Luckily, we don’t see harsh winters here in Arizona, especially in the valley of the sun. But you still want to be prepared for frozen temperatures if you plan on painting or storing your paint during the winter months, as there are times when the temperatures do dip below freezing overnight in the valley.

Painting During the Cold Months

We usually see pretty nice temperatures throughout the winter months, but you want to make sure you are painting your home during the spring and fall, when you are guaranteed nice temperatures, just in case a cold spell comes through. You can always hire our experienced painters at East Valley Painters to get the job done, but if you decide to do it yourself, make sure you know what you are doing. Some paints can be really thick when it is cold out, needing excessive thinning. Fortunately, there are special additives that can be added to your paint to help apply the thick paint easier in the colder temperatures. Keep in mind that latex paint can freeze easily, so it will need to be thawed. But if it goes through many cycles of being thawed, it could cause the paint to be lumpy, making the paint unusable.

Obviously, cold weather causes slower dry time. You might need to wait longer than usual to add multiple coats. Latex paint will take about 6 hours to dry in the cold weather, but some paints can take up to 48 hours. Make sure to pay attention to the ingredients and read the labels for more direction. Colder weather can also cause cracking or the paint to bubble. You can always apply extra coats to conceal, but remember, this will take you more time! There are special paints that are made for the cold weather along with special rollers and brushes to handle the thick paint. Check your local paint store for these options.

Storing Paint

After your paint job is done and you have leftover paint, you need to store it smartly so it doesn’t go to waste. It is wise not to store your paint in the garage as it could easily freeze when the temperatures dip below freezing overnight. Try to store in a closet at room temperature. Oil-based paint is usually not an issue as it usually doesn’t freeze easily, but it is still better to store in room temperature. You also don’t want to store your paint in damaged containers. Always store paints in a 100 percent vacuum sealed jar or container. You can always find these at your local paint store or hardware store if the original container gets damaged.

The winter months are almost upon us, but it isn’t too late to update the exterior paint of your home. If you’d rather leave this one to the pros, or have questions about warranties or an upcoming painting project, just click below to contact us or to learn more about our painting company. East Valley Painters, serving Sun Lakes, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Chandler, and east valley cities for the past 30 years.