A season for the inside of the house
When the outside of a house is off limits for paint, the inside is wide open. Many painters have more room in their schedules in the cold months, and indoor jobs don't depend on the forecast in the same way. If you've been putting off a hallway, a bedroom or a set of worn doors, winter can be a sensible time to get them done.
Freezing days at the airport station
In NOAA's climate normals for Des Moines International Airport, the daily high stays at or below 32°F on an average of 45.5 days a year, and the low drops to 32°F or below on 127.9 days. Those are the airport station's normals, quoted as NOAA gives them.
Days when the high doesn't climb above freezing are days when exterior paint can't form a sound film. Days when the low drops to freezing shorten the hours when outside work can safely dry. Both point the same way: when the cold sets in, move the brushes indoors.
Jobs that suit the cold months
- Bedrooms and living rooms. Furniture can be moved and rooms rotated so the house stays usable.
- Hallways and stairwells. These take a beating from traffic and are easier to tackle when the household isn't busy outdoors.
- Interior doors and trim. Doors can come off their hinges and be painted flat, and trim gets a hard-wearing finish.
- Kitchen cabinets. Doors and drawer fronts go to a work area while the boxes are painted in place; see our cabinet painting page.
- Ceilings. Stained or yellowed ceilings brighten a room more than most people expect.
Keeping a winter room right for paint
Paint wants a warm room and a surface at room temperature. Keep the heat on, including in rooms that are usually closed off, for a day before painting and while it dries. Exterior walls and window areas can run colder than the rest of the room, so give them extra time. Fresh air still matters: crack a window or run an exhaust fan for short spells while keeping the heat running. Low-odor, water-based products make winter painting easier for the people living in the house.
Saving the outside for later
Some work belongs on the outside list no matter how keen you are. Siding, trim, porch floors, decks and fences all wait for the warm season. What winter is good for is planning: get proposals, settle colors, and book a slot early, so the outside work starts as soon as the weather allows.
A city with a long record
Fort Des Moines was established in 1843 at the fork of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers and abandoned in 1846; Des Moines became a county seat in 1846, and in 1857 the state capital was moved there from Iowa City and the word 'Fort' was dropped from the town's name. That is the State Historical Society of Iowa's account, quoted as it gives it. It tells you about the city, not about any house in it.
If your own house is older, the age of its paint matters more than the age of the city. Our interior painting page explains what to ask about older paint before any sanding starts.
Iowa's definition of the trade
The Iowa rule that defines construction for contractor registration (871 IAC 23.82, used by Iowa Code 91C.1) lists painting and wall covering contractors, including house painting, as construction. That is how the rule words it, and it's printed with its source below.
Planning a winter job
- Pick rooms that can be emptied in turn, so you always have somewhere to sit and sleep.
- Ask for low-odor products by name.
- Agree how long each room will be out of use.
- Ask how the crew will keep the house warm with doors opening and closing.
The paint sheens guide can help you choose finishes for each room before the painter arrives.