Painting w/Acrylic paint in wet weather?

Questions & AnswersCategory: Enviromental Painting Questions and ConcernsPainting w/Acrylic paint in wet weather?
R asked 10 years ago

My house painters (hired by my carpentry contractor) are painting the aluminum siding on my house (Sherwin-Williams acrylic primer/paint). We’ve had more rainy days than dry days. After rain, I wish they would allow one sunny day to dry things out before continuing…but…they always show up to paint the day after it rains. Yesterday, storm clouds were approaching and they were painting right up until the rain started falling. That same night temps fell below 50 degrees F. Do you think the paint will be badly affected and how will I prove, a year from now, that it was due to their bad practices?

1 Answers
Crowder Painting answered.

These conditions are difficult on the painters and the paint. The good part is their painting aluminum siding not wood. This siding won't adsorb water like wood and will dry for painting in just a couple of hours, if the temperature is good.

The disturbing part is painting "right up until the rain started falling." This could cause some real problems; running paint, separating colorant, dented or cratered paint film to name a few. It would be nice if they would quite painting a little earlier but you can check the paint job for these potential problems and document what you see, take pictures of any found problem areas. If you find any unsightly areas point these out to the painters and the carpenter, these will have to be fixed before final payment.

You mention Sherwin Williams paint. Do you know the brand? Super Paint, Resilience or Duration? These are all very good paints but Resilience is designed for questionable wet weather. Any paint will have its limits. The best way to prepare yourself for possible problems is to call your nearest Sherwin Williams store and talk to the manager. It is likely they will send out a field sales rep to take a look at your home, the products being used and render any needed opinions. If the painters are using any of the good products offered by Sherwin Williams the sales rep will make sure they are applying everything correctly, Sherwin Williams offers product warranties and I'm sure they will prefer the paint be applied correctly.