How to dry oil paint

How to dry painted surface

Oil paints are mixtures of drying oils made from natural oils or artificial substitute, filler and coloring pigments (there are hundreds of shades of colors). They are used for staining wood or metal surfaces (floors, walls, roofs, doors). Oil paint protects surfaces against the penetration of vapor or moisture. That's why this paint is often used for the treatment of metal pipes and are important structural components of buildings.


How quickly dry up your chosen oil paint, depends on the formulation, humidity and ambient temperature, lighting, and other external factors. Oil paint, unlike latex, it dries, loses moisture, present in the composition. On its surface, due to oxidation, there is an oil film. These processes happen faster, to accelerate the interaction of oxygen contained in the air, and the surface of the paint.

How to paint

Experts advise to carefully study the composition of the paint specified on the package. It is believed that a really good oil paint contains at least ten to twelve components.

To the formation of stable oil film was faster apply paint by brush or roller on a carefully prepared surface. On average, the paint applied in a thin layer and dried for about a day. If you don't like the uneven coverage or the presence of nepotrivita fragments, after drying the first layer, apply another, it will need drying a little more time.


To speed up the oxidation process and the formation reception of the film, you can heat the painted surface. For example, some artists after the paintings dried them with conventional batteries. The drying of paint in the room will accelerate heater or air heater. The heat makes the film stronger. Do not leave heater unattended to avoid risk of fire.

If you are going to paint the walls, floors or ceilings, be sure to open the Windows in the room, because oil paint is quite toxic, and their fumes can seriously harm your health.

There are chemical boosters drying process of oil paints. For example, you can add the driers (or drying). They need a small amount, to add driers need the paint, focusing on the instruction mentioned on the package. After that, the mixture should be very thoroughly mixed. Driers accelerate the drying of the painted surfaces, but does not affect the quality or density of oil paint.