Is it good to paint in Richmond, VA this week?
A live 7-day go/no-go calendar for exterior paint in Richmond, built from the local forecast against the 5°F-above-dew-point rule. We lead with the signal a weather app misses: overnight condensation risk.
- Dew margin
- 3.1°F
- Overnight dew
- Watch
- Rain
- 20%
- Window
- 10am–5pm
Watch overnight dew — surface comes within 3.1°F of the dew point (margin is 5°F). Time the coat to dry well before evening.
- Dew margin
- 4.6°F
- Overnight dew
- Watch
- Rain
- 11%
- Window
- —
Too hot — high of 90°F is well over the 85°F ceiling; the film skins over before it can level or adhere.
- Dew margin
- 5.7°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 43%
- Window
- —
Too hot — high of 94°F is well over the 85°F ceiling; the film skins over before it can level or adhere.
- Dew margin
- 5.6°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 49%
- Window
- —
Too hot — high of 90°F is well over the 85°F ceiling; the film skins over before it can level or adhere.
- Dew margin
- 11.6°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 14%
- Window
- 8am–5pm
Hot afternoon (88°F, ceiling 85°F) — paint early and follow the shade.
- Dew margin
- 2.4°F
- Overnight dew
- Watch
- Rain
- 21%
- Window
- —
Too hot — high of 92°F is well over the 85°F ceiling; the film skins over before it can level or adhere.
- Dew margin
- 20.6°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 41%
- Window
- —
Too hot — high of 98°F is well over the 85°F ceiling; the film skins over before it can level or adhere.
- Watch overnight dew — surface comes within 3.1°F of the dew point (margin is 5°F). Time the coat to dry well before evening.
- Hot afternoon (90°F, ceiling 85°F) — paint early and follow the shade.
- High humidity (92%, over the 85% mark) slows drying — keep an eye on the cure window.
Caution. These are forecast numbers — confirm the surface temperature on-site before you start.
Why these thresholds
Overnight dew condensing on a fresh coat causes blistering, surfactant leaching and peeling — the cause of 40%+ of exterior paint failures.
- • Surface temp must stay 5°F above the dew point through application and cure (ASTM D3276 / ISO 8502-42).
- • Air + surface in the 50–85°F band (low-temp lines to 35°F).
- • Humidity under 85%; ideally under 70%.
- • No rain for 24h after application.
- • We use the forecast ground-surface temperature as a surface-temp proxy — confirm on-site with an IR thermometer.
Free in the beta
Watch this job site 24/7
Get an email the moment overnight dew, rain, or an out-of-range stretch threatens a fresh coat — and a morning digest with the best window ahead. No app to check; we watch the forecast for you.