I have a cottage (new construction) with T-111 siding. The builders are telling me to prime it asap, so I can get my final inspection from the county. However, the local paint store is saying wait for spring. I am in northern California and we’ve had quite a bit of rain. And, in general, it gets foggy here every night. It looks like we will get about a week long break from the rain starting this weekend.
I guess my question is: How many days do I need to wait, after a rain, to apply my primer? And will it dry successfully if the daily temp is around 60, and the overnight temp around 40?
I will be doing this myself with a sprayer and a husband who will back-roll.
3 Responses
Hello Clare,
It's a little hard to judge from a distance, but the more time you can wait until spring, the weather is damp now. Even if the sun breaks through with force, the wood needs a few days to a week to dry out well. Temps are OK, but they do indicate that the sun isn't very strong yet. If you can, it's best to wait.
Good luck, Evelien
I understand the concern of the previous answer, but, I see no problem with applying the primer after 2-3 days of dry weather.
A few suggestions. Allow for a couple hours dry time before sunset and a couple hours "warm-up" time after sunrise. You may want to follow the sun around your house.
Another concern is that of using a primer as a finish for more than a couple of weeks. If you need to prime now, understand that you are doing just that… PRIMING. Primers do not carry any inhibitors such as for mold and mildew. If the primer remains un-coated for more than 3 weeks, I would strongly urge you to mildew wash and re-prime prior to applying the 2 coats of finish when that times comes.
If you must coat it now, I urge you to prime now and later as opposed to applying a finish coat now with no primer.
Thank you both for your answers. I appreciate the information very much!