When a freshly applied coating has to be overcoated, it is important to observe minimum and maximum drying and curing times.

After application the coating material dries (as the solvents evaporate) at the same time as the curing takes place (a chemical reaction between both components).

When a second coat needs to be applied it is important that this is not done too early (when the coating is still wet) or too late (when the coating has reached its full curing state).

When applied too late, the second coat may not have sufficient adhesion due to the fact that the first coat has become ‘inert’ to the solvents and components of this second coat.

The technical data sheets provided by paint suppliers give the maximum overcoating times at a given temperature. The higher the temperature, the shorter the maximum overcoating time. Contact your paint supplier for detailed and practical answers to the questions you might have.