As the weather warms up in the spring months, many homeowners are eager to refresh their home’s exterior with a fresh coat of paint. However, spring also marks the arrival of pollen season, leaving homeowners wondering, can you paint during pollen season? If you live in an area with heavy pollen, like we do in North Carolina, you know just how thick the pollen can get. Sometimes, it’s even visible floating in the air or accumulating on surfaces like your home’s exterior. Understanding how pollen affects exterior painting and how to navigate it is key to achieving a long-lasting paint job. Read on to discover if painting during pollen season is a good choice and how to ensure you get the best possible exterior paint job.
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Can You Paint During Pollen Season?
Painting during pollen season is possible, but it requires extra preparation and timing. During peak pollen season, pollen from trees, grass, and weeds can become so thick that it coats surfaces such as siding, decks, and driveways. If too much pollen sticks to wet paint, it can act like a contaminant, causing problems that will ultimately affect the longevity and quality of your paint job.
These problems include:
- Poor adhesion.
- Flaking or peeling paint.
- An uneven or blotchy finish.
- Not drying properly.
- Mold growth (due to pollen being an organic material).
- Pollen staining and discoloration (especially on lighter paint colors).
The last thing you want is your home looking yellowish or dingy because of the pollen!
So how do you work around this and make painting during pollen season work?
At Oak City Coatings, we usually take around a two week break from painting exteriors when the pollen is heaviest. Even with proper cleaning and precautions, all of those clean surfaces are covered in a layer of pollen dust the next day. This makes the surface contaminated, which will lead to improper adhesion and ruin the paint manufacturer warranties.
Exterior Painting During Pollen Season Considerations
While painting during pollen season is doable, we highly recommend painting either before the pollen sets in or waiting until the non-pollen season.
Here at Oak City Coatings, we discuss painting during pollen season during the estimate portion of our proposal process. If a customer can be flexible during the pollen season and spring rainy season, we can often help save them money on their entire project. While spring is when homeowners typically want to tackle exterior painting projects, the pollen and rain can definitely hinder the process, which is something many people don’t think about.
We recommend painting either before or after pollen season because once it hits, it is impossible to keep the surface perfectly clean, which will lead to inadequate surface preparation. This lack of proper surface preparation can cancel the manufacturer’s warranty as well as our craftsmanship warranty – and you don’t want that!
The best time to paint your exterior in the Raleigh, NC area is typically in March or early April (before pollen peaks). Pollen levels also drop around May, so painting starting during this time through the end of the year is also a good option.
If you’re able to be flexible, we can adjust your project timeline a bit in order to avoid peak pollen season and keep your warranties strong and intact.
If you are able to paint on nice days in January, February or March, we also offer a free May power wash, for anyone who is willing to paint their exterior before pollen season hits. We can often slide in a few exterior paint jobs into our schedule when the weather is nice, but the pollen hasn’t started yet.
Best Practices for Painting During Pollen Season
If you must paint during pollen season and there’s no way around it, here are some tips to help you minimize the risks and get the best possible paint job for your exterior.
Wash Surfaces Thoroughly
Thoroughly clean the exterior surfaces by power washing one section at a time before painting to remove pollen and other debris. Try not to wash the whole house at once.
Choose the Right Timing
Schedule painting for days with lower pollen counts, ideally after rain when the air is clearer. Early mornings or evenings are also times when pollen is less active.
Use Protective Coverings
Cover surrounding areas with plastic sheeting to prevent pollen from settling onto wet paint and negatively impacting the adhesion and drying process.
Monitor Weather Conditions
Avoid painting on windy days, as wind can carry pollen and dust onto freshly painted surfaces. Ensure the temperatures and humidity are within the recommended range for the paint product you’re using. You can find this on the manufacturer’s label. Avoid painting on very humid days, as this can also affect how the paint dries.
Hire a Professional Painter
It’s a good idea to consider hiring a reputable professional painter, as they have experience dealing with pollen and other challenges during exterior painting. They will also know the best practices for preparing the surface and preventing pollen from affecting your finish.
Ready to Start Your Exterior Painting Project?
If you’re ready to start your exterior painting project, we would be happy to help you navigate pollen season so you can get the best results. From surface preparation and timing to using the best products and techniques, we’ll ensure we take all the necessary precautions to bring a beautiful, long-lasting finish to your home.
Visit our contact page to book your free estimate today!
