How long does polyurethane take to dry. The water based poly on the other hand requires just about 6 hours to dry to touch. Although it takes longer for a solvent based product to dry both water and solvent based products take several weeks to completely harden or cure. Different polyurethane formulas have a varying dry time. The drying time is affected by the amount of moisture in the air the air temperature and the thickness of the coats.
Oil based polyurethane takes longer to dry than water based poly. How to make urethane dry quicker. Naphtha evaporates much faster than mineral spirits or turpentine. When humidity is high temperature is low or coats are thick it takes longer for the film to dry.
But like all varnishes polyurethane dries in two steps. As long as you follow these simple instructions and you take care to pay attention to the helpful tips then you should have no problem with your floors drying after youve applied the polyurethane coating. We have come across this question multiple times which is why we would love to have it answered once and for all. Each coat of polyurethane usually needs 24 hrs to dry and a stain will need 24 hrs to drybut if its a darker stain it could take 36 or even 48 hrs for the stain to dry.
So in the case of a dark stain that needs 2 days to dry and if you apply 3 coats of poly you are up to 5 days. Hours 24 48 you can walk on the floors with socks. Dont confuse dry time with curing time which can take up to 1 month depending on. The first is evaporation of the thinner.
For oil based polyurethane it takes 24 hours to dry. Oil and water based drying times often known as oil based polyurethane or obp solvent based polyurethane is a type of varnish that contains resins of polyurethane a synthetic plastic instead of the plant alkyds found in traditional varnish. Why does minwax fast drying polyurethane sometimes take longer to dry than the instructions indicate. So the logic behind this myth which is fairly new is that the finish will dry faster if the thinner evaporates faster.
Urethane more often called polyurethane is one of the most popular wood sealants on the market today. It follows that a common problem for everyone from. 24 hrs before you can walk on the floors. Also make sure your piece can dry in a traffic and dust free area as it will be sticky and collect whatever floats its way.
I have found that it takes about 48 hrs in the humidity that i live in but if you are in a drier climate it may only take 24 hrs. So how long does polyurethane take to dry. How long does it take for the stain to dry.