Drying and curing are two different stages. Paint is dry when the water has evaporated and the surface no longer feels tacky, which for most modern water-based paints takes an hour or two. It is cured when the film underneath has fully hardened, and that takes days rather than hours: up to seven days for Little Greene's Intelligent finishes, and up to 14 days for darker Farrow & Ball colours.
The gap between the two is where most decorating disappointments happen. A wall feels perfectly dry by teatime, so pictures go back up, furniture is pushed against it and a scuff is scrubbed off a week later, taking some of the finish with it. Knowing what is happening inside the paint makes it much easier to give a new finish the start it needs.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Off-Black (57)
What "dry" actually means
Paint tins and data sheets usually give two times, and it helps to know which is which:
- Touch dry. The surface has skinned over and will not mark if you brush against it lightly. Most of the water has gone, but the film is still soft.
- Recoatable. The point at which the next coat can go on without dragging or lifting the first. This is always a little longer than touch dry.
Neither means the paint is ready for use. A touch-dry wall can still be marked by a fingernail, and a touch-dry shelf can still pick up a ring from a mug.
What curing is
Water-based paint is made of tiny particles of binder, pigment and other ingredients suspended in water. As the water evaporates, the binder particles pack together and gradually fuse into a continuous film. That fusing and hardening carries on long after the surface feels dry, and only when it is complete does the paint reach its full strength, washability and final sheen.
Little Greene note, for example, that the final sheen of Intelligent Matt Emulsion may take up to seven days to be reached. If a freshly painted wall looks slightly patchy in sheen on day one, give it time before deciding anything is wrong.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Tanner's Brown (255)
Drying and curing times for the brands we stock
These are the figures the brands give in their own product information, for normal room conditions:
- Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion. Dry in 2 hours, recoat after 2 hours.
- Farrow & Ball Modern Emulsion. Dry in 2 hours, recoat after 4 hours. Farrow & Ball advise allowing at least 14 days before cleaning, so the film can fully cure.
- Farrow & Ball Flat Eggshell. Dry in 2 hours, recoat after 4 hours.
- Little Greene Intelligent Matt Emulsion. Surface dry in around 30 minutes, recoat after 1 to 4 hours, with complete cure taking 3 to 7 days depending on how thickly it was applied.
- Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell, Satin and Gloss. Recoat after 1 to 4 hours, with full hardness reached in up to 7 days.
- Little Greene Absolute Matt Emulsion. Surface dry in 1 hour, recoat after a minimum of 4 hours, with complete cure taking up to several days.
- Paint & Paper Library Architects' Matt. Touch dry in about an hour and recoatable after 4 hours.
Farrow & Ball add that some darker colours will take up to 14 days to achieve full hardness, strength and durability. That applies across their finishes, so a deep colour such as Tanner's Brown or Off-Black needs more patience than a pale neutral.
Why some paint takes longer
- Cold rooms. Low temperatures slow evaporation and the hardening of the film. Farrow & Ball advise not painting below 10°C, and Little Greene give 8°C as the minimum for their Intelligent range.
- Humidity. Damp air holds on to water, so bathrooms, kitchens and rooms with poor ventilation take longer. Farrow & Ball note that temperature and humidity can both lengthen drying times.
- Thick coats. Two thin coats always dry and cure faster, and look better, than one heavy one.
- Deep colours. As above, darker shades can take noticeably longer to reach full hardness.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Paints Shown: Intelligent Eggshell, Intelligent Satin
How to treat fresh paint
- Ventilate. Keep a window open while you paint and for a while afterwards, provided the room stays warm enough.
- Wait before rehanging. Leave pictures, shelves and curtains off newly painted walls for a few days if you can.
- Do not wash it yet. Wipe up anything urgent gently with a damp cloth, but save proper cleaning until the paint has cured.
- Go easy on woodwork and furniture. Doors, cabinets and painted furniture take the most handling, so treat them gently for the first week, as we explain in our guide to painting IKEA furniture.
Questions we are often asked
Can I sleep in a freshly painted room?
All the paints we stock are water-based and low odour, so most people are comfortable once the room has been aired. Ventilate well and keep the window open if you can.
The colour looks patchy. Should I add another coat?
Wait. Sheen and colour can even out as the paint cures. Look again after a few days in good daylight before deciding.
How long before I can put furniture back against the wall?
Give it a few days if you can, and avoid anything rubbing against the new paint until it has had time to harden.
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Intelligent Matt Emulsion · Modern Emulsion · Architects' Matt
