Water Based Polyurethane Dry Time Between Coats

I want to be able to touch feel and visually inspect at different angles in light before applying and subsequent coat.

Water based polyurethane dry time between coats. Dry time allows us to have access to the floors in between coats. I always let my polyurethane dry overnight. Spray paint applies thin and evenly which makes it dry to the touch in as little as 30 minutes and ready for another coat in as little as one hour even for glossy paint. When applying polyurethane brush along the grain stretching the polyurethane into as.

We suggest you ask your refinisher for permission before walking on floors between coats though. Whether spray roller or brush the mode of paint delivery affects drying time between coats. With water based finishes we can do 2 coats on the same day in some circumstances. With water based poly can save you several days in the drying time so that you can move in faster and paint faster.

In between coats apply two to three additional coats of full strength polyurethane sanding between each coat. For oil based polyurethane it takes 24 hours to dry. It takes oil based polyurethane 24 hours and water based polyurethane 6 hours to dry enough to be able to walk on it in socks and proceed to the next step of the application process sanding or applying the next coat. Don t confuse dry time with curing time which can take up to 1 month depending on conditions.

If it is dry so you can walk on it then it is likely dry enough to buff and coat. Different polyurethane formulas have a varying dry time. That s how we can apply multiple coats in a few days. Remember that these drying times are measured at a standard temperature and humidity of 21 degrees celsius and 70 humidity.

Unless the finish is a water born urethane which usually can be recoated within a certain number of hours after the last coat without buffing you will need to abrade each coat with fine sandpaper or equivalent to create a mechanical bond. The water based poly on the other hand requires just about 6 hours to dry to touch. It really depends on environmental conditions in the home. Drying is the first stage but there is also curing time.

Still if you rush it a little and put too much on too fast it won t ruin the project it will just take a lot longer for the finish to fully harden. If it s cool and or damp 24 hours could be insufficient. The two hours on the instructions is the minimum time based on using it on a warm dry day. This way if there are any imperfections i can easily correct them rather than add an additional layer over the flaw.