include technical and practical information about paint and paint application. If you would like more technical information, or to speak with a sales representative, fill out the request form or email us.

Exterior Autumn Painting

Autumn evenings and mornings, with the cooler temperatures and condensation, can present application problems with exterior applied coatings. Wrinkling, fading, loss of gloss, and streaking can occur if a sudden drop of temperature occurs and/or heavy dew forms, before the surface of the paint has thoroughly dried. Loss of adhesion, gloss, fading, and blisters can also result from application to damp substrates.

Latex painting should cease in the evening in sufficient time to allow at least 2 hours for the paint to dry before sunset. Oil/Alkyds may require longer, depending on the type of oils present. Latex painting in the morning should not begin until after the dew has had time to evaporate. Oil/Alkyds should never be applied to a damp substrate because they breath less and can trap evaporating moisture, resulting in blisters and poor adhesion.

Oil/Alkyds should not be applied on a cool surface that will be heated by the sun within a few hours. Temperature blisters can occur, usually showing up in the last coat of paint-- especially when thick coats of dark color paint have been applied under these conditions.

Oil/alkyd paints may be applied when the temperatures are above 40°F. A minimum of 50°F is required for application of most latex-based paints. For proper curing of latex paint films, the temperature should not drop below 50°F for at least 24 hours after application. Low temperatures will result in poor film formation of the paint film and early paint failure.

Bennette Paint offers a wide array of choices for exterior autumn painting. Choosing the correct product with the correct procedure allows the product to perform to its' best capacity.