All winter long in New Jersey, we look forward to the weather getting warmer, the snow melting, and the coming of those precious spring and summer months. We make plans for leisure and for outdoor work. Then, those warmer months are finally here, only to be punctuated by rainy days and scattered thundershowers! So, when you have planned an exterior house painting project, how does the rain affect it?

Obviously, you can’t apply exterior paint while it’s raining, whether it’s a light drizzle or a thunderstorm. The drops of rain would instantly mar the surface of the paint, making it look ugly and perform poorly. But once the rain stops falling, can you open the paint can and grab a brush?

The Surface Must Be Really, Truly, Thoroughly Dry

Unfortunately, it is not possible to paint immediately after the rain stops. Your exterior surfaces need to be completely dried out again before the paint can be applied. If not, your paint is sure to fail, whether by blistering, peeling, running, staining, or some combination of these. In short, the new paint is not only wasted, but the failed paint needs to be removed before you can try a new coat.

After a hard rain, it can take 1-3 sunny days to dry out wood siding, especially if there is not currently a good coat of paint on the wood. High humidity or cool overcast weather can also make the drying time longer.

That old phrase from the farming days, “Make hay while the sun shines,” could just as well apply to exterior house painting. Here in New Jersey, we go through periods where storms come and go quickly, so when we do have a good window for exterior painting, we need to take advantage of it!

Exterior House Painting Services for New Jersey

One way to make sure you get your home exterior painted during those short favorable windows is to hire a professional painter! Cherry Hill Painting is a well-respected painting company, offering exterior painting services to New Jersey and the Philadelphia region. In addition to exterior house painting, we also offer wallpaper removal, kitchen cabinet refinishing, deck maintenance, and interior painting. Call us for a free estimate, and make sure you get on our schedule before the winter months come around again!