At last, your paint project is complete! You carefully selected the perfect color and sheen, carefully prepared the area, and applied the paint just as directed and now your room looks great! Well, you’re almost finished. There is still one more step that cannot be overlooked if you hope to maintain this amazing finish, and that’s ensuring it has plenty of time to dry.

You may have noticed that the can of paint listed different dry times. Dry to the touch, re-coat time, use time, and cure time are the most common. It’s very important to take note of each of these times to ensure the fresh paint isn’t prematurely disturbed, resulting in unnecessary touch-ups or even an entire extra coat. It’s also worth noting that every can of paint will not list each of these drying times. If this is the case, the following rules are most widely used for paint drying times.

• Dry to the touch: 15-30 minutes

• Re-coat time: 2-4 hours

• Use time: 24-48 hours

• Cure time: 15-30 days

Environmental factors are also subject to change these times. For example, humid environments lengthen drying times. The same is true for cooler environments. An area that is dry and well-ventilated is the best-case scenario for paint to dry.

As paint dries, its solvent (water, in latex-based paints) evaporates. The time the solvent has to evaporate, the more durable the paint will be. Being exposed to air, the surface of the paint is the first to dry. This is why “dry to the touch” is the shortest listed dry time. However, this doesn’t mean you can begin hanging decorations and replacing furniture quite yet. Waiting until the “dry to the touch” time simply means you can gently touch the paint without it being disturbed.

The next listed dry time is usually the “re-coat time.” This is how long you need to wait before applying additional coats. Ignoring this and applying another coat when the paint is dry to the touch will likely disturb the first coat as the solvent on the surface is reactivated due to contact with the moisture in the second coat of paint. This means that the first coat may pull up as you roll, resulting in streaks, peeling, and uneven color.

Waiting until the “use time” means you are now able to place some objects on it without disturbing the paint.

Last is the cure time. This is how long it takes the solvent to fully evaporate, meaning the paint is fully hardened and ready for duty! NOTE: the paint cannot be washed until this step is complete, as there is no solvent left to be reactivated. Otherwise you run the risk of lifting paint out as the wall is wiped.

If you’d like to read more about dry times for paint, this article by Glidden as well as this one by Bob Vila do a great job further explaining the subject.

I hope this article has been helpful to you! As always, feel free to reach out to me at brendan@McCormickPaintingServices.com or 563-506-5510 and I’d be happy to further explain anything. If you’re looking for painters to hire for your next project in Cedar Rapids or surrounding areas, give us a call!