[ScottAlex]

When the painting crew arrives and they are spray painting the exterior of your house, can they paint if the wind speed is:

• 10 mph ?
• 7 mph ?
• 2 mph ?

When it is safe to paint?

 

[mark sr]

It can be tricky spraying with wind in the forecast. A lot depends on the direction of the wind and where it might blow the overspray.

 

[woodco]

Its not like we check wind meters... It depends on the surroundings, and the material. If theres cars and close by houses, and we pull the trigger, and the spray cloud looks like its gonna waste something.... we stop spraying, or at least move to a more sheltered area for the time being. If theres nothing else around, we can get away with a little more, until it becomes too problematic. For the most part, any spray particles will dry out and turn to dust within 5-20' depending on tip size.. The smaller tip used, the quicker the spray dries. A 517 will spit out much bigger droplets of paint that can travel further while wet. I use smaller tips on exteriors like a 413, as it atomizes more, so it cant travel very far before it dries.

Oil based stain or something obviously is of more concern, cuz it wont dry out as it travels.

 

[ScottAlex]

Its not like we check wind meters... It depends on the surroundings, and the material. If theres cars and close by houses, and we pull the trigger, and the spray cloud looks like its gonna waste something.... we stop spraying, or at least move to a more sheltered area for the time being. If theres nothing else around, we can get away with a little more, until it becomes too problematic. For the most part, any spray particles will dry out and turn to dust within 5-20' depending on tip size.. The smaller tip used, the quicker the spray dries. A 517 will spit out much bigger droplets of paint that can travel further while wet. I use smaller tips on exteriors like a 413, as it atomizes more, so it cant travel very far before it dries.

Oil based stain or something obviously is of more concern, cuz it wont dry out as it travels.

I was thinking there might be a benchmark among painters. For example, when they look at the weather wind forecast and it says 8 mph winds today they know they can't spray today or if they do its going to waste a lot of paint.

 

[mark sr]

Getting overspray on somewhere it don't belong is more of a concern than wasting paint. I've never paid a lot of attention to the wind forecast unless it's a forecast dfor really strong winds. As woodco said there are a lot of factors that will alter the wind strength at the job. I go more by the feel of the wind than the actual mph.

 

[Gymschu]

I had an insurance claim many years ago so I am overly cautious about the wind. A light breeze is rarely problematic, but something approaching 10mph would have me concerned. It’s a funny thing the wind. It can actually accelerate around corners and can carry overspray further than you think sometimes. Just communicate with your paint crew. They may need to send the crew elsewhere for the day if it’s windy. They can’t afford to pay guys to sit around waiting for the wind to die down.

 

[mark sr]

I used to work for an outfit that sprayed a LOT of paint. Brush, roller and spray about 1500 gallons a week. I don't recall the boss ever turning in a claim to his insurance but a few times a yr he'd pay to have someone's car buffed to remove overspray. Far as I know everyone was happy.

 

[woodco]

I was thinking there might be a benchmark among painters. For example, when they look at the weather wind forecast and it says 8 mph winds today they know they can't spray today or if they do its going to waste a lot of paint.

No. If we think it will be windy, we try to start earlier, in the morning. Other than that, no painter (more accurately, their BOSS) will not call a wind day due to forecasts. If we wake up, and its screaming, and the forecasts call for it all day, we might stay home. But a forecast for XX mph wind... we definitely dont pay attention to numbers, unless they are REALLY high, cuz we dont know what its gonna be, hour to hour. WE cant spray in 20 MPH winds, but just because the forecast calls for that, doesnt mean its gonna be like that all day. Wind is usually in spurts, so spray when its calmer, stop when it picks up, spray again when it slows down... Unless its really bad of course. It the weather says 40 MPH all day long, we wont go there. If not, "GetRDone..."

I once got my ass chewed for calling it a day with a crew of painters when it was blowing so hard 6' stepladders were blowing down the street, and I refused to get on a 20' extension..... bosses suck...

Basically, its not like rain. If its supposed to dump rain, we cant paint, cuz its wet. Wind is usually not consistant enough to judge/

 

[lenaitch]

Back in the '70s, my former police service's main fleet garage was right down at the waterfront in Toronto and across the street from a freighter slip. One time, a saltie was in to unload and I guess somebody decided it was a good time to have the hull painted. The paint drifted over to a yard full of cars waiting to be equipped. I used to know the figure that it cost the company to have a whole lot of cars buffed.