Painting tips from San Diego’s best interior house painters

When it comes to painting, the time it takes for paint to dry and cure rests on a wide array of factors. There is no defined answer to this, but here are some factors dry time can depend on.

All your stucco repair services or drywall repair services might go to waste if you don’t wait for the paint to dry and cure thoroughly. Even after the paint dries properly, it may still not be ready for everyday use, since solvents need to totally evaporate, making it dry to touch. This is what’s curing is about.

Four major factors affect this drying and curing timeline, namely:

#1 Paint Type

1. Oil-based paint: It is important to note that oil-based paints dry slower than their latex and water-based counterparts, taking over 6-8 hours to dry to the touch, and about a day to re-coat. These are fully cured after a week.
2. Water-based paint: Often known for a quick dry time, water-based paints are typically ready for a second coat in about 30 minutes to 3 hours, and are fully cured in 30 days.
3. Latex paint: Latex paints are usually dry to the touch in an hour, and will be ready for a second coat in about 4 hours. The cure time on this type of paint is about 30 days.

#2 Application

If the paint applied is too thick or if you apply a second coat before the first coat is completely dry, the drying time will be substantially longer. It is often recommended to go for 2 thin paint coats for quicker drying and better finishing.

#3 Temperature & Humidity

If there is too much humidity in the air, it will take longer for the paint to dry, which is why it is often recommended to paint with the air conditioning off (or at least not too cool) and with fans on to ensure proper air circulation in the room.

#4 Scope of Ventilation

It goes without saying that paint in a room that’s stuffy and closed will take much longer to dry than a room with better airflow.  If you are not in an area of high humidity, open the windows and doors if possible.

How can you let the paint dry faster?

Paint dries faster in a warmer climate with air being well circulated. In a colder room, placing a heater will be beneficial. In certain areas where the temperatures fall really low, it is better to wait the season out, since a lack of proper drying and curing might cause irreparable damage to the property.