Seasons of the year when it is unpleasant to be outside are great times to get some work done on the interior of your home. In the northern United States especially, the winter months are ideal for those inside jobs. In this article, we’ll look at the best painting projects for when the weather is bad. After all, if you’re going to be stuck inside, you might as well be productive!
Tackle a Big Project and Conquer Your Procrastination
Poor weather periods — be they a couple of days, weeks, or even months — are a great time to take on a major indoor project that you may have been avoiding.
For a lot of people, this might be painting a room such as a bathroom. All of the appliances, corners, and tight spaces make bathrooms especially tedious to paint. For others, you may have a large open space, such as a foyer or a finished basement, that needs a fresh coat. The sheer size, and sometimes the heights, are enough to make even the most motivated homeowner procrastinate.
Perhaps worst of all, your ceilings might be looking dirty, dusty, and dingy. Now is as good a time as any to get going because whatever your reason, bad weather is a great excuse for finally tackling your home improvement white whale.
Avoid Bedrooms or Other Personal Spaces
There are some reasons to avoid painting certain rooms when the weather is poor. This isn’t for any technical reasons, though.
Bad weather means that chances are, everyone in your household is stuck inside. Therefore, you might want to avoid spaces where your family members go for privacy or alone time, since they may need that more than ever when they can’t escape outdoors.
In the Winter, Avoid Cold Exterior Walls
Many people like to get the painting done in the winter so that they can turn their attention to outdoor projects when the weather is better. This is great, but you must keep in mind that temperature affects how paint dries. Most types of paint require moderate temperatures (not too warm or cool) and low to moderate humidity to dry properly.
Even if your room itself is warm enough, test exterior walls by touching them to see how cold they are. If they’re considerably colder than the room, you will need to turn up the heat or find another way to warm the walls.
Drawbacks to Bad Weather Painting
The main drawback to painting when the weather is poor is the lack of ventilation. More than likely, you won’t be able to open your windows. Even if the temperature outside is moderate but rainy, you can’t risk the excess moisture getting on the fresh paint. Be sure to run fans or keep your home’s air conditioning or heat on for more air circulation.
The other drawback is minor, and this is that if you need more supplies, you’ll have to brave the adverse elements.
Bad weather days have a tendency to make us want to curl up under a warm blanket. But they’re also a great time to eliminate a project from your to-do list. The next time that you’re stuck inside, why not paint?