Whether you are a furniture painter or a purchaser of painted furniture you always hear about paint curing time. But… do you really know why paint has to cure and what that means? Do you know what happens during that elusive cure time and why it’s so important?
We all know that once paint is applied, it is always best to be “gentle” with the piece for about 30 days. I always knew this too, but never really knew why. I didn’t really understand what actually occurs during that time… until recently.
What Really Happens When Paint Cures
Most of the paints that we use today for walls, furniture and crafts are water based paints not oil based. When water based paint is mixed, one of the main ingredients is… tada… water.
Take Milk Paint for example; a paint that you mix yourself. The main ingredient in the mix is water.
After you apply paint to a piece of furniture or wall, the water in that mix will evaporate. As it evaporates, the other ingredients will begin to harden. The less water there is, the harder the paint will become.
Guess how long it takes for the water to evaporate for paint? Yep… 21 to 30 days.
If we used Milk Paint again as an example, as the water is evaporating, the Limestone in the mix is hardening. As the Limestone hardens, it will become as tough as nails and able to resist scratches and wear.
Be Gentle
During that cure time, it truly is very important to be gentle. With the water working to evaporate, and the other ingredients working to harden, the paint is not “ready” for extended use yet. Once the water is gone, it will be hard and ready for everyday use.
If you are not gentle during the cure time, the paint is much more likely to be scratched or chipped off. Because it is not fully hardened, it is not adhered completely to the surface.
Be Sure to Cure
The next time you paint a piece or buy a piece of painted furniture, remember how important it is to let the paint cure. If you can wait the full 30 days to really use the piece, you will notice a huge difference. The paint on your piece should be wonderful for you for years to come if it is allowed to cure properly.
And… if you are a furniture painter that sells your pieces, be sure to educate your clients. Let them know how important paint curing is if they purchase the piece before it is fully cured.
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Should you wait until the paint is cured before you seal it?
You don’t need to wait for the paint to cure before applying the top coat. You can apply it when the paint it dry to the touch and then it will all cure together 😉
Thank you Lisa. That’s what I thought and have been doing but your blog made me stop and wonder.
No problem. You are doing it right 😉 Have fun!!
Thank you for explaining this process so clearly. I will be sharing your post on my Facebook biz page.
You are most welcome Ronda! Thanks so much for sharing 😉
Thanks for explaining that Lisa. I love learning all about painting.
🙂 My pleasure Mary! I am so glad you found it useful! Hope you are having a lovely weekend!
Thanks very informative!
Thanks Louise!
I have a question my boyfriend painted his truck with a house paint and he did a clear coat on top using spray paint and not even a week later we a colder rain can the clear coat run on to the Windows so it looks as if someone sprayed the Windows
Hi Steffanie, Unfortunately, house paint is latex paint and not designed for vehicles. I am guessing that the latex paint with the clear coat over it probably didn’t have time to cure and so washed away when the rain came. It sounds like the clear coat also didn’t adhere to the latex house paint and that caused it to run all down the windows. If he remembers what brand of clear coat he used, I would contact the company and ask them if there is a way to get it off of glass. They may know of a product that will take it off. Best of luck!!
Hi, I'm Lisa!
Welcome to Recreated Designs... A place for you to find endless upcycling ideas, unique ways to use vintage finds and oodles of helpful tips and tricks for painting, crafting and recreating. I am so happy you are here and can’t wait to see what you create!
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