Pro tip: Caulk drying times on tubes are basically a suggestion from a parallel universe

I was sealing up baseboards in my 1950s bungalow last Saturday. The tube said 'paintable in 30 minutes,' so I waited an hour to be safe. When I touched the line, it was still tacky underneath. I looked it up on a building science forum and found out that drying times are tested at 75 degrees with low humidity, totally controlled conditions. My basement is 62 degrees and damp, so the real dry time is more like 4 to 6 hours. So how do you guys handle the gap between what the label says and what your actual house conditions give you? Do you double the time, or just trust the finger test?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenixw111d ago

oh man, the tube drying times are a total joke. i learned that the hard way when i tried to paint a window trim after waiting the "suggested" time in my unheated garage, and the whole thing just peeled off like cheap nail polish. i basically double the time for anything below 70 degrees, and if it's humid, i'm looking at a full 24 hours, no joke. the finger test is the only way to really know, but even then you gotta be gentle because the skin might feel dry but the inner layer is still gooey. i actually started using a hairdryer on low heat for a few minutes before painting in the winter, just to fake the ideal conditions a little bit. it's wild that they print those times like they're law when they're basically useless in real houses, but i guess they gotta say something on the tube.

morgan.rose1d ago

Ngl, this actually made me rethink my whole approach to painting.