1-part Epoxy takes around 4-6 hours to dry between coats and 4 days to cure (dry fully). 2-part Epoxy takes around 8 hours to dry between coats and 7 days to cure (dry fully).
To speed up the epoxy paint drying time, increase the ambient temperature and air circulation.
How Long Does 1-Part Epoxy Paint Take to Dry?
1-part Epoxy paint takes around 4-6 hours to dry between coats, around 4 days to cure (dry fully), 7 days until it can handle heavy weight, and 30 days before you can clean it with water.
1-part Epoxy paint has a fast dry time compared to other epoxy resins because it’s a latex acrylic floor paint formulated with extra resins. In simple words, 1-part epoxy dries through solvent evaporation.
How Long Does 2-Part Epoxy Paint Take to Dry?
2-part Epoxy paint takes around 8 hours to dry between coats, around 7 days to cure (dry fully), and 30 days before you can clean it with water.
The exact dry time is determined by ambient temperature and humidity levels, surface type, and number of coats.
For instance, thin 2-part epoxy paint coats dry faster if the temperature is higher than 50°F (10°C)and the humidity levels are lower than 50%.
2-part Epoxy paint takes longer to dry than 1-part epoxy paint because it contains a hardener and resin that must be mixed. Both parts form a thick paste that takes longer to dry.
How Speed Up Epoxy Paint Dry Time?
To speed up epoxy paint dry time, do the following things.
- Increase the Ambient Temperature.
- Increase the Air Circulation.
1. Increase the Ambient Temperature
Increasing the ambient temperature speeds up the epoxy paint dry time as it accelerates the solvent evaporation rate. To increase the temperature near the paint coating, use a hairdryer or heater.
Here is how to do it:
- Place a heater near the paint coating.
- Use a hairdryer over the paint finish for 5 minutes.
- Wait 30 minutes.
- Use the hairdryer again over the paint finish for 5 minutes.
2. Increase the Air Circulation
Epoxy paint dries and cures faster if the air circulation is higher as the solvent evaporates faster.
To increase air circulation, do the following things.
- Use electric fans.
- Open all room windows and doors.
- Open room air vents.
Other tips to make epoxy paint dry faster include the following.
- Don’t Apply Too Many Coats: Epoxy paint has a thick viscosity and adding too many coats makes the paint dry time longer as more solvent must evaporate.
- Don’t Add Too Much Hardener: When mixing 2-part epoxy don’t add too much hardener as it can make the paint dry slower because the formula balance isn’t correct.
- Room Temperature: The ideal temperature for applying epoxy paint is between 50°F-85°F (10°C-30°F) and the humidity lower than 50%.
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