How Long Should You Wait Between Coats of Paint?
Bubbles and pits form.
Tips
Damaged paint cannot be repaired while the paint is wet.
The Spruce / Margot Cavin
Wait until the paint has dried, then sand it or apply a smoothing surface treatment.
There are three distinct time frames with painting: dry time, recoat time, and cure time.
Water-based paint should be dry to the touch in about one hour.
Paint binders hold the color pigments together.
Flat paints have fewer binders than glossy paints.
Binders in these formulations also translate into longer drying times.
The flatter the paint sheen, the faster it will dry.
Recoat Time for Oil-Based Paint
The average recoat time for oil-based paint is 24 hours.
The paint should be dry to the touch in six to eight hours.
Oil-based paint is more durable and takes longer to dry than water-based paint.
Water-based paints dry considerably faster than oil-based paints because the water evaporates to let the paint dry.
Oil-based paints contain no water.
Always apply paint within the temperature parameters specified by the paint manufacturer.
Oil-based paints will dry best in room temperatures above 50 degrees F but under 90 degrees.
Ventilation
Circulating the air with a fan on low quickens paint drying times.
Japan drier is the generic term for these types of catalysts.
Latexinterior wall paintshould dry for at least one hour before putting the furniture back.
One hour is the dry-to-the-touch time recommended by most paint manufacturers.
Increasing the temperature and improving the airflow can make the paint dry faster.
Add a space heater to a room to help the paint dry faster.
Placing a room fan in a door or window will increase airflow and speed up the paint-drying process.
Primer should dryfor about one hour before applying paint.
Primer may dry to the touch in about 30 minutes.
But let another half-hour elapse before applying paint or another coat of primer.
Wait as long as possible between two coats of paintup to a point.
It’s OK to wait seven days to add a second coat of paint.
