Quick Tip: Can you use a Hairdryer to Dry Paint Faster?
I have seen and read plenty of videos and articles where people use a hairdryer to dry paint faster, but does this work?
24/08/2019
When browsing the web for inspiration, I often come across videos and articles that suggest using a hairdryer to dry paint faster. I regularly use a hairdryer to quicken up the paint drying process, but there is a right way and a wrong way to use a hairdryer to dry layers of paint. If you need paint to dry faster so that you can finish a project quicker, bear these factors in mind.
What is Acrylic or Latex Paint?
Acrylic or latex paint is a paint where the pigment is suspended in an acrylic or latex polymer. What is important here is that a polymer is a synthetic plastic and acrylic is a thermoplastic substance. In the USA, many use latex paint rather than acrylic paint, which is pretty much the same thing - just a different name.
Taking the above into consideration, we have now established that acrylic paint is an emulsion that contains certain forms of plastic molecules.
How can I dry acrylic or latex paint quickly?
When you use a hairdryer on a warm or hot setting, you can speed up the drying process of a very thin layer of paint. Anything over that and you run the risk of two complications:
- The surface of the paint will crack if the top layer is dried quickly using heat, while the underneath remains wet.
- The top, thin layer will dry fast but the paint underneath does not. If you apply a paint technique or paint over the top of this, the thin, dry layer will release the wet paint underneath and spoil your technique or the next coat you apply.
Best method to dry acrylic or latex paint fast
If you are in a hurry to finish a painted project, only apply very thin layers of paint and use a cool setting on your hairdryer to effectively dry the paint layer. In this way you apply more thin coats of paint, but you can also speed up the drying process without any further problems arising.
