Had a paint job fail at a customer's house in Memphis last August

I was spraying a 2017 Honda Accord in the guy's driveway, doing the final clear coat. The humidity spiked and I didn't catch it on my gauge until the clear started blushing on the passenger door. I had to sand the whole panel back down and respray, which cost me about 4 hours and $90 in materials. Now I always check the weather for dew point before I even mix the paint. What's your best trick for spotting humidity issues before they ruin a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan_bailey9312d ago

Man, that mirror trick is actually genius. I used to just trust the gauge and hope for the best, but you're right, those things are finicky in direct sunlight. Definitely stealing that one for my next driveway job.

reeseperez12d ago

Bro I’ve got a solid trick from my IT days checking server rooms. Humidity gauges lie half the time in a driveway, so I just tape a cheap little mirror to the car. If it fogs up when I breathe on it, I’m not spraying. Or worse, I look at my neighbor’s swamp cooler and if it’s struggling, I know the air’s too wet. Learned that one after respraying a Camry door twice in one July.