How Arizona’s Monsoon Affects Your Exterior Paint
Don’t let the Arizona’s monsoon stop you from improving your home’s exterior paint!
Summers in Arizona brings crazy thunderstorms full of wind, hail and rain. It is usually referred to as Arizona’s Monsoon. It starts June 15th and ends September 30th, but peaks in July and August. Since we are right in the middle of Arizona’s Monsoon, it is the time that these storms can cause damage to your exterior paint and become a big inconvenience.
What exactly is a monsoon? It is often used to describe a single thunderstorm. But it is actually the name of a large-scale weather pattern that causes a season shift and brings tons of precipitation to the desert during the summer months. When the monsoon hits, be prepared for downpours, haboobs (dust storms), high winds and floods – all posing a damage to your home’s exterior paint!
Before the summer months’ approach, it is a good idea to use an extra protective coating on the exterior of your home. The thickness of the paint plays a large role in how protected your exterior will be. These protective coatings help with the rain to just slide right down the walls, instead of getting into gaps.
But what do you do if you plan on repainting the exterior of your home during the summer months in Arizona? East Valley Painters are prepared to paint during Arizona’s monsoon and takes precautions so your paint job gets done right!
It is best to not paint when the surface of your exterior is wet. Luckily, most homes in Arizona use stucco, which dries quickly in the sun. A moisture meter can be used to determine if the surface is dry enough. Or looking outside at the streets can also give a good indication. Wood homes do take longer to dry, sometimes up to 2 days. It really just depends on how wet the surface gets.
We like to start early! That way we can avoid thunderstorms that usually develop in the late afternoons. Plus, we can paint during the cooler times of the day since it isn’t wise to paint during the hottest time of the day.
It is still a good idea to always watch the radar and pay attention to the weather. We like to have plenty of time to stop painting before a thunderstorm approaches. That we can pack up our equipment and give the paint time to dry before the rain hits. Most of the time the paint can dry fairly quickly, almost within an hour in the Arizona heat. If for some reason a dust storm does hit your home, it is important for us to spray off any dust or dirt so that the paint goes on best. We never want to paint over a dusty exterior.
If you are looking to hire a residential painter, East Valley Painter’s is proud to be home of the 10-year-warranty. Get a free painting estimate today!
