No have seen many an interior painting project, and estimating the length of a project can be one of the most difficult and frustrating parts of the process. This is true both for us, and for the customer as well. While many of our jobs are similar in scope, there are sometimes variables and unknowns that can easily stall a project and make us run past our expected end date. One of the most common is drying time.
Slow Drying Sheetrock Mud
This is probably the most common problem we see. In the middle of summer, sheetrock compound (also called drywall mud) can dry quickly with the heat. Patches are ready to sand quickly, and sprayed on texture easily dries overnight.
However, this is not the case when the skies are clouded and air is cool. It can especially be a problem when the humidity is high. A patch that is normally ready to sand in a couple hours suddenly might need overnight to dry out. That new orange peel ceiling texture could need an extra day to dry enough to be painted.
Since these areas need to dry completely before they can be sanded or painted, there is not much to do except wait. Even “fast-drying” sheetrock mud can take much longer than the advertised drying time before it can be finished.
Wet Paint… Still?!
There is a saying that includes something about watching paint dry. Yes, it is very boring. It is also downright frustrating when you are ready to finish an interior painting project and the customer is ready for their house back, but the paint is still tacky to the touch.
Again, humidity and cooler weather automatically increase drying time. In the summer, primer can dry in 30 minutes and be ready for painting. Paint might take a few hours. In the winter, that same primer could take a few hours before being ready, and paint might a day to dry completely.
Oil-based paints which typically take longer to dry to the touch are the most affected by temperature and humidity. We have even seen kitchen cabinets which didn’t fully dry for several days in cold and rainy weather. Nothing like spending three days of a five day interior painting project just waiting for paint to dry!
What Can You Do?
What is the most important thing to do when things are drying slowly? Patience is the most important ingredient, but there are a few things that you can do to help the process.
- Airflow – turn on ceiling fans or setup box fans. If the weather is nice, open a window with a fan in it. This will also help dissipate any paint fumes.
- Temperature and humidity – run the AC. Turning up the heat will also help paint and sheetrock mud dry faster. The AC will also help pull humidity out of the air.
Our primary goal is always doing the best job possible. Sometimes, that unfortunately mean a day or two during a winter job just waiting for the paint to dry.
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You can schedule your interior painting project or remodel estimate right on our website. Our professionals will help you make decisions and will answer any questions you might have. We want nothing more than your complete satisfaction. We want your 5-star reviews and your word-of-mouth recommendations.
