Many DIYers prefer spray paint over brush painting. It is the speedier painting method of the two in both coverage and drying.
However, at times the supposed quick drying time isn’t as fast as we anticipate. And if you’ve read this far, chances are you’ve had projects stalled or marred on several occasions because the paint was still wet.
So, can you make spray paint dry faster? Yes, you can make spray paint dry faster by altering elements that influence its drying speed, such as surrounding temperature and humidity. It’s also a good idea to always let the first layer dry fully before applying another.
Hop on as we cover the various factors that determine the drying speed of spray paint. You’ll also learn some simple tricks to make your spray-painted surfaces dry rapidly.
How Long Does Spray Paint Take To Dry?
Before concluding that your spray paint is drying at a slow pace and needs some help, you must be aware of what’s considered normal. We actually have another article explaining how long spray paint takes to dry that you might be interested in, but for now, we’ll explain the basics here.
Spray paint dries in phases. The first phase is the hardened phase. In this phase, the paint is slightly hardened but still mushy to the touch.
The following phase is the dry to touch phase. In this stage, the paint no longer feels sticky to touch. The outermost layer in direct contact with air is hardened enough for the reapplications of a subsequent coat. Notwithstanding, there’s still off-gas from underneath.
Next is the stage where the paint is completely dry or fully cured. At this point, all solvents have dissipated, leaving a tough coat. You can now go ahead and safely use the painted item.
So how long does the spray paint take to dry? Spray paint generally takes 30 minutes to a few hours to dry to touch and up to 24 hours to cure fully.
The waiting duration varies by brand, so it is best to check what the manufacturer recommends. Notwithstanding, your spray paint may not stick to the estimated timelines due to the following factors.
Environmental Conditions
Certain weather elements affect how spray paint dries, which is expressly indicated on many spray paint cans. Particularly low temperature, high humidity, and still air will drastically slow down the drying time of spray paint.
If you live in humid areas or it’s during that chilly time of the year, you should expect to wait much longer. Matter generally evaporates slower with low temperatures and faster with higher temperatures.
Same thing with humidity. The more humid the air, the lower its capacity to absorb moisture from the wet paint. Also, moving air wicks away moisture faster than still air.
Type Of Surface
Did you know that the type of surface you are spray painting could be the reason for sluggish drying? If you spray painted wood, the paint would take significantly longer to dry than if you painted metal or plastic.
Porous substrates like wood absorb a lot of paint and hold onto moisture, staying wet for longer than non-absorbent substrates.
Cardboard, being thin, is one of the fastest drying surfaces, followed by plastic and metal. You’ll have to wait longer for wood and rubber.
Type Of Paint
There are many different types of spray paint. Depending on their ingredients, some will dry at a slower rate than others.
For example, water-based paints are the clear-cut winner of speedy drying compared to enamel-based and oil-based spray paint.
The same applies to spray paint with a thinner consistency. It will set faster compared to thicker formulas.
How To Make Spray Paint Dry Faster
You can aid spray paint in drying quickly by altering any of the factors mentioned above. A few home devices come in handy for that, more so when painting indoors.
1. Use A Dehumidifier
A particularly humid day is not the best day for a spray paint job outdoors. But if you must paint when it is very humid, — that is, anything above 60% — you can do it indoors.
The first step after you are done painting is to shut out the humid air by closing any windows. You can then turn on a dehumidifier and let it run in the room for some time.
2. Get The Air Moving
Air circulation is critical during painting, especially with spray paints. These aerosols are accompanied by VOC emissions, and it goes without saying that adequate ventilation is non-negotiable.
But air movement is critical for the quick drying of spray paint too. On a windy day, you can open a window or two to let in some breeze.
If the air is still, turning on a fan close to the paint wicks away the moisture much faster. This method is excellent in an indoor setup or even in the garage.
On the flip side, strong moving air carries with it dirt, so you don’t want to do this in a dusty room. For the same reason, you shouldn’t paint outdoors on a windy day.
As the air gets swished around, it lifts all manner of debris, dust, and hair. This is bad for wet paint, which is a magnet for these things, so ensure the space is clean.
Alternatively, you can use a hairdryer to blow air over the painted surface for a while. The best part is that you can also adjust the hair dryer setting to blow warm to hot air, which doubles up the drying speed.
It is a perfect idea for small items but can become physically demanding when covering vast surfaces.
Regardless of the device you choose to improve airflow, do not set it to move too strongly, or get it too close to the surface. It may push and smudge the wet layer of spray paint.
3. Warm Up The Environment
Raising surrounding temperatures can cut down the drying time by accelerating evaporation. The change is even more drastic when the increase in temperature is combined with increased airflow.
A heater comes in handy for the job as it blows and circulates warm air. It is perfect for those chilly days when temperatures are low, and you are perhaps spray painting in the garage.
You can place it near the spray-painted object and allow it to run for some time, a few hours perhaps.
Alternatively, you have the option of turning on the home heating system since many houses already have this for winter days. You can paint in a room with access to such a facility to make your spray paint dry speedily.
When handled carefully, a heat gun can also improve the drying time of spray paint by increasing the temperature.
The trick is to avoid getting too close to the paint so you don’t burn it. It is best to avoid a heat gun when dealing with highly flammable painted surfaces such as cardboard.
Maintain the heat gun in a low-temperature setting and try to move it around as much as possible to avoid uneven drying and paint bubbling or, worse, scorching.
Although heat is good for this purpose, avoid going overboard with the temperatures. When the heat is too high, the paint will crack from drying too fast.
4. Mind Your Application Technique
Sometimes how you lay down the spray paint makes all the difference. Your spray paint will dry faster if your application is in thin coats.
A thin coat of paint will off-gas faster than a thick one. Also, avoid excessive overlapping by moving your entire arm across rather than just the wrist back and forth.
If the heavy application is due to thick paint, you could mix in the paint a little paint thinner.
This may only be possible if you use a spray gun attached to a separate canister. But tampering with the nozzle of a spray paint could ruin it and render the spray paint useless.
5. Choose A Bright Sunny Day To Paint Outdoors
Most of the devices we’ve already discussed are a great help indoors but not so much when placed outside. They wouldn’t be energy efficient, as the conditions are overpowering and difficult to stabilize in an open space.
Are you doing your fence, mailbox post, or outdoor furniture? You can’t take these indoors either.
So, the best day way to make spray paint dry faster outdoors is to pick a warm sunny day to paint. You also want the task to kick off as early as possible to have ample drying time.
You must ensure that it is not too hot, though, to prevent the paint cracking from drying too quickly. The optimal temperature should be above 50°F but no more than 90°F.
6. Invest In Wax Furniture Polish
Furniture polish, specifically wax-based polish, is a typical hack used to make spray paint dry instantaneously. Apply it over a coat of spray paint and watch the magic happen.
1-3 coats of wax furniture polish applied onto a freshly spray-painted surface and allowed to sit for about 5 minutes hardens the paint within minutes.
It acts as a sealant and, therefore, must be your final coat after painting. For spray painting, opt for the aerosol version. This method of drying spray paint quickly is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
7. Switch To Fast-Drying Brands
Lastly, you can switch to a fast-drying brand because all spray paints are not created equal. There are those specially formulated to dry quickly.
While standard spray paints take 24 hours to cure, the fast-drying brands can be handled within a few minutes of application and take just a few hours for a complete cure.
Up Next: Is Spray Paint Toxic When Dry?