3 Tips for Combating Cold Weather
#1: Space heaters
Space heaters can be used to keep the house warm to improve your texture and to speed up the mud drying time when you’re done.
Walls and ceilings that are too cold when you’re texturing may cause the texture to sag or flatten out when the texture droplets hit the wall and even more so if your mix is too thin.
This is where space heaters can be a big help on the jobsite. One of our local contractors uses a portable 60,000 BTU Dyna-Glo heater that takes 10 – 15 minutes to warm a room up when it’s a bit too brisk inside.
#2: Storing your spray rig
If you have access to a garage or any sort of heated storage, this is the best option for storing your spray rig overnight during colder weather. This will help prevent any leftover material or water in the system from freezing. Even if the temperature is only dipping below freezing overnight, if your rig doesn’t freeze during the night, you won’t have to wait for it to thaw the next morning.
Mixing mud in a heated space before taking it to the job site can reduce the amount of time your rig is outside and help prevent freezing as well.
#3: Use a skid rig in a box truck
Perhaps the best way to combat the cold is to have the right spray rig configuration. Having your tank in an enclosed box truck, as you would be able to with a split skid configuration, is a good way to provide some insulation to your tank and keep it warmer than it would be if it was exposed.
This configuration removes a lot of the headache from cold spray days and is the most popular configuration in areas that are prone to freezing: Colorado, Montana, Alaska, etc.