Reference
How long does paint take to dry
"Dry" is three different things: dry to the touch, dry enough for the next coat, and cured hard enough to scrub or set a shelf on. The sheets give all three, and the gap between the first and the last is where most ruined finishes happen.
How long does paint take to dry? Latex: 1 hour to the touch, 2–4 hours before the next coat, 14–30 days to cure. Oil-based: 2–6 hours to the touch, 16–24 hours between coats.
How long does paint take to dry: paint drying time chart
At 77 °F and 50% humidity, from the manufacturers' sheets. How many coats you need is on the coats guide.
| Paint | Dry to touch | Recoat | Full cure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior latex, flat or eggshell | 1 hour | 2–4 hours | 14–30 days |
| Interior latex, semi-gloss or gloss | 1–2 hours | 4 hours | 30 days |
| Oil-based (alkyd) enamel | 2–6 hours | 16–24 hours | 7–30 days |
| Waterborne alkyd (cabinet and trim enamel) | 1–2 hours | 16 hours | 14–30 days |
| Exterior latex | 1–2 hours | 4 hours | 30 days |
| Ceiling paint, flat | 1 hour | 2–4 hours | 14 days |
| Chalk-style paint | 30 minutes | 2 hours | 14–21 days |
Primer drying times
| Primer | Dry to touch | Topcoat after | Full cure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latex primer | 30 minutes | 1 hour | 7 days |
| Oil-based primer | 30 minutes | 1 hour | 7 days |
| Shellac primer | 15 minutes | 45 minutes | 3 days |
How many coats of primer each surface needs, and how far a gallon goes, is on the primer guide.
Polyurethane, stain and varnish drying times
| Finish | Dry to touch | Recoat | Cure / use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water-based polyurethane | 30 minutes | 2 hours | 24 hours light use · 21 days full cure |
| Oil-based polyurethane | within 3–4 hours | 3–4 hours | 24 hours light use · 30 days full cure |
| Spar urethane (oil-based, indoor/outdoor) | within 4 hours | 4–6 hours | 24 hours light use · 30 days full cure |
| Interior oil-based wood stain | 2 hours | 4–6 hours | 24 hours before topcoat |
| Deck and fence stain, water-based | 1–2 hours | 4 hours | 48–72 hours before use |
| Deck and fence stain, oil-based | 6–8 hours | wet-on-wet, before the first coat dries; solid oil stain 24 hours | 72 hours before use |
Temperature and humidity
| Below 50 °F (10 °C) | Standard latex may not film; use a low-temperature exterior paint rated to 35 °F and allow double the recoat time. Oil-based and alkyd slow to two or three times the chart. |
| 50–70 °F (10–21 °C) | Recoat times run about half again as long as the chart. |
| 70–85 °F (21–29 °C), under 70% humidity | The chart's figures apply. |
| Above 85 °F or above 70% humidity | Surface skins before the film dries underneath; double the recoat wait, and avoid direct sun on exterior work. |
Work out the gallons with the paint calculator, then plan the coats around the recoat column.
Work out your paint →Figures: Figures at 77 °F and 50% relative humidity unless the sheet states otherwise. Checked against: Behr Premium Plus interior product page (1 hour dry, 2 hours recoat); Kilz 2 All-Purpose data sheet (touch 30 minutes, paint over in 1 hour); Kilz Original oil-based primer data sheet (touch 30 minutes, topcoat after 1 hour); Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior data sheet (touch 1 hour, recoat 4 hours at 45 °F and above); Rust-Oleum Stops Rust oil-based enamel product listings (touch 2–6 hours, recoat 24 hours); Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane and Helmsman Spar Urethane product pages (recoat 3–4 and 4–6 hours); Minwax Polycrylic data sheet (recoat 2 hours). Other rows are typical manufacturer ranges and vary by product. The sheet for the can in your hand has the final word; dark colors and heavy coats dry slower than the chart.
Paint drying questions
How long before a second coat of paint?
2–4 hours for latex, 16–24 hours for oil-based. Recoating early traps solvent and leaves a soft film that peels.
How long does paint take to cure?
14–30 days for latex. Dry to the touch in an hour, hard enough to wash in a week, fully cured in about a month — hang pictures after a week, scrub after a month.
How long does exterior paint take to dry?
1–2 hours to the touch and 4 hours to recoat in dry weather above 50 °F; keep rain off it for 24 hours.
How long does polyurethane take to dry?
Water-based: 2 hours between coats. Oil-based: 3–4 hours between coats. Either takes light use after about 24 hours, but a full cure takes three to four weeks, so keep rugs and heavy furniture off a floor until then.
How long does stain take to dry?
Interior wood stain: 24 hours before topcoat. Deck and fence stain: 48–72 hours before use water-based, 72 hours before use oil-based.
More in this series
The rest of the paint job
These charts are what every paint and exterior estimate on the site is built from: coverage, coats, drying times and the siding underneath. Each tool applies them to one surface.
- Paint Calculator Wall and ceiling paint, primer, rollers and tape
- Ceiling Paint Calculator Ceiling paint, stain-blocking primer, roller covers and tape
- Exterior Paint Calculator Gallons of exterior paint and primer by siding type, trim paint, rollers, brushes and tape
- Siding Calculator Squares of siding, panels and boxes of vinyl or planks of fiber cement, J-channel, starter strip, corner posts and nails
- Trim Paint Calculator Quarts of trim enamel and primer for baseboards, casing and crown by the linear foot, brushes, tape and caulk
- Cabinet Paint Calculator Quarts of cabinet enamel and primer for doors, drawers and frames, foam rollers, brushes and degreaser
- Fence Stain Calculator Gallons of stain or paint for both sides of a fence and its posts, by fence type and wood condition
- Primer Calculator Gallons of primer by surface and primer type, with the coats each surface needs, rollers and brushes
- Door Paint Calculator Quarts of enamel and primer for interior and front doors, one or both sides, with frames, brushes and foam rollers
- Paint Coverage per Gallon What a gallon covers on each surface, and gallons for common rooms
- Paint Sheen Chart Flat to gloss: durability, where each finish belongs, and the comparisons
- Spray Paint Drying Times Dry, handle, recoat and cure times for spray paint by type and surface, and how many cans a job takes
- How Many Coats of Paint and Primer Coats by color change and surface, how long to wait between coats, and coats of polyurethane and stain
- Primer Coats and Coverage How many coats of primer each surface needs, coverage per gallon by primer type, and how long each takes to dry
- Vinyl Siding Sizes and Squares What a square of siding is, vinyl panel lengths and pieces per box, Hardie and LP plank sizes, and trim per square
- Paint Can Sizes and Weights What a quart, gallon and 5 gallon bucket of paint weigh and how many square feet each one covers
Tools for the job
What makes this job easier
Tools and materials that suit this kind of job. These are affiliate links: if you buy through one, Renovimo may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the figures on this page.
Garvee
Dehumidifier, 50 pint
Pulls the water out of a room so slabs, mud and new floors dry on schedule.
Check price
Garvee
Dehumidifier, 85 pint
For a whole basement after a pour or a flood; drains continuously.
Check price
Garvee
Utility blower fan, 10 in
Moves air across a wet slab, fresh mud or new finish so it dries evenly.
Check price
Garvee
Shutter exhaust fan, 12 in
Pulls solvent fumes and damp air out of a garage or workshop so paint and spray finishes dry sooner.
Check price
Garvee
Pro paint roller kit, 32 pieces
9 in and 4 in rollers on a telescoping pole, for walls and ceilings without a ladder.
Check price
Garvee
Clear PVC tarp, 8 × 10 ft
Covers a fresh slab to cure, or keeps a lumber or drywall stack dry.
Check price
Not the tool you were after? Browse the whole range at Garvee — the store these picks come from.