Two sets of numbers from Fort Myers
The weather figures below are NOAA's for the Fort Myers station. They are not Punta Gorda measurements, and we present them only as Fort Myers figures.
In an average year at Fort Myers, NOAA counts about 3,353 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 5,545 hours above 67°F, the measure engineers use to flag a humid climate.
NOAA's engineering weather data for Fort Myers lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 140 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.5 inches per hour, no frost depth and no freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
The first set is about moisture in the air. The second is about the extremes that a building is designed for. Each points a painter toward different parts of the job.
Reading the wet-bulb hours as a painter
Wet-bulb temperature combines heat and moisture into one reading. When it stays high, wet surfaces dry slowly. That has three practical effects on a paint job:
- Mildew. Shaded walls, eaves and soffits stay damp longest and are where mildew shows first. Painting over live mildew is a waste of paint; it grows back through the new film. The wall needs to be treated and rinsed first.
- Drying between steps. After a wash, wood, stucco and block hold water. A crew that primes too soon risks blistering. Ask how long they wait and how they judge when a surface is ready.
- Curing indoors. Inside, paint can feel dry to the touch long before it has cured. In damp air the time to full hardness is longer, so a freshly painted door or shelf can stick or mark if it's put back into service too quickly.
Reading the design figures
The wind and rainfall values are design numbers engineers use to size framing, fasteners and drains. No coating is rated against them. What they do tell a homeowner is where an exterior paint job earns its keep: at the seams.
- Caulk joints around windows, doors and where trim meets the wall.
- Fill and seal cracks before priming.
- Fasten loose trim, fascia and soffit pieces so the new paint doesn't crack around them.
- Prime every bare spot.
The listing of no frost depth and no freeze-thaw cycles at Fort Myers means ice is not part of the plan. Water and sun are.
What to repaint, and in what order
A full exterior repaint usually runs top down: soffits and fascia first, then walls, then trim, doors and shutters last. Inside, ceilings come before walls, and walls before trim. Each sequence keeps drips and overspray off finished work.
If the house needs repairs to stucco, wood trim or drywall, those go first. Painting over a soft board or an open crack only hides the problem until it shows through. Our surface preparation guide covers what good repair looks like, and the exterior painting page covers products for outside walls.
Florida's statements 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; that is Florida Statutes s. 489.117(4)(a). We quote both and add nothing to them.
We don't check, rank or recommend painters. What protects you is a clear written agreement.
Points for the written agreement
- every surface included, inside and out;
- the mildew treatment, wash and drying time;
- which joints will be re-caulked and which cracks filled;
- primer and finish products, and the number of coats;
- how the crew will handle a rainy afternoon;
- proof of liability coverage before work starts.
For the cost side, see our pricing guide, and for choosing finishes, the sheens guide.