Wooden furniture and structures in your home are prone to stains, water damage, and discoloration, but you can protect them with polyurethane. However, you should know the right technique which makes the polyurethane protect the wood effectively and last for a long time.
First, you should know how long the polyurethane layer takes to dry before applying another layer and how long it takes to cure before using the wooden furniture.
So how long does it take for polyurethane to dry?
Polyurethane is made by dissolving the resin in a liquid to form liquid plastic, and oil-based and water-based options exist. Both types of polyurethane take different times to dry, and you should know the option suitable for your project.
Read about polyurethane’s drying and curing time and protect wooden structures from damage.
Oil Based Polyurethane Dry Time
To effectively protect the wood, you would need several oil-based polyurethane layers; thus, you would apply one polyurethane coat and wait for it to dry before applying another one. For this case, you can apply another layer of the oil-based polyurethane after 24 hours.
The wood would appear dry and not feel tacky to touch within a day, but you should not apply pressure to the surface. For instance, you should not step on the surface with your shoes or let pets walk on the surface, but it would be safe to apply another coating layer or sand the surface.
Forty-eight hours after applying the last coat layer, you can walk on the wooden surface with shoes and let pets on the surface.
It will be safe to replace furniture and other heavy household items on wooden floors cured with polyurethane 4 days later. But the surface will not be dry fully, and it would be better to avoid rugs or throw mats for two weeks.
Water-Based Polyurethane Drying Time
After applying the coat of the water-based polyurethane, you should wait for 6 hours for the coat to dry. The coat will not feel tacky to touch, but you should not let the pets sit on it or walk with shoes; however, it will be ready for another coating layer.
After 6 hours, you can sand the layer to level any uneven surface. You can walk on the final water-based polyurethane after 24 hours, and replace the furniture on wooden floors 2 days later. To increase the drying rate, you should leave the wooden surface uncovered for the next 2 weeks.
Polyurethane Cure Time
Although the polyurethane surfaces dry quickly, it takes time to cure, and complete curing means the surface is ready for use. The oil-based and water-based polyurethane takes different times to dry before another coat is applied.
However, in a month, the wooden surface will be fully cured after an oil-based or water-based polyurethane. Curing might take a short time if you don’t cover the surface with the rugs, and once cured, you can walk on and apply pressure on the floor without damaging the protective coat.
Drying vs. Curing Comparison Table
| Curing | Drying |
|---|---|
Polyurethane curing refers to the time when the polyurethane protective surface is completely dry and ready to use. | Polyurethane drying refers to the time it takes before one can apply another coat; polyurethane wood protection needs three or more coats to preserve the wood. |
It takes a long time, approximately a month, for both the oil-based and water-based polyurethane coat. | It takes a short time, probably between 6 and 24 hours, between each coating. The time depends on the type of polyurethane coat. |
Curing ensures you get a protective coat that prevents water damage, stains, and discoloration on wooden surfaces. Moreover, curing ensures the coat does is not easily damaged, leading to cracks that expose the wooden surfaces to the elements. | Drying ensures you apply another coat when the first coat is completely dry to avoid damaging the protective polyurethane coat. Moreover, you should ensure the surface is safe from weather elements before it dries to create a consistent coat which leads to better wood protection. |
Factors Affecting Polyurethane Drying and Curing Times
Temperature
Temperatures will impact the polyurethane drying time, and drying is fast at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and it would be wise to apply the polyurethane in a climate-controlled environment. You can achieve this temperature in your garage, driveways, and storage shield.
However, when applying the polyurethane coat on wooden floors, it would be better to control the temperatures for the specific rooms. Extremely high temperatures will impact the coat quality resulting in shortened dry time, and it can impact the chemicals leading to faulty coats.
On the other hand, low temperatures lead to slow evaporation, which elongates the polyurethane drying time.
Humidity
High humidity can increase polyurethane coat dry time due to the high water percentage in the air. Water does not evaporate from the polyurethane coats at high humidity.
The polyurethane may not dry as expected in high humidity; although the slow drying leads to a better-cured coat, it can elongate the drying time.
On the other hand, very low humidity impacts the polyurethane coat, increasing the drying time. It might be difficult to achieve an even coat in low humidity as the water sucks the water immediately from the coat. It would be better to apply subsequent coats quickly to maintain a wet edge which is essential to achieve a consistent coat.
Ventilation
The ventilation can impact polyurethane drying time, and a well-ventilated room will improve polyurethane drying. The fresh airflow collects moisture from the surface, increasing drying.
However, you should be careful with ventilation, especially if the air from outside entering the room adds moisture to the room.
Thus, when outdoor humidity is high, it would be perfect to use an air conditioner. Some people might use fans to increase ventilation, but this might lead to dust settlement on the wooden surface. Dust particles impact the polyurethane coat, leading to cracks that can let in water after the coat cures.
The Polyurethane Base Type
The polyurethane base type used to cure the wood impacts the drying time. The base includes the primer, stain, polyurethane, or paint. The water-based coatings dry easily as it is possible to suck water from the coat quickly.
On the other hand, oil-based coatings take longer to dry and cure. The water-based polyurethane coat will feel dry to touch within minutes and dry in 6 hours.
On the other hand, the oil-based coat will still be tacky to touch after 10 hours and will only dry in 24 hours and be ready for another coat. The differences between these coats can dramatically increase the drying time for different polyurethane coats.
The Wood Species
Different wood species have different polyurethane coat absorbency rates, which might impact coat drying. Wood consists of open cells and fibers that absorb the polyurethane coating. Thus, stain works well with wooden surfaces since the fibers and cells can soak up the stain creating a rich color.
However, different species have different absorbency as the wooden cells act like sponges that can hold liquid before they are saturated. The polyurethane will dry based on how fast the wood will be sutured.
For instance, young and immature wood takes time to saturate, and so the polyurethane coat will take time to dry on the wooden surface, as the coat would be looking for vacant cells to inhabit. On the other hand, the old wood saturates easily, and the polyurethane coat would dry quickly also.
Wood dryness might also affect polyurethane coat drying time. For instance, if the wood is dry, it will such up the coat quickly, making the coat dry within a short time. Wood dryness might impact the first and second coats only.
Most manufacturers don’t consider the wood species as most hardwoods and pine species behave the same. You should beware of wood that has natural oils like cedar or rosewood as they form a layer that protects the wood from absorbing the coat, thus elongating the drying time.
The Type Of Application
You can apply polyurethane using a roller or brush, and the application might impact the drying time. For instance, the brush tends to spread a thick polyurethane layer on the wood, making it challenging for the coat to dry within a short time.
Thus, you should use a roller that applies a thin layer to ease drying.
Surface Type
A freshly sanded surface and a smooth surface might have different polyurethane drying times. Freshly sanded wood has more wounds due to exposed wood grains which can suck moisture within a short time.
Thus, you can sand a wooden surface before applying the polyurethane coat to increase the drying.
However, if the wood is already stained, it might be better to avoid sanding as it will impact the surface appearance in the long run. Thus, you can wait for the long drying period to preserve the appearance of the stain on the wooden surface.
Sanding only improves the drying period for the first coats, and the subsequent coats might take a long time.
FAQ
How To Speed Up Polyurethane Drying Time?
You can speed up how long the polyurethane layer takes to dry by sanding the surface to allow the wood to absorb the moisture. You can also paint the coat in a room with high temperatures, low humidity, and proper ventilation.
However, you should prevent dust and other solids that can impact the polyurethane coat’s quality.
How Long Does It Take For Water-Based Polyurethane To Dry On Hardwood Floors?
It takes 6 hours for the water-based polyurethane to dry, as the water in the paint is easy to evaporate. The polyurethane surface would be ready for another coat after drying.
How Long Does It Take For Minwax Polyurethane To Dry?
The Minwax is an oil-based polyurethane and takes about 24 hours to completely dry and be ready for recoating. But other factors might increase the drying time, and you should inspect the surface dryness before applying another Minwax coat
How Long Does Polyurethane Take To Dry On Wood Furniture?
The oil-based polyurethane coat on dry wood furniture dries in 24 hours, while the water-based coat takes only 6 hours to dry on the same surface.
How Long Does Varathane Polyurethane Take To Dry?
Varathane is a water-based polyurethane coat and takes about 6 hours to dry before you can recoat. The varathane surface might feel dry to touch after a few minutes, but it is better to allow the polyurethane coat to dry completely before applying another coat.
How Long Does It Take For Minwax Polyurethane To Dry?
The water-based Minwax coat dries faster than the oil-based polyurethane coat and can take about 2 to 24 hours, depending on other prevailing factors.
How Long Does Spray Polyurethane Take To Dry?
The spray polyurethane will dry within 24 hours based on prevailing conditions in the room, and it could be better to allow the surface to dry well before spraying another coating layer.
How Long Does Polyurethane Take To Cure?
Although the water-based and oil-based polyurethane coats take different times to dry, both need a month to cure well. You should wait for 30 days before applying pressure on the polyurethane to ensure the surface dries evenly and does not form cracks that can impact the wooden surface.
Although you can step on the dried floor with your shoe days after it dries, you should remove rags to give it time to cure and form a strong coat that is hard to damage.
Conclusion
Wooden surfaces require proper care against stains, dust, and water damage. The good news is, you can apply a polyurethane coat over the wooden surface. The polyurethane coat is made of liquid plastic, which coats a wooden surface keeping off the water, dust, and stains.
However, applying the polyurethane coat is a delicate process as you would need several surfaces to protect the wood effectively. After applying the first polyurethane layer, you can let the surface dry before applying subsequent coats.
Temperature, humidity, wood species, application type, and polyurethane coat can impact the drying process. You should let the polyurethane coat cure before applying pressure and using the wooden surface to prevent cracks, making it hard to protect the wooden surfaces.
