When the mercury drops and there’s a chill in the air, it can be a little more difficult to paint successfully, especially outdoors. This is because paint takes longer to cure in cold air which is largely because of drops of moisture that form on the surface making it more difficult for any moisture in the paint to evaporate.
As a result of this, you’ll not only find that paint takes longer to dry but it’s sustainability over time may be affected. Paint that was applied in less than optimal conditions may be prone to cracking or premature damage. So, your painting contractor may not take on as much, if any work during those colder months. But if they’re not working, what do painters do in the winter?
One of the most obvious things that a painter can do during winter would be to offer more interior work. But they might also take this opportunity to place a focus on other areas of their business such as marketing or even offering new and innovative services.
Just because winter has set it, that doesn’t mean that, as a painter, you have to succumb to the idea of unemployment. In this guide, we will be giving you some ideas on how to keep busy.
Things That Painters Can Do In Winter
Do More Interior Work
As people start getting ready for Christmas and the holiday season, they may be keen to spruce up their home ready for guests. This is a great opportunity for painters who want to take on more interior work so keep your eyes peeled for these types of clients.
We’ll be honest, you may not earn as much doing this as interior painters generally earn a little less but it’ll certainly tide you over until spring comes around.
Boost Your Business
If the jobs aren’t coming in as freely, then you might take this as a chance to boost your business and focus on marketing. Moreover, you can do this from the comfort and warmth of your own home so there’s no need to venture out into the cold.
Social media is an excellent place to start if you don’t already have some form of online marketing. Keep your audience engaged and regularly post images of previous work to demonstrate your standards.
If you have a website, blog or any other kind of online presence, you might take this opportunity to improve SEO strategies and bring in more traffic, which hopefully will convert to more bookings.
This is also a great time to secure jobs in spring. A lot of homeowners and businesses may be looking for painters in the coming months and will want to secure a deal in advance. Jump on these opportunities now before other contractors get in there before you!
Offer Other Services
This is a great choice for painters who have a team of employees working underneath them. The last thing you or they want is a loss of income over winter so it pays to think outside of the box and offer other services that you may be qualified to perform.
This might include things like Christmas light installation, gritting driveways and clearing snow. All of these services are popular in the winter and there are many other things you could do.
Tips For Exterior Painting In Winter
If you absolutely have to paint outdoors in winter then there’s nothing we can say that is going to stop you. However, there are some precautions you’ll need to take if you want to make sure your work is the best it can be.
Keep The Area Covered
One of the most important things when painting outdoors in cold weather is to block off the area from the elements. The simplest way of doing this is to use a combination of scaffolding or other poles and plastic sheeting. This will create a full cover over the area and will prevent moisture from settling.
This covered area will need to have good airflow and a heater won’t go amiss to keep the temperature consistent while the paint dries.
Check Your Weather App
One of the worst things you can do is to start an exterior paint job only for the heavens to open for days on end. Even with a covered area, this can cause problems so we would advise keeping an eye on the weather and planning in advance. If it looks set to rain or snow in the coming days, then avoid making a start.
Also keep in mind that paint will become thicker as the temperature drops so even if the weather is dry, the cold may affect how easy it is to apply the paint.
Recent Article: Why Is My Wallpaper Coming Away From The Wall?
Conclusion
In the winter, it can be more difficult for painters to find work as exterior painting can be challenging to say the least. When the temperature drops, paint takes much longer to dry and this can affect its overall durability meaning it will need to be retouched much sooner than normal.
Moreover, the texture of paint thickens when the temperature drops so it can be much more challenging to apply which will affect the finish.
For these reasons, it’s best to avoid painting in winter but if this is your main form of income, you’ll need to find alternative ways to keep busy. Offering other services is an excellent choice and many people also take the time to focus on marketing their business and bringing in new clients ready for when the weather picks up.
1 thought on “What Do Painters Do In The Winter?”
Comments are closed.