How long does spackle take to dry
Repair work involves a careful and responsible approach. If you plan to perform the process yourself – it is necessary to get acquainted with the properties and characteristics of finishing materials.
If you are planning or already doing cosmetic or major repairs, then you probably know about such stages of finishing, as spackle and plastering.
Both construction mixtures can be found on the market both in powder form and as a ready-to-use version.
Destination of Spackle
- Creates perfectly flat surfaces, which later serve as a base for wallpaper or paint.
- Does not give shrinkage.
- Fixes shallow joints and other defects.
- Creates textured surfaces.
What affects the drying speed of spackle?
To find out how long the spackle dries, you need to consider a number of factors that accompany the work:
- the humidity of the air;
- the temperature in the room;
- the type of spackle used;
- the presence of primer on the surface to be treated;
- the thickness of the layer.
Repair work should be carried out at a minimum temperature of 50 °F otherwise, the spackle will not adhere to the base and after curing will fly off. The material hardens quite quickly. However, it is necessary to take into account that the excess moisture must evaporate from it – this process will take some more time.
If the irregularities on the surface to be treated were very large, and to smooth them out it was necessary to apply a thick layer of spackle – complete drying of the material will be achieved only after several days, and sometimes even weeks.
Experts do not recommend drying the surface artificially!
It is possible to apply a second coat of filler after 24 hours. This applies to priming, wallpapering, and painting.
Is there an average drying time?
If you take a closer look at the standard values for the drying time of spackle and compare different products, you will find that there is no average time. Different manufacturers give different times, usually ranging from 30 minutes to three hours. The reasons for this can be of different nature:
- Substrate
- Application thickness
- Room temperature
- Wall temperature
- Humidity
- Ventilation
Substrate
The substrate condition plays a very important role in the drying time. The more absorbent the surface, the longer it takes for the filler to dry. This means that spackle takes an average of one-third longer to dry on substrates such as gypsum, concrete, or cement than on less absorbent materials.
Application thickness
The application thickness of the filler also plays a decisive role. Logically, the following applies here: The thicker the compound is applied, the longer it takes to dry.
Room temperature
In order to ideally support the drying process of the spackle and to achieve the shortest drying time – according to the manufacturer – the ideal room temperature for using and drying spackle is between 64.4 and 71.6 °F.
Wall temperature
The wall temperature does not usually play a special role in normal living spaces; here, attention should be paid to the room temperature. However, if you are using the spackle in a basement room or on an exterior wall, the wall temperature is also essential when determining the drying time. So if the wall is cold, you’ll need to add about 30 percent to the specified drying time.
Humidity
The drying process of the spackle is aided by the relative humidity – it is best when the humidity is between 50 and 65 percent.
Ventilation
A frequently overlooked, but no less important point with regard to drying time is ventilation. For example, if ventilation is frequent during the winter, it will likely slow down the drying time. However, if the outside temperatures are even and neither too hot nor too cold, then occasional ventilation with a light breeze can even speed up the drying time.
