It’s hard to do everyday tasks in extreme heat, and decorating your home is no exception. Summer 2022 has seen record-breaking temperatures around the world and while they may be the perfect conditions for your summer vacation, the heat can be quite disruptive. As a result, many of us, when executing our decorating ideas, wonder if it is too hot to paint or wallpaper our homes.
In addition to the physical exhaustion likely resulting from reaching for a roller way over your head in high temperatures, there are some practicalities to consider when it comes to painting or hanging wallpaper in the heat. Temperature is a big factor in drying your paint or wallpaper paste, and while you may think that the higher the temperature the faster your decorating job dries, hot weather can actually damage the track. Consequently, you will not be able to achieve the smooth, clean finish to your walls that you otherwise could.
But how hot is too hot? We’ve asked some paint and wallpaper specialists for advice on decorating in the heat and what temperatures to avoid (so don’t feel guilty about spending another day on the sun lounger).
Credit: Little Greene
What happens if you paint when it’s too hot?
Regardless of whether you are using a water-based or oil-based paint, the solvent or water in it must evaporate to allow your paint to dry. This is intended to be a gradual process, so while it can be annoying to wonder how long it takes paint to dry, if it dries too quickly, it won’t help your paint job. And there’s nothing worse than spending time, money and effort painting your house, only to be left with a messy and unsightly job at the end of it.
But how does the heat affect the paint? When paint dries too quickly because the solvents evaporate quickly, it will not adhere well to the surface. Ultimately, this can lead to cracks, peeling or uneven finishes on your walls, floors or ceiling. The heat doesn’t help with paint application either. ‘Painting in direct sunlight can make paint harder to apply and cause cracks and brush strokes,’ explains Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene. (opens in new tab).
What temperature is too hot to paint in your house?
Credit: Little Greene
There is no simple answer to the question of what temperature is too hot to paint. This depends on a number of factors, including the type of paint you are using, the humidity in your area, and the surface you are painting on. As a general rule, though, it’s best to avoid painting when the weather outside is 77 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
While your walls themselves won’t be that hot, these high temperatures will cause the surface of your walls to be warmer than normal. And, as Ruth points out, “If you’re completing an interior decorating project during the hot summer months, make sure the temperature of the item you’re painting is below 77 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“You should also avoid painting surfaces that will be in direct sunlight, as this will affect the way the paint dries,” she adds. If you can’t avoid painting on a hot sunny day, it’s best to paint early in the morning or late at night to avoid direct sunlight and the hottest part of the day. It’s also a good idea to track the shade around your home. If your kitchen faces east and receives a lot of morning sun, paint it in the evening and vice versa.
What happens if you hang wallpaper when it’s too hot?
Credit: I love wallpaper
Whether your wallpaper idea is for an entire wall, a small segment or even a ceiling, decorating with wallpaper is a similar story to painting in the heat. Hanging wallpaper at high temperatures allows the adhesive used to apply the strips to the walls to dry too quickly, potentially causing multiple problems.
“If glue dries too quickly in extreme heat, the edges of the strips can curl, create air bubbles or even shrink the strips of wallpaper,” says Chelsea Clark, head of brands at I Love Wallpaper (opens in new tab).
It could be argued that a messy wallpaper job is worse than a bad paint job – no matter how hard you try, there’s no concealing shrunken or bubbled wallpaper. Fortunately, Chelsea has some advice if you have no choice but to hang wallpaper in warm weather. “Make sure the room where your wallpaper is hanging is well ventilated and try to avoid the hottest times of the day when you hang wallpaper,” she says.
“You can also keep the room cool by closing blinds or curtains and keeping windows closed,” adds James Greenwood, brand and interiors expert at Graham & Brown (opens in new tab) backgrounds. ‘If it’s still too hot after that, try adding some extra paste to the walls to compensate for the faster drying time.”
What temperature is too hot to hang wallpaper?
Again, it’s difficult to pinpoint a precise temperature at the point where it gets too hot to hang wallpaper, as different types of wallpaper can have different weights. However, James does offer some professional insight into how to hang wallpaper in heat.
“We recommend hanging wallpaper only when the temperature is below 86 Fahrenheit, as the wallpaper can curl and glue can dry too quickly at temperatures higher than this,” he explains. “You’ll probably also find the work more tiring in this heat, so it’s best to wait until it’s cooler.”
With all that in mind, if you’re in doubt about whether it’s too hot to decorate, the safest bet is to avoid painting or wallpapering at all. Our advice? Save yourself the added stress and any costly accidents by decorating in the spring and fall instead.