How Long Does Paint Take to Dry?

Knowing how long paint takes to dry can help prevent you from accidentally damaging the new paint throughout your home. At Dunbar Painting, we want to help you better protect your home’s interior paint job. That is why our professional team has put together a list of some of the different factors that can affect the dry time of paint.

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1. Type of Paint

The amount of time it takes for paint to dry is directly related to the type of paint being used in the interior of your home.

• Latex paint—This type of paint tends to dry faster than other types of paint, as a coat usually only takes about an hour until it is no longer wet to the touch and it allows for another coat to be applied after four hours.
• Oil-based paint—Compared to latex paint, oil-based paint takes at least six to eight hours to feel dry to the touch and a full 24 hours before the next coat can be applied.

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2. Application of Paint

The way the paint is applied to the walls in your home can also affect the overall dry time. Applying paint with a paint roller and even coats can result in faster dry times and a consistent finish without any messy streaks or edges, while using a brush can lead to thicker coasts of paint that take much longer to dry.

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3. Humidity

The more humidity a room has, the longer it will take the paint to dry. This is because high humidity makes it harder for the paint’s water content to evaporate, causing a prolonged period of wetness.

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4. Temperature

While most houses make it easy to maintain a consistent temperature when painting, it is always a good idea to avoid painting on very hot or very cold days, especially if the interior of the home does not have working heat or air conditioning. Working in high heat or below freezing temperatures can slow down the evaporation process, causing the paint to dry slower than normal.

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5. Ventilation

If the room that is being painted has poor ventilation, it will take longer for the paint to dry between each coat. This is because the fresh air of a well-ventilated space can help encourage the water molecules in the paint to evaporate faster.

If you would like to learn more about how long paint takes to dry, or if you are interested in one of our interior painting services, please contact Dunbar Painting at 604-788-3382 or by filling out a contact form on our website.