Ooh!! A blog about drying paint, how exciting!!! However, if you’re decorating and having trouble with paint not drying fast enough, then this is going to be very useful. So, skip to the section you need and soak up the information I provide on how to speed up the drying process of paint.
Heat and Ventilation for Drying Emulsion.
Ventilation is something which is vital for the drying process of any paint. In the case of emulsion, evaporation of water takes place, causing the paint to dry. No ventilation means condensation may occur on your walls or ceiling and will completely stop paint from drying. You need to avoid humid conditions wherever possible. Funnily enough, a heater in one corner of a room may increase the amount of condensation in another.
Fan heaters are better than radiators or oil heaters because they move the air around as well as heating the room. Fans are great too. They don’t produce any heat, but they do the important thing which is to keep the air flowing. Opening a window will also help, again, it just gives the water vapor somewhere to escape. Better still, open windows on both sides of a room. This will ensure airflow through the whole room which removes water vapor even faster.
Ventilation for Oil-Based Paint and Varnish
Same sort of thing for oil-based paints. This time, it’s a different vapor which leaves the paint. If you use a large quantity of oil-based paint or varnish in a small room with no airflow, that vapor won’t escape, and your paint simply won’t dry. All you need to do is open a window, maybe pop a fan in the room, then let it dry naturally.
Drying Times of Water-Based Satinwood, Gloss and Eggshell
Water-based trim paint (gloss, satinwood or eggshell), like emulsion, dries as the water in the paint evaporates. However, there is also a curing process for the paint, which carries on after it is touch dry. While the paint is curing, it is also setting and tightening. You should never rush to apply a second coat of water-based trim paint. If the instructions say, “recoat in 5 hours”, wait at least 5 hours. Otherwise you can cause issues due to surface tension. All you can do is heat the room and make sure it has good ventilation if you want to speed up the drying process.
Using Liquid Dryers to Speed up Drying Times
Liquid dryers are a little cheat you can use when applying oil-based paints in adverse weather conditions. All you need to do is add a few drops to your paint before you apply it and mix well. Don’t mess around with your paint too much, just a few drops will be fine. If you add too much, your paint may actually take even longer to dry. Too much can also “dull” gloss paint. Click here to see current prices.
FAQs
What can I add to paint to make it dry faster?
There are paint conditioners available to help speed up the drying process of oil-based paint. The most used is simply called ‘Liquid Dryers’. However, there’s nothing you can add to water-based paint to make it dry quicker.
Can you use a heat gun to speed up paint drying?
I wouldn’t use a heat gun, but I’ve used a hair dryer to dry paint more than once. It works well over small areas.
Does heat make paint dry faster?
Heat and ventilation together will make your paint dry faster.
How do you dry paint that won’t dry?
When paint won’t dry at all, it’s either because it is simply too cold, or there is no ventilation. I can remember painting the floor in a client’s bathroom with oil-based paint once, and she called me two days later to say the paint still wasn’t dry. I nipped round, opened the bathroom door, and asked her to keep it open. A couple of hours later, the floor was dry enough to walk on. It wasn’t drying because the fumes were trapped.
How long should paint dry before putting furniture back?
Woodwork paint does take a little while before it cures enough to become durable. If there’s a chance your furniture is going to press against your newly painted woodwork, then I’d wait a day or two before putting it back.
How long does water-based paint need to dry before rain?
Some water-based paints dry a lot faster than others. For example, Dulux Weathershield Smooth Masonry is ‘shower proof’ after half an hour. Other paints take longer, particularly if conditions are cold or already damp. As a rule of thumb, you should aim for at least two hours, possibly longer.
What is the fastest way to cure water-based paint?
Water-based paint cures faster in warm rooms with plenty of airflow. High humidity can slow the process.
Can you put a second coat on tacky paint?
Paint sprayers often apply a second coat of paint before the first has fully dried. This is called ‘wet on wet’. However, it can result in an extended curing time, and if you’re not careful it can lead to problems like peeling or crazing.
How long does water-based emulsion take to fully dry?
Most water-based emulsion paints are touch dry after 2 hours and can be recoated after 4 hours. However, they take around a month to fully dry and cure.
Should I put heating on to dry paint?
Putting the heating on will help water-based paint to dry, but airflow and humidity are also a factor. Most Decorators put the heating on and open a window to get rid of the moisture in the air.
Final Thoughts
Speeding up the drying process of paint isn’t rocket science. No matter the product, the most important things are airflow and ventilation. I work with another decorator who carries industrial fans in his van, which are far more effective at drying paint than any heater.
If you have ventilation covered, try turning the heating on, or throwing a fan heater in the room. Warmer temperatures do help.
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