My first blog post of 2014… Happy New Year!!! … I hope you and yours had a wonderful Holiday Season!
Have you ever spent time painting a piece of furniture, painting your walls, cabinets, or anything at all; then somehow mucked up your paint job because it hadn’t dried or cured properly? Beyond frustrating right?
Before I went on holidays last year (love saying “last year” even though it was only a few weeks ago… weird, I know) I repaired a table with edge-banding and gave it a flawless sprayed black finish.
Because I was in a rush with my packing, holiday preparation yada-yada-yada (do people still say yada-yada 😉 ), I rushed to get this table staged, photographed, and posted to this blog. Take a look what happened. If you look closely, you’ll see exactly where the plate left its mark!
I’ve been painting furniture long enough to know that paint can feel DRY to the touch in as little as 1 or 2 hours, however CURE time usually takes 3-4 weeks. This is because PAINT DRY and PAINT CURE are two different things.
Paint “DRY” happens when the solvents evaporate from your paint coating leaving the paint feeling dry to the touch even though it is not 100% dry.
Paint “CURE” happens when your paint coating has reached it’s maximum hardness and is completely 100% dry.
When reading the label on your paint can, it will tell you the DRY time, not the CURE time. Through many mistakes just like my table above, I’ve learned it’s best to wait until furniture has CURED before staging and selling. Sometimes this isn’t possible. For instance, if a client wants their furniture asap, I always explain the repercussions of using the furniture before it has had time to cure.
How long does it take paint to dry and cure?
Water Based/Latex Paint ~ Dry Time 1-2 hours – Cure Time 21-30 days
Oil Based Paint ~ Dry Time 6-8 hours – Cure Time 3-7 days
Chalk Brand Paints ~ Dry Time 30-60 minutes – Cure time 30 days
Homemade Chalky Paint ~ Dry Time 30-60 minutes – Cure Time 21-30 days
Milk Paint ~ Dry Time 30 minutes – Cure time 30 days
Some factors which effect dry/cure time.
The thickness of your paint
The surface it’s painted on eg. wood/melamine/dry wall/concrete/canvas etc.
The sheen of the paint eg. flat/eggshell/satin/semi-gloss/high-gloss
The brand and type of paint eg. oil/latex/chalk/acrylic/milk paint
The color of the paint and tints used eg. longer drying time with dark colors
The overall condition of where it is left to dry eg. air flow/humidity/temperature
The number of coats applied
How to check if your paint is dry?
To check if your paint is dry, touch an inconspicuous area with your finger. If the paint is not tacky and feels dry to the touch, it is dry.
How to check if your paint is cured?
To check if your paint is cured, do the fingernail test. In an inconspicuous area, press your fingernail into the paint. If it leaves an indent (like my plate did…grrrr!!!) your paint is not fully cured. If no indent is visible and the surface is hard, your paint has cured.
So do you think I should add P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E to my list of New Years Resolutions? {rolling my eyes and smiling}
I’d love to hear how long you wait for your paint to dry before using or selling your furniture. Don’t be shy… If you’ve had a similar experience, leave a comment! It will make me feel a whole lot better knowing I’m not the only one!
Enjoy your day!
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Great information, I do not agree with the “fingernail test” fingernails will penetrate paint that has been applied for years. It has a high psi number
As a painting contractor I enameled over a varnished patio door using Extreme Bond Sherwin latex as a primer then 2 coats Emerald satin latex off white. In between coats opening door often, I noticed a small rub off in the upper corner where the door meets closure. It dawns on me I was pulling on the door slightly to open causing the friction rub off before cure. Hoping after cure this doesn’t happen . I told customer to be aware of how the door is opened for awhile.
This is very interesting information on Dry vs Cure. I was repainting a concrete water fountain pond a few years back. 2019. I had selected an approved pool paint two part epoxy. The project worked wonderfully however over the usage and time some of the concrete prep work lifted before the paint did. Concrete was poured in 2006 it is fully cured. I had just surface ground the bare concrete to remove roughness of the hydraulic concrete patching I had to do. Not many companies make concrete pool paint and when they do thd prep is usually so complex that it would be impossible for a DIY to complete. Acid etching concrete nof really a home owner task. I used the official primer sealer. So after 2 years it needed some touch up work. I opted to use Behr Marquee. I did not wait for complete curing. This spring the damage is obvious. Marquee is peeling. Oh well experiment #2. Repaint with Behr masonry sealer waterproofer. Once again this is not pool paint but is designed to seal masonry and brick against water penetration. Working with previous two part epoxy is not going to be repeated unless absolutely required. Thank goodness I am not dealing with a huge official pool size project pond iz only 8 foof diameter with a 2 foot concrete splash ring. Some of the paint will be submerged splash way is for drain back only. Anyway I will allow much more “Cure” time before refilling pond. The Marquee never stood a chance as it was refilled 24 hours after painting because it felt “Dry” As long as nature co operates the Behr Dry Plus Sealer should actually get some “Curing” time.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather co operates and the Behr cures fully Russell!
Hi! I’ve just finished my first furniture upcycle – a vintage secretary I did in a lime green chalk paint, with peacock blue inside, antique glaze and sealed with a few coats of poly. I’ll wait to put anything on the shelves/in the drawers for a few weeks, but am wondering how soon I can put the drawers back in. After all that work getting nice edges, I hate to mess them up by having the painted drawers sitting on the painted surface of the furniture and having it stick together. Thanks for any help you can offer this newbie!
Hi Karen! Once the drawers are 100% dry they should be okay to put back in with gentle use. If you’re worried though (for instance you are in a hot damp climate for example) waiting until they cure isn’t a bad idea. Your vintage secretary desk sounds awesome btw!
Karen, how long did you wait before covering your chalk painted pieces with poly? I am having a lot of trouble with both oil and water based poly finishes causing my chalk paint to reactivate and run, causing the topcoat to blend with the paint pigment, even after several days of drying time.
so glad you spared the time to expain the issues with paint drying/cure times .. i restore model steam engines using emamel paints and find its easily scratched weeks after painting .. many thx
Thanks Frank and how interesting!… restoring model steam engines!🙌
I see that this is a very old post, but that some of the comments are less than a year old. So I hope I’ll have a bit of luck getting my questions answered.
I have been thinking for quite a while now of painting the plywood subfloor of my very large kitchen/dining room floor with something like the Rustoleum Home Floor Coating system. The cure time says 3-7 days, but that is impossible for my 3-adult household as this very high traffic room is also a walk-through to a bedroom/bath area with no other access. What can I do? Would covering the floor with kraft paper help? Or are there any other paint options out there?
Hi there! I would reach out to an associate (where you bought the Rustoleum Home Floor Coating System.. or even to Rustoleum) and ask if it can have light use after its dry. When painting furniture, once it is dry I use it ‘lightly’ but I don’t put any sharp lamps or decor on it, for instance. With your painted floor, it’s possible walking traffic (with no high heels..lol) would be perfectly ok and then once it cures the furniture can be put back. sorry I can’t be more help but I’m not familiar with the product.
Most probably, there is a way to know if your recent painted surface is cured. That is to put your nose almost to the surface but don’t obviously allow it to touch.
If the surface you painted still smells of paint, then it’s not full cured. It’s necessary for the smell to fully go until curing is completed.
Example, I resprayed a stripped down vehicle metal handbrake lever in aerosol acrylic paint. I hung it up from a metal bar to dry out then I counted 5 weeks went by before I no longer smelt the paint.
I found out from experience that it’s the layers of paint under the final coat that needs the longest to fully cure.
On no paint cans I’ve bought will it inform you of cure time, only the drying time. Your nose will let you know!.
What ever you do…do not put paper on top. It will stick! Or at the very least you will get something called mapping, which happens when every little crease and wrinkle the paper has leaves it’s own “map” in the paint finish. Paint needs to breathe in order to cure. Run fans…a dehumidifier…a heater. One, the other or all three will help it cure faster. But about 3 days is the maximum!
Just came across this article and found it very useful! I too was impatient and started using a piece I just repainted as a side table and noticed it has marks on it now (clearly paint + polycrylic has not cured yet). Is there anything I can do to fix this? Should I reapply another coat of polycrylic? Any tips would be appreciated!
Great article! I just refinished a bookcase that my dad built over 60 years ago. I applied two coats of very dark blue latex, 24 hours apart and then moved it to my home office 36 hours later. It’s dry but not cured, and after reading this I know that I’ll likely be waiting a few weeks before using it.
sounds gorgeous Angela!
Thanks this is great.
However, do you know how to speed up drying and curing? And can modern paints ‘go off’. I painted a window cill in dulux once which is a modern low voc solvent based paint. It is cold atm in the uk (we just had snow). But it took over 24 hours to be touch dry and really has barely cured 5 days later (I don’t need to do a fingernail test, it will show my fingerprint if I press gently!)
The pot of paint had been opened and 1/4 used summer 2019 (18 months ago) and had separated so I had to mix it to use and it was very thick. In the past I’ve kept pots of paints 5 years plus and still used them ok, but maybe that doesn’t work with modern paints?
I’ve been putting a warm fan greater on it as I suspected the cold weather might be affecting the drying. And I thought extra heat would speed up any chemical raccoons involved in the curing. But it’s curing a chemical process or a shower desication prices?
A fan can speed up drying as it moves damp air away.
Thanks
Howdy!
in your opinion, latex or oil- based for kitchen cabinets ? I’m going creamy white uppers and walnut stained lowers with white counter tops
thank you:)
Sounds gorgeous. If they were my cabinets, I’d use water-based paint with a heavy-duty easy to clean poly and an oil-based walnut stain for the lowers. 🙂
Howdy!
I’m using Behr Marquee paint leftover from painting our new home. I am applying a clear coat lacquer over the pieces and have found in a warm (~74-78F), dry room – the lacquer seems to harden to soft pressure (nail test) in about 4 days. However, that generally restricts this to seasonal use when lots of airflow is possible because holy smokes does it stink to high-heaven.
(A friend who restores furniture for his own home gave me this tip. I tried it this time – after some other furniture paint flops. So far, so good. If you can tolerate the fumes and do this work safely, I recommend giving it a go!)
Thanks for this Jennifer! 🙂
Hi! Question. I had a “paint” guy tell me he cures freshly painted kitchen cabinets in the sun and I should do the same. That really doesn’t sound right to me. Have you heard this before? I don’t think he knows what he is talking about. Any advice is appreciated. The paint used was a Behr Premium Plus, Acrylic.
oh, and after he allowed my kitchen cabinets to “cure” in the sun, he delivered them and the paint was peeling off. I am now out $$$ and have to redo them. Should I just strip it all and start over?
Sorry to hear this Dana. 🙁 If they were my cabinets and I would strip or sand and start fresh. If they are peeling, there’s no point in trying to repaint over a peeling finish.
I haven’t heard this before but maybe it depends on the area.??? … if you’re in a really dry climate ??? I’m not fond of painting outdoors or having wet paint outside because of bugs and the wind blowing dust etc but we can never predict the weather here in the Toronto area.
Hi there I have just painted the walls with emulsion and I’d like to paint the woodwork with gloss. If I used painters tape on the walls to stop me getting gloss on them would the emulsion come off with the tape?
If the paint is 100% dry/cured and you use a good brand of painters tape, you should have no problem or issues. 🙂
Two questions, when layering different paints, and allowing them to completely dry but not cure between would you expect the cure time of the finished project to be that of the topcoat or whatever the longest cure time is of all the products, primer, paint, glaze for example. Also, if adding a decorate finish which requires the use of painters tape, using the delicate surface painters tape would you have to wait until the topcoat layer the tape is applied to is completely cured or just completely dried? i.e. will delicate painters tape ruin uncured pain project below?
Hi Karma! Great questions! REAL painters tape (not masking tape or packing tape etc… I’ve been guilty of trying to substitute when I first started painting furniture!) can be applied on DRY paint without the worry of pulling off paint. If I’m understanding your first question correctly, paint cure times and topcoat cure times are about the same – usually about 3-4 weeks for a total cure.
Hi! I just re-painted a piece of furniture with a semi gloss. It was previously white, but old and dinged up – so prepped and did a few very thin layers of Benjamin Moore Advanced paint. I painted outside and the paint has dried to the touch very quickly and now the drawers and the dresser itself (separate) are drying/curing in a room with good natural light and air circulation.
How long should I wait to put the drawers back into the dresser?
Much appreciated!
Hi Jordan! I put my drawers back in once the paint has fully dried just being careful not to ding the body while I do it. So depending on the paint I use, that can sometimes be within a few hours of my last coat. With Benjamin Moore Advanced paint, they recommend 16 hours between recoats and 4-6 hours dry time. Hope this helps. 🙂
Does a fan blowing on the painted surface help it to cure faster? How long would you wait to put blankets on a latex painted shelf?
Thank you for a very helpful post!
I just wanna holla atcha. Weouchea.
Thanks very interesting blog!
Such a wonderful content because this blog contains a lot of information which is amazing.
This was a wonderful article to read about dry and cure times. I just painted my living room hard wood floor with a porch and floor latex paint. Before I apply the clear polyurethane coats, do i need to let the paint cure or just dry. Thanks.
Thanks John! So long as the paint is 100% dry, the clear coat can be applied. 🙂
What do you use to apply the polyurethane I was going to use a roller
Cindy
Hi Cindy! For my furniture, I use a brush or sponge but I noticed your comment to John above, and if it’s flooring – yes a lint-free roller works great.
Hi john I am in the process of doing the exact same thing to my old living room wood floors. I have painted them and now and getting ready to put on the polyurethane. Did you use a roller and how did your project turn out?
this article is awesome! super helpful, thanks and may all your projects be happy 🙂
many blessings!
I’ve done several layers of spray paint and need to use fine wet and dry paper to smooth the surface before applying the finish coat. Do I need to wait for all the paint to cure before doing this?
Hi TeeJay! No. The paint doesn’t need to cure but it does need to be 100% dry before applying a topcoat. 🙂
Many thanks! You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get info on CURE times.
I know this is an older post, but I hope you can help me with my question. My bathroom vanity cabinet was painted with satin latex paint nearly 3 months ago and it still doesn’t pass the fingernail test. Bare wood shows when it’s lightly scratched. Is there a fix for this, or will I have to completely strip it and repaint?
Hi Michele! The issue is a damp atmosphere can prolong dry/cure times. If you are taking hot steamy showers that could slow the dry and cure time down. That said it may be beneficial to strip and repaint. It sounds like the paint did not adhere 100% if you can scratch and see the wood. Lightly sanding the wood to create tooth and using a good primer should help the paint fuse 100%.
Thank you, Denise! I thought I would probably need to redo, but I was hoping for a quicker fix 😉
Ya, I know how you feel 1000% Michele. And sometimes I feel bad for being the ‘bearer of bad news’ but believe me, if there was a quick fix for some of these things, I’d be using them ALL the time! Wish you luck and hope it turns out amazing.
Thanks for the fingernail test Denise. I made a boo boo as per time wasted it seems. I used some old flat white zero voc paint {VERY THIN COAT} to prepare my wall for an expensive wallpaper I have arriving today via the net. Then I found out I should have not used it or I should have used a primer instead. It seems the cure time is 21-30 days, but most say a flat white zero voc thin coat can be wallpapered in 2 weeks. We shall see, I will use your fingernail test, thanks bunches dear.
P.S. What do you think, a thing zero voc dead flat coat with fans in the room should cure quicker than most paints ? Well, the thumb test will have to be my guide. Seems I put myself in at least a 2 week hole, LIVE & LEAN LOL.
Hi Ron! If it was a gloss paint that would be a concern. Primer would have been ideal but a dead flat paint should be good to wallpaper over in a few weeks. Here’s a forum I found with additional info for you. Hope it’s helpful and good luck. 🙂
Thank you for this info on curing times! I just painted a bathroom with latex…the bathroom with our only shower, so it will be very difficult to wait 2-3 weeks before using the shower, but I’m concerned about installing a screw in or tension shower rod before the paint has fully cured – what do you think? Will it damage the walls I just worked so hard to paint?
Hi Sarah. Ya, bathrooms with all the humidity can be tricky. If it were my bathroom, I would wait a couple of days (or at least until the paint is 100% DRY) and it should be okay. Enjoy your new bathroom. 🙂
Hi,
How long should in wait in between costs for painting trim? Waited 24 hrs after first coat, paint was dry so I applied second coat. Can I apply third coat after 24 hrs or should I wait longer? I think it needs 3 coats of paint.
Oh, for sure Brianne… 24hrs is plenty. When I use a regular latex (water-based wall/trim paint) I usually wait 3-4 hours and then recoat.
Hello! Thank you for this very useful post! We are going to paint a dining table top this weekend, and I was wondering how sensitive it will be before it’s fully cured. It’s our only table so I don’t think we can wait 30 days to use it. If we use placemats/coasters between the table and our plates/glasses, do you think that’s alright? Does using a table cloth help or will the fabric leave an impression on the paint?
Farah, it’s really hard to say because so many factors come into play. The paint you used. How many layers you painted. The topcoat. Even down to the temperature and humidity in your environment. What I do tell my clients who purchase my furniture (before cured) is ‘light’ use is okay. Putting something heavy or sharp on top is a no-no (until cured). And as for a table cloth, I wouldn’t recommend it because it won’t give the fresh paint a chance to cure if it’s covered up. I hope this helps. 🙂
It’s neat how paint cure means that the paint reached maximum hardness. My wife and I want to paint our new walls but didn’t know when to add another coat. We will keep this in mind as we go to the paint store.
Oh my life, I always wait at least 2 – 3 weeks for gloss to fully cure before use – I hate clutter so its not an issue waiting for windowsill to fully cure before putting the odd photo back.
My biggest issue is other ppl forgetting not to touch/lean/dump their stuff on it and leaving a fingerprint or snag in the paint arrrrrrrgh!!!!!
I love glossing and seeing a perfectly smooth beautifully painted peice of wood.
I remember when I was around 4yrs old dad was painting skirting boards. I thought I’d help and whilst he was busy painting I was also busy painting my parents pride and joy solid teak g-plan dining table with a bottle of tippex! We still hav,e that old table – with reminents of tippex that’s soaked in the grain!
Interesting ppl don’t realise there is a huge difference between surface dry and completely dried (cured) though.
I love this story Mary, thanks for sharing!!! It put a big smile on my face. And ya, until I started working on/restyling furniture, I didn’t really know the difference between paint dry and cure times either. 🙂
I completely agree with waiting for the paint to cure. I have experienced some interior wall paint used to paint a built in cabinet not cure for 45 days!!!! Found this out the very painful way. The old saying “Watching paint Dry” should be changed to watching paint cure. Some commercial refinishers have drying rooms. Not high heat but moisture controlled with lots and lots of air circulation. Most production furniture manufacturers add chemicals to the Finnish to allow faster curing..
When painting oil based, high gloss on metal fencing (outdoors) …….what if the weather is likely to rain in the following day/s.
If I paint it early the day before any rain is expected……..IF IT RAINS 24hrs later… WILL IT RUIN THE GLOSS AND PAINT JOB!!
Many thanks, Susan
Hey hey!👋🏼
Love your post! So very helpful to a noobie like myself…
I just sprayed a small bathroom cabinet and I was wondering… do I wait for it to fully cure before I apply a sealer top coat or can I do that now and have them cure together (so to speak)??
Hi Mony! Sealer/topcoat can be applied once it’s 100% dry – and then they cure together.
Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to know.
Does this apply to homemade chalk paint as well? Just finished painting two coats (24 hours apart) on a foyer cabinet. Need to seal with Polycrylic. Wait until cured? Or just dry? Thank you for clarifying,
Hi June! Yes, even with DIY chalky paint, once it’s DRY I poly and/or wax. 🙂
Wish I’d read this yesterday finished chalk painting rocking chair three days ago. Carefully left it for three days to make sure it had dried before applying Wax finish. Completely ruined paint job.
Thanks you helped me not mess up my newly gloss painted cupboard 🙂 I’ll wait it out for a week before filling it!
what are the significance of surface dry and cure dry?
Would you suggest waiting until your first coat cures before painting your second coat? I just painted my kitchen island a dark gray enamel paint and I’m worried it’s not going to cure right.
When putting on a second coat of chalk paint? Do I just wait the 30-60 to dry before applying? Or do I have to wait for it to cure?
Your second coat can be applied once the first coat has dried. 🙂
Does the curing times listed apply for metallic spray paint?
It sure does Clare. But always a good idea to read the instructions for the specific product you’re using.
Hi there,
I’m quite sure oil based paints take longer to cure – are you sure about your cure times for oil based paints?
Hi Aiden! I’m sure. 🙂 Oil-based paints take longer to DRY than latex but cure much faster.
Sooo incorrect! Oil based or alkyd paints take almost a mo th to cure. When they do, they are much harder than latex paints, but they take longer to both dry and cure than late. That is where the saying “Waiting for paint to dry” came from.
Last paragraph – https://www.glidden.com/inspiration/all-articles/how-long-does-paint-take-to-dry-cure
I’ve heard both, which leads to a.but if confusion. Just the other day, the Benjamin Moore guy told me up to.30 days for the alkyd paint (oil based) to cure. My guess is this really depends upon multiple factors.
Hello! Thank you SO much for this information! I have oil. Are painted a kitchen nook. I’m in Florida and am wondering if setting it in the sun helps cure it. Today is “cool” and dry so thinking of moving it into the sun. It has been painted and dry for a couple days. Thanks in advance
Barbara
Oops! Typos or what!? What I MEANT to type was, I have oil base painted a kitchen nook!
Hi Barbara! Yes, the sun along with warmer temps can help speed up dry/cure times. 🙂
Hi Denise! I live in a tropical country and want to expose my newly painted (with water-based latex paint) dining set to the sun to speed up curing. Is it safe to expose it to the sun for 6 hours? It’s summer here and temps reach 25-34C. Would that harm the paint/wood at all? Am really keen to swap the wicker dining set my boyfriend owns with one made of solid wood as my cats are scratching the wicker set and my boyfriend is about to have a nervous breakdown.
Hi Lola! If your dining set has been properly prepped, painted and finished, I can’t think of any reason why leaving it out in the sun would harm the paint. It would/should speed up cure time and hopefully in turn, save your boyfriends’ wicker set from your fur babies. 🙂
Just wanted to chime in on Barbara’s question here. I’m in Florida too and have been painting outside for years. I find putting my freshly painted oil items in the sun to cure makes them gummy. Having them outside in the heat is good, better if there’s a breeze. But in full sun I’ve found it melts the uncured piece and takes even longer.
What type of paint can I use to paint designs on a new kitchen hutch that has been painted with sherwin Williams
Pro class interior oil based paint? This cabinet was painted about 2 weeks ago. Can acrylic paints be used to paint the designs, if not what can I use. Any help will greatly appreciated.