What NOAA's records say
From NOAA's engineering weather data, Honolulu/Oahu station: in an average year at the Honolulu/Oahu station, NOAA counts about 1,079 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 6,722 hours above 67°F.
From NOAA's 1991-2020 normals, Honolulu International Airport station: the same NOAA normals for the Honolulu International Airport station average 330.4 days a year with a high of 80°F or more and 31.6 days with a high of 90°F or more, with an annual mean low of 71.5°F.
The two stations measure different things. Neither describes your street, and neither tells you how a paint will perform. What they give is a count of warm days and of humid hours, and those counts are the backdrop for every choice below.
Humid hours and a curing film
Warmth speeds drying, but moisture slows it. When both are present the surface of a coat can feel dry while the paint underneath is still releasing water. Recoating too soon can trap that moisture. Good practice is to follow the label's recoat time as a minimum and to touch-test in a hidden spot before the next coat. Inside, fans and open windows help a coat release its water, as long as dust and insects aren't blowing onto it.
Exterior: sun, grime and mildew
On the outside of a house, a few things wear paint down: ultraviolet light, which chalks and fades the top layer; grime and pollen, which settle on surfaces and hold moisture against a weak coat; and mildew, which grows on damp, shaded faces. A lasting job starts with a thorough wash and a mildew treatment where needed, followed by drying time before anything goes on.
Choose exterior products with good fade resistance and a mildewcide, and ask about lighter colours on walls that take strong sun. Metal railings and fasteners need rust removal and a suitable primer, or rust will bleed through new paint. Our exterior painting page explains each preparation step.
Interior: rooms that hold moisture
Bathrooms, kitchens and closets against exterior walls are where mildew shows first. Clean existing growth, let the wall dry fully, and use a stain-blocking primer if marks remain. A finish made for bathrooms, with a mildew-resistant film, helps it stay clean. Satin and semi-gloss shed moisture and wipe down more easily than flat; the sheens guide compares them.
Ceilings above showers deserve the same care as walls, and an exhaust fan that vents outside does more than any paint can. Our interior painting page covers room preparation and the order a crew works in.
Wood decks and fences
Exposed wood takes the most punishment from sun and rain. Penetrating stains are easier to maintain than film-forming paints on horizontal boards, since they wear rather than peel. The deck and fence staining page explains the options.
Hawaii's painting classification
Hawaii's Contractors License Board has a C-33 Painting and decorating contractor classification, and Hawaii law names painting and decorating as specialty contractor work. We quote that as the state's description of its classifications puts it, and draw no further conclusion from it.
What to ask a painter
- How will you wash and treat mildew before painting?
- Which products will you use for sun-exposed walls and for bathrooms?
- How long will you wait between coats, and how will you check?
- How will you protect landscaping, floors and furniture?
- What's included in the written proposal, surface by surface?
Our pricing guide explains what moves the cost of a job up or down.