Painting with “water” in winter

The very thought of it can make some people's blood run cold, but completely unnecessarily. Water-based paints require special attention in winter in terms of storage and transportation, but the application method is the same as in summer.

Let's start with the storage and transportation conditions, because these are important even before painting. Paint should be transported and stored at temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius. Paints stored at a lower temperature lose their parameters and are no longer suitable for use. While it is easy to control the temperature in a warehouse, how can you be sure that the paint you ordered will not lose its properties during transportation? Each manufacturer solves this problem in their own way. Profix Aqua2G paints, for example, are equipped with special markers for the duration of transportation. They show whether the temperature has dropped below 5 degrees Celsius during transportation. If this happens, the marker changes color permanently. This is information for the recipient or carrier that the conditions during transportation have been met. The marker itself is one thing, but the way the cargo is secured is another, which in many cases can protect the paint from the cold.

The entire preparatory process for painting car parts in summer, fall or winter conditions follows the same rules. We mostly use traditional materials such as polyester putties, reactive and epoxy primers or acrylic primers that meet the requirements of low VOC emission standards.

In winter conditions, the repaired elements should first be heated to the temperature in the workshop. We can also use IR radiators more often to speed up the work and eliminate the impact of higher air humidity on the prepared substrate.

During the painting process in winter, the most important parameters to keep an eye on are temperature, humidity and ventilation.

The room temperature should be between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. This is the actual temperature, not the setting on the control panel. The air humidity should not exceed 70%. The room in which the painting takes place must have active ventilation.

We use various methods to dry water-based paint layers. This can be an air nozzle (e.g. Venturi) - a single one or a set of several - a dozen or so nozzles for drying, even the whole vehicle. For spot painting, the simplest solution is to use a hair dryer, of course only when we do not have the right equipment. We also come across systems that heat the air supplied to the paint spray gun.

The application of clear coat is done in the same way regardless of the type of base paint used.

In summary, painting in winter requires the same precautions regardless of whether we use water-based or conventional paints.