Refurbishing a house’s interior can be a thrilling feeling. Planning to redecorate wall/furniture is such a thing that gives a 360-degree makeover to the house vibes. So if you don’t know how long does it take for paint to dry, make sure to give this blog a read.
From a kid innocently leaving a hand patch on the wall to accidentally over-pushing furniture, anything can stand in between you and your dream home idea. That’s why you must know how long should paint dry before putting stuff on it. Moreover, being patient to get your walls decorated will get a lot easier if you know how long does it take for paint to dry.
So today we’ll get deep into the science behind this and you’ll also get to know factors affecting drying time for paint. So let’s get started…..
Types Of Paints
Whether you are painting the whole house (exterior and interior), a single wall, or trying to hide a wall patch/whole, you must know how long does it take for paint to dry. This highly depends on the type of paint you pick to color your walls or furniture.
There are primarily three types of paints:
(i) water-based emulsion paint
(ii) oil-based enamel paint
(iii) latex/acrylic paint
The main difference between the three lies in the chemicals and compounds used to make them. For instance, most oil-based paints have flax oil as a base component and become hard semisolid when they come in contact with air. On the other hand, acrylic paints can exhibit the property of both depending upon the amount of water used for dilution or other chemical properties.
How Long Does It Take For Paint To Dry Water-Based Paint?
Water-based emulsion paints have the least thick consistency in comparison to the other two. In general, water-based emulsion paints need 6 to 8 hours to dry completely. If you can wait longer, it’s even better because the paint will get cured (more on that later). Only after that, you must proceed to give it a recoat.
How Long Does It Take For Paint To Dry Oil-Based Paint?
Oil-based enamel paints require at least 24 hours to dry. They leave a glossy finish on your house’s interior and exterior walls. Keep in mind that the drying time for oil-based paints will exceed after recoating. This means if you’ve waited 24 hours for the first layer to dry, then wait for at least 48 to 58 hours for the second coat to dry. However, oil-based paints would do even with a single coat, yet you can apply its multiple coats if you want to.
How Long Does It Take For Paint To Dry Latex Paint?
Latex paint or acrylic paints share a few chemical properties with water-based paints but are not the same. Such paints take minimum time to dry when applied on a wall/furniture. Usually, you can expect acrylic paint to dry in 4 to 6 hours of application.
Paint Drying v/s Paint Curing
Many people get confused thinking that paint drying and paint curing are the same concepts. But in reality, they are different. Any paint can get dry between three to six hours in appearance. On drying, a painted surface becomes clear to touch to a certain extent but deep down the chemicals of the paint continue to react with the wall and primer sitting on it.
When the solvents of paint leave the surface giving a dry experience on touching it, the paint is said to be dried.
On the contrary, when the dried paint reacts with the wall or any other painted surface to adapt to its properties and get fixated on it with a hardened impact, the paint is said to be cured. After curing completely, the paint will either get a lighter or thicker shade automatically.
Experts suggest that it might take several days after recoating for any kind of paint to get absorbed into the surface. To check if your paint has cured completely or not, simply press your thumb or a clay ball against the painted surface, if it leaves an impression, it is not yet completely cured.
Factors Affecting Drying Time For Paint
So far we’ve discussed how long does it take for paint to dry for different types of paints. However, certain factors can increase or decrease a paint’s drying period:
1. Ventilation
Paints usually dry sooner in well-ventilated places than suffocated places. That’s why you must ensure a proper ventilation system in place to get done with painting chores quickly.
2. Humidity
As with clothes, paints too take more time to dry if there is too much humidity in the atmosphere. If the atmosphere is less humid, you can expect the paint to dry faster.
3. Application Tool
The application tool you’re using to paint your wall or furniture also determines how long it will take the coats to completely dry. If you’re using a paint roller or grass paint brush, you’ll have to wait for a relatively longer time. Whereas paint sprays dry the quickest because they are used with thinner.
4. Number Of Coatings
The drying time of paint also depends on the number of times you apply your selected color on a surface or a thing. More coats will add to the waiting hours before you can move furniture or use a thing respectively.
5. Thickness of Coats
Last but not the least! The thickness or consistency of your paint is a crucial deciding factor for your waiting period before a wall or thing dries completely. The thickness of paints will vary depending upon their quality.
It’s not easy to wait to move to your newly renovated home or use a self-painted tree house or any piece of furniture. But whether we like it or not, we have to wait for the paint to completely dry. The above blog has thrown light on the drying time of different types of paints. Hope you found it helpful!
