Honolulu can be painted all year. There is no freeze and no snow. The two things that matter are rain and sun. The drier months, about May to September, are the easiest. The wetter months, about October to April, need more watching of the sky.
What is the best time of year to paint the outside of a house here?
The best months are the dry season, roughly May through September. Honolulu's normal rainfall at the airport is only about 16 inches a year, and June and July average about half an inch each. November, December and January are the wettest months, at around two inches each. Normal highs run from about 80 degrees in January to about 89 in August.
That is the airport. The island's rain is very uneven. Manoa, Nuuanu, Kaneohe and Kailua get far more than Ewa Beach or Kapolei. On the wet side, summer is the clear choice. On the dry leeward side, any month works with a little care. Painting goes on through the winter here. It just takes more stops and starts.
Can you paint outside when it is raining or about to rain?
No. Paint should not go on in the rain, on a wet wall, or when a shower is due before the paint can set. Light trade-wind showers pass in minutes, and work can go on between them on walls that stayed dry under the eaves. A Kona storm or a front in the wet season can bring a full day or more of steady rain, and exterior work stops for that.
It rained a few hours after painting. Is it ruined?
Usually not. If the paint had a few hours to set before it rained, a passing shower does no harm. Heavy rain on paint that is still wet can wash it thin, leave streaks or cause surfactant marks, which are tan or shiny drips. Many of those marks rinse off. Areas that washed out need another coat once the wall is dry. We check the wall after any surprise shower.
How long after rain before siding can be painted?
After rain, give wood siding at least a full dry day, and more if it was soaked or sits in shade. Hollow tile and stucco hold water longer than they look. A wall that feels dry on the surface can still be damp inside, and paint over damp wood blisters and peels. On the windward side and in the valleys this is the main cause of delay. A moisture meter takes out the guesswork.
How cold is too cold to paint outside?
It is never too cold to paint in Honolulu. Most water-based exterior paints need the air and the wall to be above about 50 degrees, and some are made for 35. Honolulu's normal low in the coolest month is in the mid 60s. The cold-weather limits that shape the painting season on the mainland do not apply on Oahu. What does apply at night is dew: a wall painted too late in the day can be wet with dew before the paint has set.
How hot is too hot, and is direct sun a problem?
Air temperature in Honolulu is rarely too hot for paint, but direct sun on the wall is a real problem. A dark wall in full afternoon sun gets far hotter than the air. Paint put on a hot wall dries too fast, which causes lap marks, blisters and a weak bond. The answer is to follow the shade around the house: the west side in the morning, the east side in the afternoon. On the leeward side in summer, the middle of the day is for prep work.
Can you paint inside in the wet season with the windows closed?
Yes. Interior painting goes on all year, and in Honolulu the windows rarely need to stay closed. There is no cold season here, so the mainland worry about painting in winter with the house shut does not apply. If rain is blowing in, close the windward side and keep air moving with fans or the air conditioning. Humid days slow drying, so allow more time between coats.
Do humidity and salt air affect exterior painting?
Yes, both do. Humid air slows drying, so each coat needs longer before the next. Salt settles on every outside surface near the coast and keeps paint from bonding, so the wash before painting is not optional here. Salt also rusts nail heads, railings and hardware, and rust bleeds through paint unless it is treated and primed. Hurricane season in the central Pacific runs from June through November. Storms are not common on Oahu, but we watch the forecast.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (808) 201-4302.