Winter is not the best time to do house painting projects, especially those involving home exteriors. The truth is, with the freezing weather and the shortened daylight, it is impossible to do any outdoor painting tasks. The case is different though for indoor painting projects.
While it is ideal to schedule painting interior walls after winter, this task can be accomplished no matter what the season is. Since this is an indoor job, there’s no need to worry about the unforgiving cold or any kind of precipitation (be it rain, snow or sleet) preventing the painters from working. Moreover, because you can control the temperature indoors (through your HVAC system), work can commence when you want to and not when the weather conditions permit it.
However, even if interior painting is possible during winter, some homeowners are not very warm about the idea. Their primary concern – exposure to toxic paint fumes and other pollutants released during a painting project. Adding to the worry of homeowners is the fact that windows cannot be opened (or stay open) during winter. Hence, paint fumes and dust stay inside the house, thereby making the air toxic.
Well, this worry is not unfounded as more studies are surfacing about the dangers of indoor pollution. Paints and other related products like paint strippers are included in the list of top indoor pollutants. This is primarily because most paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Exposure to VOCs has short- and long-term effects on people’s health. It may cause eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. It may also trigger headaches and nausea.
Simply put, many homeowners think that painting indoors during the cold months can be hazardous to their health. But is it really dangerous to do so? Is it safe to paint house interiors in winter especially if there are pregnant women, children, elderly and people with special conditions around?
It is perfectly safe to paint house interiors in winter provided that professional residential painters do the job. This is to ensure that the right types of paints and materials are used. Furthermore, professional painters employ techniques which can reduce paint fumes without cranking up the heat and having high energy bills.
Aware of common concerns about indoor painting during winter like paint odours and fumes, a trusted painting contractor uses paints containing low or zero VOCs. These types of paints are odourless and emit less toxic fumes or not at all. What’s more is that, while these are low-VOCs or zero-VOCs paints, they are as durable and long-lasting as regular paints. These eco-friendly products come in various colours and different sheens, too.
Professional residential painters also see to it that they plan accordingly when working on interior walls during winter. They identify which areas or task to work on first and come up with a detailed day-to-day schedule. With proper planning, the length of time that windows will be opened can be minimised. This means less heat escaping your house; so, you won’t have to worry about expensive electric bills.
Moreover, these professionals use strategies and tools to lessen the amount of or prevent paint fumes and dust from seeping into the other areas of the house. For some, this means putting up plastic sheeting and using specialised equipment to capture dust during the sanding process.
Also, painting house interiors in winter should not be a cause for concern, especially if you have an excellent HVAC system. Even if you don’t keep windows open during the course of the project, you’d be fine for as long as your ventilation is working properly. Furthermore, fans and dehumidifiers may be used to enhance air circulation in the work area.
So, if walls in your living room or other areas in your house have peeling or cracked paint, you do not have to wait until winter ends to repaint them. All you need to do is to have a properly working HVAC system and to hire professional residential painters to avoid worries about inhaling toxic paint fumes.
Need help painting house interior walls this winter? Call us at 86 608 1817 / 085 139 0233.
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Photo by evanrudemi 
