Are you thinking of applying eggshell paint to your home? However, are you wondering how long eggshell paint takes to dry?
Are you also wondering about the ways that will lead to making the eggshell paint dry fast? Do different types of eggshell paint take uneven times to dry?
How long does eggshell paint take to dry?
Eggshell paint doesn’t require a long time to dry therefore your eggshell paint can dry somewhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours. However, the drying time will differ a lot based on the different types of eggshell paint. You can also lessen the drying time by altering the temperature, humidity, etc.
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There are myriad different types of eggshell paint and it is imperative to be aware of what is the drying time for these different types of eggshell paints so that you can mold your decisions accordingly.
Acrylic Eggshell Paint:
When it comes to acrylic eggshell paint, it will take three to four hours to dry fully. However, if you want to decrease the drying time, you have to make sure proper ventilation is available and you also need to make sure to use a hair dryer.
Eggshell Wood Paint:
It will take somewhere between two to four hours for eggshell wood paint to dry but you need to make sure to apply a thin layer for the paint to be dried faster so that you can put another layer of paint.
In addition, it is also very important to prime, sand, and remove filth from the surface of the wall before applying eggshell wood paint which will assist in decreasing the drying time.
Oil-based Eggshell Paint:
It usually takes a bit more time for oil-based eggshell paints to dry therefore, your oil-based eggshell paint will dry within 90 minutes on average.
However, the surface where you will put the eggshell paint has to be grease-free, dirt-free, and moisture-free for the oil-based eggshell paint to adhere properly which would also impact the drying time.
Water-based Eggshell Paint:
Water-based eggshell paint dries a bit quicker than oil-based ones and therefore it will take a little more than 45 minutes on average for water-based eggshell paint to dry for a recoat.
| Eggshell paint | Drying time |
|---|---|
| Dulux eggshell paint | 16 Hours |
| Leyland eggshell paint | 16 – 24 Hours |
| Johnstones eggshell paint | 1 – 2 Hours |
| Farrow and ball eggshell paint | 2 Hours |
| Behr eggshell paint | 3 Hours |
| Neptune eggshell paint | 4 – 6 Hour |
| Porters eggshell paint | 2 Hours |
| Benjamin Moore eggshell paint | 1- 2 Hours |
How long does eggshell paint dry indoors and outdoors?
It is really important to know whether or not eggshell paint can be used indoors and outdoors so that you do not come across any confusion.
Eggshell paint indoors:
When it comes to how long it takes for eggshell paint to dry indoors, it should be noted that this will depend on the humidity level, air circulation, ventilation, and so on. Therefore, your eggshell paint will dry in 90 minutes indoors.
In addition, you can also shorten the drying time by modifying the temperature of the room itself which may not be feasible when it comes to eggshell paint applied outdoors.
Eggshell paint outdoors:
Eggshell paint can take 30 minutes to dry outdoors because there is an abundance of heat and air outdoors.
However, if the temperature is not favorable meaning if it is rainy or cold, it will take a much longer time for eggshell paint to dry outdoors.
How long should eggshell paint dry between coats?
How long eggshell paint takes to dry between coats will depend a lot on the humidity level of the room, the temperature, and the density of the coat itself.
Therefore, it should take 30 minutes on average for the eggshell paint to dry between coats.
However, the drying time between coats will also depend on what type of eggshell paint is in question.
Accordingly, if it is eggshell oil-based paint, it will take almost 90 minutes for the paint to dry fully before you can apply another coat of eggshell paint.
Additionally, if it is eggshell water-based paint, then the drying time will be only 45 minutes between coats.
In addition, you can also decrease the drying time between coats by applying a thin layer or by making sure that your eggshell paint dries quicker by the usage of a hair dryer or dehumidifier.
How long does eggshell paint take to cure?
When it comes to how long it takes for eggshell paint to be cured, it should be noted that you must wait for all the solvents of the paint to evaporate fully to consider the whole paint job to be done properly.
Accordingly, it will take somewhere between 4-6 hours for the eggshell paint to cure and when it comes to the curing of the paint, the different types of eggshell paints do not differ in time.
In addition, curing is basically the process of oxidization that requires the bonding of all the particles of paint and it is a slow process which is why you need to provide ample time for the eggshell paint to cure properly.
Why is my eggshell paint not drying?
Several reasons can contribute to making your eggshell paint not dry at all therefore being knowledgeable about the appropriate reasons can help you to remove your confusion.
Environmental Factors:
A lot of environmental factors such as high temperature, humidity level of the atmosphere, lack of ventilation, and so on can be responsible for making eggshell paint not dry well enough.
Bad Eggshell Paint:
When it comes to eggshell paints, it will take 1-2 hours on average for them to dry thoroughly if the temperature and humidity level of the surrounding environment is favorable.
Therefore, if you see your eggshell paint is not drying well enough, then chances are that your eggshell paint is bad or it has expired.
Unpolished Surface:
One of the biggest mistakes to make while working with eggshell paint is not properly preparing the surface where you want eggshell paint to be.
Therefore, if the target surface has moisture or grease all over it, then eggshell paint will not dry at all.
How to get eggshell paint to dry quicker
Your eggshell paint needs to dry properly therefore, being knowledgeable about the proper ways to get eggshell paint to dry quickly can help you to mold your decisions accordingly.
Usage of the Dehumidifier:
One of the things that you can use to get eggshell paint to dry quicker is related to the usage of a dehumidifier.
In addition, it is better to use a dehumidifier because the humidity level of the air is usually high in winter times which can make the eggshell paint dry slowly.
Accordingly, in this situation, if you set your dehumidifier at 45 percent, it will assist in quickly drying the eggshell paint without any hassles.
Usage of Hair Dryer:
The usage of a hair dryer or heater is a perfect solution to make eggshell paint dry quicker. Moreover, all you have to do is to turn on your hair dryer and make sure you have the hair dryer at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
After that, you just need to point at the specific portion of the wall where you applied the eggshell paint and you just need to keep the hair dryer moving so that the eggshell paint can dry quickly.
In addition, you also need to keep in mind to increase the heat of the hairdryer as you proceed through the process and you also need to make sure to turn the hair dryer off after 6 or 7 minutes.
Additionally, if you go overboard with this drying technique with a hair dryer, you can risk having the eggshell paint fall off of the wall.
Thin Paint:
If you want to make sure your eggshell paint dries faster, you need to adopt measures to thin your eggshell paint accordingly.
Therefore, you need to use a paint thinner and mix the paint thinner with the eggshell paint on a ratio of 1:2.
After that, you need to make sure to mix the paint thinner and the eggshell paint very thoroughly so that the applying process can go smoothly.
This process of thinning the eggshell paint will help it dry almost 50% more quickly than the original time.
However, you need to make sure that you do not over-thin your paint and you also need to make sure of the eggshell paint type whether it is oil-based or water-based as you have to use mineral spirit and paint thinner respectively to thin them.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, nothing can beat the effectiveness of eggshell paint especially if it is dried by maintaining proper precautions which will result in a glossy sheen. Therefore, you need to make sure you let your eggshell paint dry for 30 minutes to 2 hours which is very typical for eggshell paint.