Yes, you can paint in cold weather, but the temperature of the room and the surface matters more than the season. Indoors, winter is a perfectly good time to decorate as long as the room is heated: Farrow & Ball advise against painting below 10°C, and Little Greene give 8°C as the minimum for their Intelligent finishes. Outdoors it is a matter of choosing a mild, dry spell, because cold, damp and dew are what spoil exterior paint.
Water-based paints need a little warmth to dry and form a proper film. Too cold, and they stay wet for longer, dry unevenly and may never reach the toughness they were designed for. The fix is simple: know the minimum for your paint and keep the room, and the wall, above it.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Mole's Breath (276)
Painting indoors in winter
Inside, the figures to know come straight from the brands' own data sheets:
- Farrow & Ball. Their product advice sheets for Estate Emulsion, Modern Emulsion and Flat Eggshell all say not to paint below 10°C or in excessive heat above 30°C.
- Little Greene. Their Intelligent finishes, such as Intelligent Matt Emulsion and Intelligent Eggshell, should not be applied when the temperature is below 8°C.
- Paint & Paper Library. Check the data sheet for the finish you are using, and work in a warm, well-ventilated room.
Remember that these are minimums, and that walls can be colder than the air. An outside wall, a room that has been unheated for weeks or a space above a garage can feel comfortable while the plaster is still chilly. Put the heating on a few hours before you start, keep it on while the paint dries, and open a window briefly for ventilation rather than leaving the room cold.
In many ways winter suits interior decorating. We explain why in Why Winter Is the Best Time to Paint.
Painting outside: the limits that matter
Exterior painting is where cold weather really bites, because you cannot heat the air. Each brand gives a minimum for its exterior finishes:
- Farrow & Ball Exterior Eggshell. Do not paint below 10°C or above 30°C, and only when relative humidity is below 80%.
- Little Greene Intelligent Exterior Eggshell. Part of the Intelligent range, with the same 8°C minimum.
- Little Greene Intelligent Masonry Paint. Little Greene state it should not be applied when the temperature is below 5°C.
In a British winter, those numbers rule out many days entirely, and on others they only hold for a few hours around midday.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colour Used: Goblin (311)
Dew, frost and short days
Temperature is only part of the story outside. Damp is just as important, and in the colder months it arrives early.
- Dew point. Farrow & Ball specify that the surface should be at least 3°C above the dew point. If it is not, moisture condenses on the surface and the paint cannot bond properly.
- Evening condensation. Farrow & Ball advise applying exterior paint early in the day so it can dry before the evening, when condensation forms.
- Rain and frost. Little Greene say not to paint outside if there is any risk of rain or frost during application or drying. Farrow & Ball also advise against painting outdoors if rain is likely.
In practice, that means a late start once any frost or dew has lifted, and an early finish while there is still warmth in the day.
A simple cold-weather routine
- Check the forecast. For exterior work, look for a run of dry days with temperatures comfortably above your paint's minimum, overnight as well as by day.
- Warm the room first. Indoors, heat the room for a few hours before painting so the walls warm up too.
- Keep the tins warm. Store paint indoors rather than in a cold shed or garage, and protect it from frost.
- Allow longer between coats. Farrow & Ball note that cooler conditions lengthen drying times, so give each coat the full recoat time, and a little more if the room is on the cool side. Our guide on painting IKEA furniture follows the same principle.
- Stop in good time. Outside, finish early enough for the last coat to dry before evening.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Shaded White (201)
Questions we are often asked
Does cold weather affect drying times?
Yes. Farrow & Ball state that cooler or more humid conditions lengthen drying times, and darker colours can take longer still. Expect each coat to need longer than the figure on the tin.
Can I paint a front door in winter?
It is possible on a mild, dry day, but tricky, as the door needs to stay open while the paint dries. Choose a day that will stay above the minimum temperature, start after any dew has gone, and finish early.
Can I paint an unheated garage or outbuilding?
Only if you can bring it above the minimum temperature for your paint, and keep it there while the paint dries.
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