How long does acrylic paint dry ? Such a statement of the question is not too correct. To find the answer, you must first find out what the material is, what conditions are required for its speedy hardening. Comprehensive information will be provided below, which will help to find out how much acrylic paint dries.
Acrylic hardening principle
A hardener is present in the composition of acrylic paint, which activates a specific chemical polymerization reaction when a layer of material is applied to the surface. The main catalyst for starting the reaction is the ambient temperature. The higher it is, the less time it takes to harden the paint.
When using acrylic paint to perform both external and internal works, in natural conditions it is possible to achieve heating of surfaces up to a maximum of 25 ° C. Such indicators absolutely do not contribute to the instant drying of the material. The best conditions for the quickest drying of acrylic paint are created only when treating surfaces in specialized spray booths.
Factors that affect the drying speed of acrylic paint
How much acrylic dries , depends not only on temperature. Among other factors, it is worth noting the quality of ventilation of the room in which work is carried out. Also, the thickness of the applied layer affects the curing rate of the material. If the layer of substance is as thin as possible and covers a perfectly even surface, drying can take about half an hour. However, a thick or repeated coat of paint will harden much longer.
How to shorten the hardening period of paint?
If absolutely necessary, the drying time of the acrylic material can be reduced by adding latex to the composition. The specified substance significantly improves the already excellent water-repellent qualities of the paint of the type presented. When exposed to a mixture of warm air to completely harden a thin layer, it can take only a few minutes, while in the case of applying acrylic paint at room temperature, the drying time of the surface will be up to two hours. However, the final hardening of the formation will occur in about 24 hours.
Today, a wide variety of acrylics are on the market. Each type of material has differences in solidification speed. Therefore, in order to find out how much acrylic paint dries, before buying it, you should carefully read the information on the manufacturer’s label and compare the presented indicators with the conditions in which the work will be carried out.
Material consumption
What is the consumption of acrylic paint per m2? On average, about 200-250 grams of a substance is required per unit area. To make the material consumption as economical as possible, you need to use a high-quality roller for painting walls. The texture that will appear on surfaces will also depend on the selection of the tool. In particular, for processing smooth wallpapers, it is better to choose a roller for painting walls with an average pile length. To make the material costs minimal while processing the textured plane, it is recommended to use a tool with a long pile, which will achieve uniform distribution of the substance.
In general, trying to determine the consumption of acrylic paint, do not blindly trust the indicators indicated on the label. The latter are valid only in the case of processing perfectly smooth surfaces. For example, if the manufacturer indicates a material consumption of 8 m 2 per liter, in reality, banks will only have enough space for 6-7 m 2 . Based on this, it is recommended to purchase acrylic paint with some margin, somewhere 5% more than required according to preliminary calculations. If the material is used for priming surfaces, its volume can be slightly increased by adding a small amount of water to the composition.
Performance Acrylic
Acrylic paints have excellent characteristics. They belong to the category of quick-drying materials. At the same time, they can be applied both on concrete surfaces, and on metal and plaster.
Acrylic materials are characterized by low gas permeability and effective water repellent. On this basis, they serve as reliable protection for surfaces from the development of corrosion processes.
Paints of a presented nature are distinguished by a huge range of bright, saturated shades that do not change their original appearance under the influence of sunlight.
Due to its increased resistance to adverse environmental factors, acrylic paints are equally effective for indoor and outdoor use. They have frost resistance, do not light up at a critical increase in temperature. In general, you can use acrylic paints for processing any surfaces, from interiors to the artist’s canvas.