The station's numbers, read for paint
NOAA keeps an engineering weather station at Gainesville, and its figures are a useful lens for planning paint work.
In an average year at Gainesville, NOAA counts about 2,137 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 4,252 hours above 67°F.
NOAA's engineering weather data for Gainesville lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 120 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.5 inches per hour and about 10 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
The rest of this page takes those figures one by one and asks what each means for a painter. They are design and planning values, not a forecast for any day.
Wet-bulb hours: drying and mildew
The wet-bulb count is a measure of how long the air holds a lot of moisture. Paint needs to lose its water to form a good film, so in damp air it takes longer to dry and longer to cure. On a practical level:
- leave enough time for washed walls to dry before priming;
- respect the label's recoat time rather than the clock on the wall;
- treat mildew on shaded walls and soffits before painting, not after;
- indoors, keep the air conditioning running so walls, doors and trim can harden.
Freeze-thaw cycles: cracks and joints
About 10 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year at the Gainesville station is a modest number, but it isn't zero. When water gets into a crack or an open joint and freezes, it expands and can push paint and caulk apart. That's one more reason to fill cracks and re-caulk joints before painting rather than bridging them with paint alone. It also matters for timing: most products list a minimum temperature for application and for the hours after, so a cold snap can pause exterior work.
Wind and heavy rain: edges and seams
The design wind and rainfall rates describe rare extremes engineers size buildings for. For paint, the takeaway is where water gets in when rain is driven sideways: window and door casings, the tops of trim boards, siding laps, and any gap between materials. A good exterior bid lists those details. Our exterior painting page covers the products and steps.
A schedule that fits the numbers
You don't need a perfect week to paint a house, but you do need a plan:
- Exterior work needs dry surfaces before and after application, and temperatures within the label's range. Ask the painter which months they prefer for outside jobs and how they handle a day that turns.
- Interior work can happen year-round. Damp weather slows curing, so plan to keep doors, cabinets and windows open and unused for longer after painting.
- Staining decks and fences needs dry wood for a day or more before and after. See deck and fence staining.
Choosing products and sheens
On the outside, exterior-grade acrylics are the most common choice for walls and trim, with primers matched to bare wood, stucco or metal. Inside, sheen affects both how a surface cleans and how much it shows flaws; our sheens and finishes guide explains the trade-offs. Walls with cracks or patches need repair and primer first, as the surface preparation guide explains.
Florida on painting and licensure
Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation lists paint and wallpaper among examples of work that do not require state licensure. Florida law lists painting among job scopes for which a local government may not require a license, under Florida Statutes s. 489.117(4)(a). We quote both as written and leave it there.
We don't check or recommend any painter. Ask for a detailed written scope and proof of liability coverage.
Questions worth asking
- How will you decide a washed surface is dry enough to prime?
- Which cracks and joints will you fill or re-caulk?
- What will you do about mildew?
- What temperature and weather limits does the product you're quoting set?
- How many coats, and what recoat time?
Costs are covered in our pricing guide.