The Montgomery/Dannelly Field record
NOAA's engineering weather data for Montgomery comes from the Montgomery/Dannelly Field station. In an average year there, NOAA counts about 1,477 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 3,183 hours above 67°F. The same data lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.2 inches per hour and about 27 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
Those are design and long-run figures, not a forecast. Read for paint, in general terms, they describe many hours when water leaves a fresh coat slowly, and enough hard rain and freezing nights that sealing and priming carry real weight in how long a finish lasts.
Before the estimate
You'll get a sharper proposal if you've done a little homework first:
- Walk around the house and note where paint is peeling, where caulk has cracked and where wood feels soft. Point those spots out.
- Look at walls under gutters and around downspouts for streaks or staining. Water is usually the cause, and paint won't fix it.
- Decide which rooms, closets and ceilings are in the job and which aren't.
- Find out roughly when the house was built if you don't know. It changes how old paint is handled (see below).
What a good exterior painting day looks like
The best days for exterior paint are dry, with surfaces warm enough for the product, no rain expected before the coat firms up, and little wind. When wet-bulb hours run high, painters often start once the dew has burned off and stop with time left for the last coat to set before evening. Spraying in gusty conditions carries mist onto cars, roofs and windows. Ask the painter how they choose the day and what they do when the weather turns mid-job.
Indoors with the air conditioning on
A closed house with the air conditioning running is usually a good environment for interior paint: the system pulls moisture out of the air, and drying becomes more predictable. Ask whether the crew wants the system on, how they'll keep sanding dust out of the return vents, and how long rooms should be aired out afterward. Our interior painting page covers the order for ceilings, walls and trim.
Lead and how EPA lists Alabama
EPA runs the RRP program in states it has not authorized. Alabama is on EPA's list of states that run their own EPA-authorized programs, along with Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
For a homeowner, the practical side is the same wherever the program is run: when old paint that may contain lead is scraped or sanded, the work calls for plastic sheeting, dust control and careful cleanup. Ask how the painter tests for lead and contains dust if your house may have older layers of paint.
During the job
- Expect furniture moved to the middle of rooms and covered, floors protected, and switch plates removed.
- Outside, expect plants and walkways covered and windows masked if there's spraying.
- Ask for a walkthrough partway through, while changes are still easy to make.
After the last coat
Fresh paint feels dry long before it's fully cured. Hold off on scrubbing walls, rehanging heavy frames or pushing furniture against them for a while, and ask the painter how long. Keep leftover paint, labeled by room, for touch-ups. Our guide to paint sheens and finishes explains which finishes take scrubbing best.
Questions to ask in Montgomery
- What days and hours do you plan to paint outside, and why?
- What preparation is included for peeling paint and failed caulk?
- How do you handle paint that may contain lead?
- Which products, and how many coats, for each surface?
- How are weather delays handled in the schedule and the price?