Interior painting in San Diego: Should you paint your interiors in rainy weather?

Painting your interiors is an excellent way to liven up your space and give it a gorgeous new look. 

Compared to exterior painting, interior painting can be a bit easier as you don’t have to deal with the sun blazing down on you and the wind kicking up dust onto your freshly painted walls.

Rainy weather in particular can be a roadblock for an exterior paint job, but it won’t really stop you from carrying on your interior painting project. However, the weather outside can have an impact on the quality of your work.

Rain can introduce a host of problems that may affect your paint jobs, but with some careful planning, you can make it work.

Here are some tips from interior painters in San Diego on getting your interior paint job done in rainy weather.

Be mindful of the temperature

The rain can make your home’s interiors colder, and this can affect how quickly your paint dries. The minimum temperature required for painting is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but this may change depending on the brand of paint you use.

If you feel your interiors are too cold, turn up the heater and let your home warm up a bit before you start painting.

Sometimes, you may have to open the window to let in some air to help the paint dry, but doing this when it’s raining outside will let in moisture. Instead, try to use a stand fan to help your walls dry faster.

Look for any damp spots

If your home has known leaks that haven’t been fixed yet, keep an eye out for any damp spots on your walls.

Water dripping down on your interior walls will start to wash away your paint and cause unsightly paint streaks on your walls. Also, if the walls are already damp when you start painting them, the finish might end up being crackly and bubbly, this will cause the paint to peel off eventually.

Also, make sure to check the humidity levels in your home too. High humidity levels can lead to condensation forming on your walls, which may be accelerated when it’s raining outside. 

Turn up your home’s fans or air conditioning system to keep the air circulating and prevent excess moisture.

Choose the right paint

When painting your interiors on rainy days, you’ll need to pick the right kind of paint. A good quality latex interior paint would be perfect for the job.

You might also want to consider a purpose-based paint, such as anti-condensation paint which is designed to prevent moisture from collecting on your walls. 

Anti-mold paint is also a good choice as mold is likely to form on your walls during the rainy season. This type of paint won’t destroy existing mold on your walls, but it will prevent any mold from growing in the future.

To get the best out of your paint job, make sure to apply one coat of primer on your interior walls before painting. You’ll need to wait for the primer to dry before painting, and in rainy weather, this may take up to three hours at most.

Get rid of mold

As I mentioned earlier, mold is likely to form during the rainy season, these unsightly spots can even cause health problems in some people. 

Painting over them will not only ruin your finish but also, the moisture from the paint can feed the mold.

The best thing to do is remove the mold entirely before you start painting. To do this, add one cup of borax to a gallon of water and then apply the mixture to the affected area.

After the spot dries, scrub it with a brush until all the mold is gone. Make sure to apply at least one thick layer of acrylic primer to the de-molded walls before you paint them.

Ask interior painters in San Diego to help you out

Just like painting your home’s exteriors, interior painting during rainy days can bring a host of challenges.

If you’re unsure about how to get your interior paint job done flawlessly during the rainy season, get in touch with professional interior painters in San Diego today!