How Temperature and Humidity Affect Paint and Coatings

It is a well-known fact that paints and coatings perform differently depending on the environment that they are applied in. In our seasonally diverse climate, it can be difficult to determine the best time of year to address an oil tank coating in Colorado that needs to be refreshed or replaced. Additionally, the industrial demands applied to refinery storage tanks means that you must be confident in your coat’s ability to protect your tank and its contents. It is important to have an understanding of how environmental conditions can affect the paint on your oil storage tanks.

There are a number of ways that temperature and humidity affect the drying of paint. In Colorado, it is best to consult with a qualified specialist to identify the best time to maintain your oil tank coating.

How drying is affected by temperature

As temperatures drop, paint thickens. Conversely, as temperatures increase, paint begins to thin.

In cooler climes, paint can be stopped from drying altogether if it is extremely cold. Additionally, paint should only be applied if it will not drop below freezing for at least 24 hours after its application. Paint that has not completely dried can contain enough liquid to form ice crystals if it drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause your coat to bubble, and dry unevenly, and will often necessitate that the job be redone.

Overly warm weather can also pose challenges for drying paint. If it’s too hot outside, the outer layer of paint can dry and skin over before the rest of the paint has the opportunity to completely dry out. This will frequently cause bubbles and blisters. Applying paint in hot weather will often result in discoloration, cracking and other undesirable aesthetics.

Paint should ideally only be applied in environments where it will consistently stay above 45 or 50 degrees, and will not become excessively hot.

Painting in humidity

A phenomenon known as surface leeching can occur if you paint in highly humid environments. This means that brown or white discoloration can occur over the surface of your freshly applied paint. When painting wood surfaces, the paint may not fully adhere to the targeted object if it is overly humid. Additionally, it takes longer for paint to dry in humidity, because of the elevated amount of moisture in the air.

It is always best to apply paint or oil tank coating in dry environments with consistent temperatures. Additionally, it is extremely important that qualified professionals are in charge of your refinery storage tank’s coating and maintenance, as the paint must be able to withstand extended exposure to potentially volatile substances.

Since 1984, DJC Enterprises Inc. has been one of the premier providers of oil tank coating in Colorado. We provide our clients with high-quality refinery storage tank maintenance solutions. We are dedicated to serving Colorado’s energy and resource management industries, and we consistently work to reach the highest possible levels of customer service for all of our clients. To learn more about our oil tank coating services and other services for refinery storage tanks in Colorado, contact one of our friendly and professional representatives today!

Categorised in: Refinery Storage Tanks, Tank Coating

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