What’s the Average Paint Dry Time?

Waiting for paint to dry on your walls is probably up there with watching a pot and waiting for it to boil. It takes quite a while for paint to properly set, and you’ll need to factor in your paint dry time as you go, lest you move on to your next step too quickly and end up botching your results.

Painting is one of the best DIY projects for homeowners (and renters, with landlord permission of course). Not only is it doable for beginners, it’s also one of the quickest way to make a huge improvement in your space—which can really come in handy if you’ve just moved in to your new home and are looking for ways to make it all your own.

Whether you’re painting cabinets or an entire room however, it’s important to follow best practices to ensure that you get the outcome you’re looking for. Among them: allowing for an adequate paint dry time prior to putting on your next coat or adding furniture and décor to the room.

Here’s what to know about letting paint try—and some hints on speeding it up.

How long does it take paint to dry?

We all want to get our paint job done as quickly as possible, but there are only so many corners that you can cut (and the paint dry time isn’t one of them).

On average, it takes between one and eight hours for paint to dry depending on various room factors, the type of paint that you’re using, and how thick your coats are.

But don’t assume that once paint is dry it’s totally good to go. You need paint to cure in addition to drying before you can consider a project to be fully complete. Curing refers to when all of the solvents in the paint have evaporated and it has achieved maximum durability and hardness. In general, you’ll want to give paint at least 24 hours to cure, which includes the drying time, though a full curing time can be as long as a week.

Factors that affect paint dry time

There’s no one size fits all answer when it comes to how long it takes paint to dry. There are a number of variables at play, including those that either speed up the process or slow it down. Here are some of the biggest ones to keep in mind.

1. What type of paint you’re using

If you’re painting a room or feature in your home, then you’re going to be using either an oil-based paint or a latex-based paint (also called water-based paints).

• • Latex-based paint – This dries faster than oil-based paint, but takes longer to cure. That’s due to the structure of the formula itself, which causes solvents to dry from the outside in so that your paint feels dry to the touch sooner but isn’t actually fully set and ready to go.
  • Oil-based paint – This is slower to dry than latex-based paint and faster to cure. Because of its slow drying time, oil-based paint isn’t quite as popular in homes as it used to be, so if you’re doing interior painting it’s more likely than not that you’re looking at latex-based options.

  Hint: You can doctor up oil-based paints to help them dry faster by using a catalyst called a siccative, which speeds up oil drying times with the use of linseed oil and alkyd resins. You can find these listed as “Japan drier” at home improvement stores—just follow directions carefully so that you can be sure to add in just the right amount.

  2. Room variables

  How fast paint dries is also related to various features of the room, notably how much ventilation and humidity you’re dealing with, as well as the room’s temperature.

  • • Ventilation – The more ventilated your space, the faster your paint is going to dry. Open a window to speed up the process if weather permits, or use fans to keep the air circulating and help your paint dry faster.
    • Humidity – More humidity equals a slower paint dry time. That’s because moisture in the air prevents the water in paint from evaporating as quickly, leaving your paint tacky and wet for longer than it would be otherwise.
    • Temperature – Your room needs to be at an optimal temperature if you want to achieve an optimal dry time. Paint will take forever to dry in a room that’s too cold (think 50 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler). Meanwhile, if the room is too hot (70 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer), you’ll end up with a top layer that dries too quickly, leaving the bottom layers wet and leading to an imprecise paint job.

    How to speed up the paint drying process

    How fast paint dries isn’t totally out of your control. By painting in the best conditions possible, you can ensure that your paint dry time is productive and proactive—and that you’re not inadvertently causing the drying process to take longer than it needs to.

    With that in mind, follow these best practices to help your paint dry faster:

    Don’t paint right after it’s rained. Rain raises humidity levels, which leads to slower drying times and an inability for all layers to dry at the correct rate. To circumvent this factor, aim to paint when humidity levels are around 50% or lower, and don’t paint right after it’s rained—especially if you live in a climate that tends to run more humid than not.

    Bring in the fans. The more ventilation in a room, the more efficient the paint drying process is going to be. Make ample use of box fans and windows to keep air moving and to provide your paint with the right environment to dry out.

    Opt for thinner coats. It’s probably not too surprising to learn that the thicker the coat, the longer it’s going to take to dry. For best results with your painting project, use thinner coats instead of thicker ones, regardless of whether you’re using a roller or brush. Not only will you end up with a faster paint dry time, you’ll also be less likely to get bubbling, spotting, or choppy color coverage.

    Optimize the temperature in the room. Because paint drying times are so dependent on temperature, it’s definitely in your interest to paint when temperatures are right, with the sweet spot usually being around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The time of year and time of day that you paint will affect this, as will your thermostat. Pay attention to all of these factors when deciding when to get started, and note what the temperature is likely to be once you finish up and your paint starts to dry.

    Can you put on another coat before paint is fully dry?

    You don’t need paint to fully cure before adding on another coat, but you should absolutely wait for it to dry.

    Remember: paint dries in layers, and paint that feels dry to the touch isn’t necessarily dry throughout. Always wait for at least the amount of time listed in the manufacturer’s directions, and when in doubt, wait more time instead of less before moving on to your next coat.

    Putting on another coat before the first is dry will cause a couple of issues, most notably pulls and streaks that undo your hard work and end up requiring more total coats to achieve complete coverage.

    Be patient and don’t rush and you’ll get a great paint job that will last for a long time.