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How Long Does it Take for Interior Paint to Dry in the San Francisco Bay Area?

How Long Does it Take for Interior Paint to Dry in the San Francisco Bay Area?

There are several factors that determine how long it might take interior paint to dry in the San Francisco Bay Area. Humidity and temperature are two of the biggest factors. Color, sheen, type, and even your application technique also affect the drying process.

Drying Paint

The biggest effect on how long it will take interior paint to dry in the San Francisco Bay Area is humidity and temperature. Humidity causes any paint job to take longer to dry. The more moisture there is in the air, the longer the process will take because the liquid in the paint will evaporate slower. For example, an interior painting job in the desert will dry significantly faster than an interior job in a rainforest.

In San Francisco the relative humidity tends to be between 84% and 62%. Ideal humidity level painting conditions fall between 55% to 80%, making San Francisco a generally great place to do interior painting year around. Keep in mind that humidity tends to be significantly greater in the early mornings so when humidity levels are unusually high, it can be a good idea to paint a little later in the day. Using a fan is another way of speeding up liquid evaporation.

Curing Paint

Curing is also a factor to be considered when getting interior paint to dry in the San Francisco Bay Area. When comparing the drying properties of oil and latex, it’s easy to get confused. Water based latex paint dries faster than oil. But people often assume that because latex paint dries faster than oil based paint, latex is ultimately the fastest. This is not the case; while latex does dry faster, it cures much slower. Oil based paint will cure in 3 to 4 days under ideal conditions, while it will usually take latex paint up to a month to cure. A paint job isn’t complete until the paint has properly cured, and placing furniture or heavy objects on a surface that has not finished this process can lead to damages on both the paint surface and the surface of the object.

Time Frame and Other Considerations

In ideal conditions interior latex paint takes about an hour to dry, while interior oil takes 3 to 4 hours to dry. If you’re doing more than one coat, allow 3 to 4 hours in between coats for latex and at least 8 hours for oil. To speed up drying time, when applying the paint, make sure that your technique leaves a thin film and not a thick one (using a simple paint brush usually ensures a thin film). Surface plays a role also. Paint dries faster on porous surfaces like drywall because the surface absorbs some of the moisture. Lastly, flatter sheens (flat and eggshell) dry slower than shinier ones (satin, semi-gloss and high gloss). Tint can also affect drying time, so deeper colors (which have more tint) can take a bit longer.


MB Jessee is always available to assist you in any painting job in the San Francisco Bay Area! Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 510-655-7000!

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— Jo
Oakland

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— Alicia R.
Oakland

“I just wanted to thank you all for doing such a phenomenal job on our recent house painting. We are very happy with the outcome and can't say enough good things about the crew. Everyone working on the project was outstanding and made it a great experience. Thanks to everyone.”

— Daylan
Piedmont

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— Paul Markovich

“The painters at MB Jesse are top notch! Cesar's team was super friendly and helpful. They were very polite and accommodating. Their expertise in everything painting related was evident in their attention to detail and efficiency painting tricky spaces. The apartment looks brand new!”

— Adam Swisher

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San Francisco

“MB Jessee just finished our exterior and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The foreman (Pedro) and lead painter (Ricardo) were incredible to work with: they communicated scheduling clearly, Ricardo was a joy to be around every day, the showed up early every day, were incredibly tidy and did great paint work. The final walk through experience was incredible. Pedro pointed out items I missed demonstrating a clear desire to complete another quality project. I highly recommend them. As others have noted they definitely aren't the cheapest but you quickly realize that you're getting what you pay for. The 3 year guarantee is also a nice touch since there are likely touch up items that will show up after the job is done.”

— Joshua Jansen

“I can't say enough about how courteous and professional my foreman was. He was on time every morning and arrived cheerful and ready to go. He is highly organized and very thoughtful. He was extremely careful and respectful when moving my belongings - a mature professional.”

— Nora Robinson

“Matt, We are very happy with how all of the painting worked out. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the work in the bathroom. I liked working with Victor, he and Marvin were extremely conscientious about doing a great job, not just the minimum. I know the front door took a lot longer than you'd expected. But they did it PERFECTLY. We never thought it could turn out like that! Thanks again for the great work. We'll be calling you again in the future!”

— Craig
Alameda, CA

“My entire experience with MB Jesse was very professional. The crew were very friendly and super accommodating of my ridiculous schedule and geriatric pets in the house. The finished product, which was pretty much my entire house, far exceeds my expectations. Would definitely work with them again!”

— Heather Jordan

“MB Jessee just finished our exterior and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The foreman (Pedro) and lead painter (Ricardo) were incredible to work with: they communicated scheduling clearly, Ricardo was a joy to be around every day, the showed up early every day, were incredibly tidy and did great paint work. The final walkthrough experience was incredible. Pedro pointed out items I missed demonstrating a clear desire to complete another quality project. I highly recommend them. As others have noted they definitely aren't the cheapest but you quickly realize that you're getting what you pay for. The 3-year guarantee is also a nice touch since there are likely touch-up items that will show up after the job is done.”

— Joshua J.
Oakland, CA

“Just had MB Jessee paint the interior of our house and they did a wonderful job. They tackled some crazy wallpaper as well as painted some very high ceilings and walls. The whole process was quick and they did a great job! We are very pleased. I was also very impressed by the crew. They were very personable, kind and actually took pride in the work they were doing. In one of our conversations with the lead Ricardo, he actually told me he was very proud of how the rooms had turned out. I agree sir! It turned out great and it's not often you hear someone thinking of your home like they would theirs, and putting that level of work and quality into it. That made a huge difference in how I viewed this company. Ricardo, you were fantastic and thank you for the great job, we will be using you again.”

— Jeff M.
Danville, CA