Most people think of painting as a summer job. Outside, it is. Inside, the season does not matter much, and winter has a few real advantages.
Why winter works
- Easier scheduling. Outdoor projects stop in the fall, so interior schedules open up through the winter.
- Dry indoor air. Heated winter air is dry, and paint dries faster in it than on a humid July day.
- Before the holidays, or after. Many people want rooms finished before family visits, or use January and February to get projects done before spring.
Keep the heat on
Paint has a minimum application temperature, and so does the room. Keep the heat at normal living temperature while the work is done and for a day or two after, so the paint cures properly. A cold spare room or an unheated addition needs warming up first.
Ventilation with the windows closed
Most interior paints today are low odor, but a room still needs some air movement to dry and clear. In winter that usually means running the HVAC fan, opening interior doors and cracking a window for short stretches, not leaving windows open all day.
Cold outside walls
In older homes with little insulation, exterior walls can be noticeably colder than the room. Paint on a cold wall dries more slowly, and in very cold snaps condensation can form on the coldest surfaces. Painting those walls during the warmer part of the day helps.
Ice dam stains: wait for spring, or not?
Brown rings on the ceiling usually mean an ice dam has pushed water under the shingles. Painting over a stain while the roof is still leaking only hides it until the next thaw. Get the roof dealt with first and let the ceiling dry out. Then the stain gets a stain-blocking primer and the ceiling is repainted. Read how we repair ice dam damage.
Living in the house while it is painted
Winter interior work happens with everyone home, so it helps to plan room by room. Bedrooms are usually done early in the day so they are dry and usable by night, and the main living spaces are kept usable as much as possible.
See how an interior painting job runs, or call (978) 645-3529 to book a winter estimate.