By GinaCherundoloAccuWeather.com

With above-average rainfall andbelow-average temperatures in parts of the Northeast for most of June, some of your summer householdprojects may have been postponed, including house painting.
Heat, humidity and rainfall can all have an effect on how paint dries andabsorbs into wood and walls. This means delays and setbacks for those planningon painting interiors or exteriors.
It has been a wet couple of months for much of the Northeast and NewEngland. Portland, Maine, had only three dry days after the first week of June. Boston has recorded precipitation for the past eight days. Albany, N.Y., had 15 days of recorded rainfall, while Scranton, Pa., has only five dry days recorded this month.
According to the Forest Products Laboratory of the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA), wood should be given at least one sunny day(or several days of cloudy weather) to dry following rain in order to paint,and temperatures should be at least 50 degrees for latex-based paint.
However, wood that is too hot during painting can cause "blisters," or bubbles,to form on the surface of the paint, so avoid painting in temperatures higherthan 90 degrees.
Sunny weather does not always mean dry weather, however. Humid air will ruineven the best paint job, even when painting indoors. If a home is not insulatedproperly, any moisture can be absorbed by interior walls.
If the air is too humid, the solvents in the paint may evaporate before thewater or oil does, causing paint to cure prematurely. A dehumidifier may beused to alleviate the moisture indoors.
Outside elements can weather wood, altering how well it holds fresh paint. TheUSDA recommends re-sanding wood prior to painting to remove the layer ofweathered wood.