Queensland is known around the world for its beautiful weather. But when is it too hot to paint your house or too cold to paint your house? Is winter the best time for house painters? We can tell you that the humidity of Brisbane’s summer can throw up some challenges for our painters but winter and autumn in Brisbane is possibly the perfect time to paint the exterior or interior of your home.
As the humidity of summer fades away autumn and winter is the peak season for house painters in Brisbane. In fact, the ideal temperature to paint a home is around 15 – 30 degrees Celsius and under 70% humidity. This aligns perfectly with Brisbane’s autumn and winter.
Average Brisbane Temp in Autumn (March-May)
15C – 25C with low humidity
Average Brisbane Temp Winter (June – August)
11C – 21C and humidity average of 50%
The painting conditions at this time mean the house painters work fast and the humidity doesn’t interfere with the paint.
Does it Take Longer To Paint in Winter?
In winter we keep an eye on the overnight temperature forecast and it’s important to have the coat of paint dry before the next coat is applied. This might mean if the temp is going to be lower than 10C degrees overnight we might finish earlier in the afternoon to leave the paint longer to dry before the next coat, but we will take all of this into account when quoting the price and timeframe of the job so we can keep you fully informed. We will always work fast and efficiently combined with making sure quality above all is foremost.
Winter can actually be quicker to paint a home than summer, as humidity and heat are more troublesome for paint and painters than low temps.
Preventing Paint From Fading
It’s important to make sure the house paint lasts in the Brisbane climate so the prep work and the paint must be given the right attention. Using paint that is UV protected is really important in the hot climate and we can recommend the best paint to last, we won’t paint with anything else.
Painting in cooler weather like Winter means exterior walls will take longer to dry. We take into account the weather forecast and aim to paint when to weather is stable and dry for 48 hours after application. As this will give the best drying time and set the paint perfectly. If the paint is applied in rainy weather it will not adhere correctly meaning blistering and streaking.
Conversely, in hot and humid conditions, the paint will dry faster and not bond properly to the surface making peeling an issue. Luckily Brisbane seems to experience more rain in summer than in winter and autumn. So painting in the months from March to August is the best time of the year in Brisbane!
Painting in Hot Weather
U.V. radiation and direct sunlight degrade the binder and pigment in paint, which causes colour fading. Waterborne paint binders are better at resisting this UV damage. Solventborne paints also absorb U.V. radiation. We paint 12 months of the year and while we say autumn and winter are the best time to book in house painting, summer is still AOK to get your house painted.
We take the weather into account when we are painting the exterior of a home. Meaning we turn up earlier in the morning and get as much done before the heat of the day. The paint we use stands up to humidity and we want it to last for years in the hot Brisbane climate so you can be assured painting in the summer is still ok.
Humidity means how much water vapour is in the air compared with how much it can actually hold. For water to evaporate from a waterborne paint it needs relative humidity conditions. In high humidity conditions, surfactant leaching can occur. This is when you can see brown or white discolourations on the surface. High humidity also causes water particles to try and enter the paint surface. For Queenslander homes, this can be a big issue as wood absorbs moisture easily and can affect the adhesion of paint to the surface making it bubble and peel.
Prep work is essential to address these future issues when painting your home. During our quote, we will advise you on any prep work needed to make the paint last for years and years and look good well into the future.
