residential painters painting home in san francisco bay area

Most San Francisco homes on the coast will need painting every three to seven years, due to the assault of wind, salty air, and humidity. But there are things you can do to ensure your home's exterior lasts as long as possible, especially if you are painting your coastal home during the winter!

Painting Your Coastal Home in Cold Weather

Here are some tips for ensuring that your residential painting project is completed to the highest standards possible:

Select a Suitable Paint

There are house paints designated for use on coastal properties. These include premium acrylic latex paints that are water-resistant and UV resistant, and elastomeric coatings, which are liquid polymers with additives to help resist UV rays and mold/mildew growth. 

You can also find acrylic paints developed to cure in temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit and with increased resistance to moisture during the curing process.

Use a Primer

If you are using exterior paint, give your home the strongest protection possible with two layers of primer application. Primer paint helps create a nonporous, smooth surface for your top coat to adhere too. This base application also helps prevent chips and cracks. For the best protection, you'll want two layers of primer instead of one layer.

Choose the Right Time

Even with cold-weather paint, you'll need to monitor the weather to ensure it won't rain, and the temperature will remain above the paint's minimum temperature during the curing process. Exterior acrylic latex paint can dry to the touch in four to six hours but take up to 30 days to cure completely. 

It's difficult to find an entire month that stays above 35 degrees in San Francisco during winter, but you should try to give the paint a few days above this temperature to avoid failure of application. Monitor the weather forecast for warmer weeks and take action when you see one.

Check Surface Temperature

Use an infrared thermometer to check the surface temperature of your residential siding before painting. While the air temperature may be warm enough to paint in, your home exterior might not be warm enough. Be sure to do a quick temperature check at a few different spots to see if your home is at the paint's listed minimum temperature.

Learn More About Our Residential Painting Services in San Francisco

If you are looking for help with your painting project in San Francisco, CA, turn to Rasmusen Painting and Concrete Coating. We have trained and licensed contractors who will use the best techniques for winter exterior painting on the coast.

You can also get help with your concrete coating applications, residential and commercial floor coatings, industrial floor coatings, floor system repair, and finishing services. Give us a call to request a free quote for any of our services right away.