The Friday before last, all craftsmen and women were given a paid day off to escape the heat. Even those who were working inside Boston’s older homes were without A/C and when the conditions were exacerbated by the need for respirator use and other personal protection equipment, our misery index was off the charts.
So, off to the beach we went. I think most of us stayed home though, enjoying the cool breeze of conditioned air. Makes me wonder how any work gets done south of the Mason Dixon line after June 1st …
On a more practical note, those conditions are actually poor painting weather.
The side of any paint can describes ideal painting conditions; these do not include high humidity and high temperatures. In fact the near magical coalescence of ingredients that takes place when paint dries properly is very sensitive to environmental factors. Manufacturer labels are pointed in their advice not to paint below a certain temperature; 50 degrees Fahrenheit for older generation acrylic materials and oil-based coatings, 35 degrees for newer acrylics and water-borne material.
It would be wise to add some words about painting in the summer. Something along the lines of “when heat and humidity begin to reduce productivity, consider giving your employees the day off and forget about painting until the weather moderates.” That’s just what we did that week, and hopefully that meant our craftsmen and women enjoyed a quiet paid day at home, compliments of Catchlight, and Mother Nature.
If you’re a home or business owner living in Greater Boston, we invite you to learn more about our residential painting services.
