You’ve spent long and hard hours painting that room – and you love the color! But after a week, you find the paint is still sticky and tacky, and you’re wondering, how do I fix this?
We’ve got you covered. If you haven’t started painting yet, we will offer some tips to avoid sticky paint. If you’re currently experiencing this issue, we’re sorry, but never fear, help is on the way. We will share some fixes.
Paint becomes sticky and tacky when it isn’t able to dry thoroughly. Paint has trouble drying when the air is overly humid, or the weather is extremely hot or cold. Also, paint can have trouble drying if applied in thick coats.
This article will present why paint becomes sticky and tacky and how you can fix it. First, we will go over how to prevent paint from becoming sticky. Then we’ll cover how you can fix this issue.
Several Reasons Why Paint is Still Sticky and Won’t Dry
As we mentioned in the previous section, there are some everyday things you should check when your paint is still sticky.
The best cure is prevention. Maybe one part of your project is sticky, but that doesn’t mean the rest needs to be sticky too.
Here are a few things to look out for:
- High humidity
- Too cold or too warm
- Too many coats of paint
- Use good-quality paint
Let’s start with these three reasons and offer some fixes.
How Does Humidity Affect Paint Dry Time?
For the best results, the humidity where you are painting should be between 40 and 70 percent. Humidity is, essentially, water in the air. This creates a problem when it comes to painting.
Paint dries through a process called evaporation. After the paint has been applied to a surface, the paint’s solvent (the component that keeps the paint liquid) will begin to evaporate away, allowing for a dry finish.
High humidity doesn’t allow the paint to evaporate adequately. There is too much moisture in the air, and as a result, the solvent has a hard time leaving the paint – and you get stickiness.
Imagine you have a wet towel, and you want to dry it out – would you throw it in a full bathtub? No, you’d place it out in the fresh air, allowing the moisture to evaporate.
The same is true with paint. So, if your pain isn’t drying, the first thing you want to do is check the humidity levels in your home. You can do this with a tool called a hygrometer.
Every type of paint might require a little different humidity. Check with the paint you are using. The proper humidity should be listed on the container. If the humidity level is too high, reduce the moisture in the air with a dehumidifier, or consider painting at a different time of year.
Always avoid painting after the rain when the humidity is high. Also, wood surfaces can create a challenging situation. Think of wood like a sponge that soaks water from the air. If you try to paint over moist wood – even if it’s just mildly moist – you could end up with tacky paint.
Be sure to allow wooden surfaces time to dry before applying any paint.
The Effects of Temperature on Paint Dry Time
Similar to humidity, improper temperature will have harmful effects on your paint. If you’ve got some sticky paint, then this could be your issue.
Especially if the area is too cold, you could find your paint struggling to dry properly. Temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit are typically recommended for best results. However, be sure to check with your paint, as this will change slightly among the paint.
If you think you applied the paint when it was too cold, then you could try to warm up the room to allow the paint to dry. Otherwise, you may need to wait it out and consider repainting when the weather changes.
Too Many Coats of Paint
One of the most common reasons for sticky paint that won’t dry is paint that has been applied too thick, in too many coats, and too quickly. Sorry, that was a lot of “too.” Let’s explain this further.
In the painting world, you may have heard the term “blocking.” Blocking is a phenomenon that occurs when you paint thick layers over each other without giving the previous layer time to dry.
Basically, you are blocking the paint from drying by applying another coat of paint over it. It’s sort of like putting plastic wrap over your cake to keep it from drying out. Well, when you paint overcoats over paint that hasn’t dried, a small dry layer forms on the outside edge.
This dried layer blocks air from the paint below, preventing it from completely drying.
You may notice the paint feels dry to the touch, but when you push on it with your finger, you notice that it’s still a little squishy.
Depending on the severity of the blocking, you might be able to wait it out, allowing the paint to dry over months. Otherwise, you’ll likely have to start over.
Why Use Good-Quality Paint
Good-quality paint has many benefits that make it worth the investment, including better coverage, durability, and easier cleanup. Higher-end paints also tend to have better color saturation and last longer before fading or chipping.
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option, such as ECOS Paints, there are less-toxic paints available, although they may come at a higher price. Ultimately, quality paint is easier to work with and provides a better-finished product and fewer issues with stickiness.
Ways to Make Sticky and Tacky Paint Dry Faster
Alright, so we’ve gone over the bad. Now, let’s cover some of the ways you can fix and prevent the problems we’ve listed above. Some of these things might seem obvious, but it’s the little things that make a big difference.
Ways to get your paint dry:
- Wait
- Use oil-based paint
- Consider talcum powder
- Auto wax
- Use a primer
- Proper preparation
Alright, there they are. Let’s dive in.
Wait for Sticky Paint to Dry
The first suggestion is the easiest: wait. The paint will take some time to dry fully. In fact, it’s not uncommon to be able to make a fingernail print in your paint for the first couple of weeks.
Be sure to check the container on your paint for information on how long it will take for your paint to dry fully. It could be you just haven’t given it enough time.
Use Oil Based Paint for Non-sticky Finish
Oil-based paint will actually take longer to dry than other paints, like acrylic and latex. However, once your paint is fully dry, it will give you a nice, solid surface without becoming spongy.
Of course, you’ll need to consider your needs. Also, not all oil-based paint is created equal – you want quality paint.
So, the heart of the message is this: do your research about paint with the best dry times and finishes – this will ensure you don’t have to deal with a sticky, icky mess.
Talcum Powder Can Help with Paint Stickiness
Talcum powder is a good option for white surfaces or areas where two painted surfaces could create friction (like a door). The power will help dry the moisture, allowing your paint to dry and removing that sticky feeling.
Before you run out and use talcum powder on a whole wall, be sure to apply it to a small area to make sure you can brush it off if needed. You don’t want another problem on your hands!
Use Auto Wax to Fix Tacky Paint
Just like buffing your car, you can buff tacky paint away! Like talcum powder, this is a good option for areas of friction or furniture with lots of items contacting the painted surface.
When paint is tacky, it can be easily damaged by anything that bumps or scrapes it. Placing some auto wax on your surface might be your ticket to protect your paint from damage.
Will a Primer Keep Paint From Becoming Sticky?
Primer can be the cause of highs and lows. The reason primer can prevent paint from becoming sticky is simple. Remember how we talked about blocking? Painting layers that are too thick, and then the paint not drying well?
When you use a primer, it eliminates the need for overpainting and helps you get the finish you want, using less overall paint.
However, there is a catch. Not all primers are compatible with all paints. In fact, some people have reported primers being the cause of tacky paint.
Take your time to match your primer and your paint, and you will end up with a better product.
Preparations to Prevent Tacky and Sticky Paint
There are a few things you can do to prepare a surface for painting.
First, make sure that the area is clean and dry. If the surface is smooth, you may need to make a quick pass over it with some sandpaper to allow your paint to adhere to the surface.
Second, as we mentioned earlier, make the environment as conducive as possible to your paint drying. What does this mean? If it’s too humid, use a dehumidifier to bring the moisture down. If it’s too cold, see if you can warm things up.
And always buy the best paint you can afford for the product. Buy nice or buy twice was never so true than when it comes to painting. You can really see the difference between quality and cheap paint, and you’ll see a difference in stickiness as well.
How do I fix sticky paint so I can repaint
I think the article said to sand/scrape all the sticky paint off. Then use a hair dryer over every square inch. Then try again
worked for me… And Id painted over flock paper..
I am a new first time home buyer. I wanted to paint a few spaces in my home a bright white. I found a paint at my local Lowes in the Valspar Ultra brand (paint + primer), & bought painting supplies, & prepared the job. It was supposedly low VOC & Greenguard certified, too. However the paint smelled very strong & was more like thick pudding that yet somehow didn’t cover the light beige walls well at all. I’m also a new mom & was trying to get the painting done a couple weeks before we moved in so the fumes would be hopefully gone for baby. The job seemed overwhelming & since I hadn’t painted in a long time, I thought I just must not know what I’m doing. I hired a professional painter, but he had issues, too. Now, I have paint on the walls that doesn’t look good & is still tacky not really to the touch, but to any item left on or leaning against the painted surfaces. I have complained to the paint company, but they don’t seem very knowledgeable as I get different answers from each person I speak with. What would you suggest I do? I feel like I need to repaint, but don’t want to cause any more problems. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I’m not sure what to do with the tacky paint but you can eliminate the oder with vanilla extract in a bucket of water left in the room. Also Damp rid works well to remove the moisture and the smell. I hope that helps.
I used the same paint from Lowe’s about a year ago. It took forever to “dry” but I can still peel it with my nail. I felt like the coverage was very poor and thin. I I used primer and light yellow paint applied with a sprayer and had to go over the walls twice and can still see through to the white. This brand is awful. The woman at the paint desk said she’s had lots of complaints. If you return a partial can they will refund you but you’ll still have more work to do.
I agree, I’ve never used such a low quality paint. It took most of a 5 gallon bucket for a small 10′ x 12′ bedroom. It seemed like my sheetrock was very thirsty, but after 3 coats I knew it was the paint/primer. It wasn’t that cheap either.
You never paint directly onto new sheet rock. Sheet rock is very absorbent and will soak up the paint making you waste a lot of money. You have to seal the sheet rock with primer. It is best to use primer made specifically for new sheet rock.
Sometimes using just a straight primer before paint is much better…paints say they’re paint and primer but I found it’s just MUCH easier to use a primer first
My understanding from several professional painters is to generally stay away from house brands. They are often an inferior brand (because they’re cheaper paint, a chain like Lowe’s casts around for a bargain-priced paint manufacturer, then they rebrand the company with the store name). Buy from stand-alone paint manufacturers and check reviews online. There are excellent brands like Dulux, but you will pay more, although they often have sales, including unadvertised in-store specials. Shop around, you never know.
Sorry but those house brands are actually really good if you know how to use them and can handle mishaps. I had been using them for years without major issues. Professionals only hype expensive brands so they can charge more for the job.
I totally agree! I personally LOVE Lowe’s Valspar Signature and Ultra in Satin. It’s the only paint I will use! I tried SW and it was absolutely horrible, it gummed up and created a huge mess in a small area that was difficult to access and sand. I always thin my Valspar with a few drops of water every 30 minutes or so. It helps keep it consistent.
I only ever used house brands from Lowe’s and have painted for years. One project this year on an outside shed (not from Lowe’s) and I have stickiness.
place a dehumidifier in a room close the door. an draw out the moisture till the paint is solid. the fume will be gone to.
Thanku for this .. long story had a proffesional painter and hes good very good.but asked him to paint over velvet flock paper as it ha been done by previous person and looks great but I needed do a wall after a replaster and its taking ages to dry 10 days and feels bit sticky not when you wipe your hand over put when u stick yr finger to it and take off slowly ..I to add to this, just sandpaper /fine sandpaper lightly and perfect ….Absolutely ..
I have tried Valspar paint a few times and have consistent problems with it feeling tacky and peeling.
I refuse to use it ever again.
I wonder if the reason people have different results with it has to do with living in different humidity areas?
I live in a high humidity area and it just feels tacky and peels.
We have just used Valspar vynil silk on our already painted walls. Its horrid. First coat was patchy, all different shades. Its now been on a week, and still tacky to touch. Never using it again. Weve always used Dulux and Crown before, and will be doing in future !
Can I simply use a primer over the tacky paint and repaint?
Yes, that will work.
Does this apply to water based paint as well
Hi, Sue. Consider this a tentative response, as I see no other answer.
If your surface is tacky now, wouldn’t adding another layer (primer) just add to your problem (referred to as blocking)? It would seem that the course of action calls for 1) waiting even longer or 2) remove the current paint enough to allow the lower skin of paint to cure.
This is an aggravating problem, to
be sure. Good luck.
Very professional
Aggravating problem for sure! My kitchen cabinets (laminate?) were professionally painted 3 years ago, and the area around the knobs is still sticky. It’s driving me CRAZY!
I had the same problem with my newel post. I ended up sanding, repainting and coating with polyurethane. No more gummy mess. You might be able to clean with denatured alcohol, let dry and coat with polyurethane.
Hello, from one JoAnne to another… Call it OCD or being anal retentive- I feel your aggravation. I get black paint on me & my clothes everyday after refinishing my makeup vanity. I am sanding it off again and repainting. 😫
Before going to all that work, you might consider a coat or two of clear lacquer. It stays clear and helps seal the surface. Most dry fast and can be re-coated in 30 to 60 min. My preference is Deft spray. There are many brands in spray or brush on. I would do a test area first, as some paints may crackle if not completely cured. It’s not something I’ve seen often, but it can happen.
Can I use a hair dryer to alleviate the tacky paint problem.
im wondering the same thing
I don’t know how large the room is, but have you tried running a fan in a window on warm days to get some good ventilation going to speed up the drying? Or maybe try running an electric space heater in the room to get the temp to about 75 degrees when it’s cooler than that…
I hope that you are not painting with a oil base paint. Use extreme caution when trying to use a space heater or halogen lights to dry your walls. I know of a family who did this, and burned their house to the ground So please be careful!
I bought a piece of furniture made in India and it’s tacky sticky. It’s just won’t dry and the lady had it for about 3 years…it has intricate painting on it and it’s multicolored and beautiful but don’t touch it! I’m afraid to set it in the sun which may or may not damage the paint…not sure what to do.
Coat it with a clear coating allowing it to dry throughly. I used to paint oil paintings, but I didn’t want to wait for it to dry in a month or so. The surface may be a little bumpy to the touch. Just sand it smooth with four #0000 steel wool. Then wax with a good quality furniture polish, or re-coat with clear.
I have used Roseau tile paint on my bathroom tiles. It is still tacky after 24 hours what do I do it get it to dry.
I have the same problem! Did you ever get it to dry?
I painted a railing with rustoleum oil based and it’s tacky. Indoor rail. No primer base. What is your recommendation?
Question: I had my screened in porch with a wooden floor sanded. I primed it on Sat & put 1 coat of Behr floor paint on Sun. It’s now friday & the paint is still tacky. The weather was rainy for a couple of days but has been sunny & dry for the last 3 days. Why is it still tacky?
Liz, how was the humidity the weekend that you primed and painted? 70% is about the highest you want to be at when painting. I recently painted one of our bedrooms and on the can it said not to even start painting if a storm is less than 4 hours out.
We bought handmade furniture from a local company that has been in business for years. When our furniture was delivered the paint on the chairs was very tacky. They told us it was because of the humidity in their warehouse. Also our table top surface is stained and the poly is bumpy and not smooth at all. We were told that it was the wood. When wiping the dust from the painted black chairs, my lightly damp cloth came back with black. That’s what they told us to do. Help
Coat it with clear! Sand smooth when dry with #0000 steel wool. Polish with a paste wax.
I painted my cornhole set using Rustoleum oil based paint during a high humidity day. It is still very tacky after 3 days. How can I remedy this? I tried to sand it off and the sandpaper filled with soft paint immediately. Coat of primer maybe?
I am 74 years old and this is the first time in my life I have ever known an oil based containing solvent not to dry properly in the hot and sunny conditions that have prevailed lately, I am afraid I am still waiting for a plausible and sensible answer, I will be interested to hear what the manufacturer has to say.
I must say I had one occasion where an oil base paint took a long time to dry was after it was accidentally exposed to freezing conditions for some time BUT it did dry.
I have painted our cabinets. Preparations was light sanding. The paint is dry after many days. However, we applyed polyurithane and it took a long time to dry on some of the surfaces. The medicine cabinet door is very sticky. I removed the paint and sanded it well. Repainted one coat. It dried completely before we applied a light poly coat. That coat is still sticky after weeks of drying. I wiped it lightly with paint remover/thinner with no change. Is there anything we can do to remove the stickiness?
I painted an iron clothes rack z nd left my dehumidifier on over night in garage. It still is tacky, don’t know if I spray it with a clear spray if it would help. Help!
If paint does not dry which is solvent based it may well be that the coat is too thick but I am always disappointed when that happens. I noticed that unlike red oxide that was in an airtight tin and still skinned on the top this paint that is very difficult to dry had no skin at all under 2inches of air! I would say that the paint thinner quality may well be suspect.
I’ll be sticking to ( sorry about the pun) red oxide which is solid after a few hours and sod the rest of the crap. (one coat solvent based matt =one coat ( my backside or better still 2K !
I painter my indoor stair railing in semi gloss white about 2 weeks ago & it still feels tacky is that normal??
I painted my floors with floor paint…2 to 3 weeks now it’s not drying pls help
Any suggestions for fixing my BM high gloss finish. I let it cure for 30 days, everything seemed dry but then I put a lamp on with the felt pads and the felt stick to the paint. I used soap and water to try to remove it but the mark is still there. Do I need to sand it down again and add one more top coat and then continue to let it dry, this time longer than the recommended 30 days or can I just buff these marks out? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance!
Stephanie (using BM Grand Entrance high gloss)
I had some new cabinets and bookshelves painted with durapoxi paint. They sprayed two coats over two weeks ago and it’s still tacky. What do you think the problem is in the solution. I live in a warm environment we’ve had very high temperatures here so it’s been hot.
I did an abstract oil painting in art school which I’ve been asked to sell several times.. I did apply layers too soon and actually got some great looking shrinkage of the skin!
But it’s still tacky after years of proper setting and now super tacky after being moved to a studio with higher humidity. I am doubting it can be saved after reading all the helpful posts!??
I used a resin paint (2 light coats) to paint my small dining room table. Once the paint dried I applied a coat of stain, with a soft cloth over the entire top. It’s been 24 hours and the stain is still tacky. I’ve done several of these projects with a different brand of stain and didn’t have the same issue. Should I give it more time to cure or is it just going to stay tacky? The table is inside with a room temp of 78 degrees. Suggestions please!
Paula, what paint brand did you use?
I used Rethunk Junk by Laura and Varathane stain. Since my last post, I’ve tried lighting cleaning the surface with a soft cloth and I also lightly sanded the top. There are still areas that are tacky. I’ve heard mineral spirits can be use however, I do not know what it will do to the lightly stained top.
Victor
Heavy front door 1860 house. Painted with quality water based gloss paint.( rarriw snd ball) . 3 times now the contact areas with frame have pucked up white from the frame. Each time i hVe sanded and reapplied a thin coat, left door open over night – appears dry but tgen when door clised tight transfer of white ti it or black to tge white frsne occurs. Still have white pat hy exhes on black door.
it has been very hot the last time- 90 degress
Any suggestions?
I realized I made a combination of errors, #1-applied paint too heavy
#2-in direct sunlight
#3-on too warm a day
Now, I’m going to scrape off any paint that is gooey and not dried after 1 week and repaint LIGHTLY.
One person commented that they don’t buy/use SW, I was just told that Valspar was bought by SW so anyone painting may want to keep a close watch on their paint job incase the mixture/ quality changes.
I’ve used Valspar for years and have always been pleased with the result. Any errors I generally found were my own lack of attention to temp/surface prep, etc…
Paint is not subject to our instant gratification thought process, and seems to at times have its own temperament.
As suggested by others, Always, Always! pay attention to the interior temperature, it will save a large amount of headache and frustration.
Just my 2 cents!
Have painted whole staircase with wilko grey undercoat yesterday. I am having a carpet laid on Monday, should the paint be dry by then, fingers crossed
Painting staircase, I’m half way through the 2nd coat of paint and it’s not drying. A month later, still tacky and some chips appearing. Should I literally keep waiting for it to dry out? Or sand it back and repaint? It’s breaking my heart!
I bought a tile paint kit from Home Depot to paint the tile on a small bathroom floor. I cleaned the floor one day and put the base coat the next day. This is day 2 and there are a few sticky spots. I am waiting to see if that will dry before putting the clear topcoat on. What should I do? The floor looks great. But those sticky spots are concerning to me. Should I apply the top coat or wait?
Hi, I am a first home buyer and the house is newly constructed(2022). The paint I chose for windowsill and trim was SW Snowbound in Satin finish(80% sure about the finish but not 100%), and we moved in pretty quickly once the construction was finished(approximately 1 month after finished?), and I realized the paint was tacky and feeling soft when I wiped out the windowsill with sanitizing wet tissue.
We thought over a month was enough for drying out, but the windowsills were immediately left with our cats’ pawprints, and the marks with the things we’ve put on our pantry shelves. The builder company re-painted our windowsills a month later, and we carefully blocked our cats from the access to the windowsills for 2 days. And of course, it got worse..haha
(drying time 2 days vs 1 month)
I am planning to re-paint those by myself one by one with different paint brand(Behr).
How long should I wait for drying out? And do you have any recommendation for the finish for 1) fast-drying or 2)windowsill?
I painted a wooden blanket chest using acrylic-latex paint. I can’t close the lid because the paint on the underside of the lid wants to stick to the paint on the top edges of the sides. I sanded the chest before painting. I painted in a room with the A/C on and left it on for several days. I followed instructions on the can that said that a second coat could be applied after two hours. I applied one second coat. Weeks later, the paint is still tacky, rubbery feeling. I contacted the paint manufacturer and was told that I should have waited SIX hours before re-coating!
This is typical. Paint manufacturers either don’t give enough information or give conflicting information. It will say one thing on the can, a different thing on a page on their website, and even a different thing on another page on their website. If I paint and paint too thickly, don’t wait long enough between coats, don’t prep the surface, or paint in high humidity, then yes – this is on me. It really stinks though, as a consumer, to follow directions and STILL have issues with painting. The year is 2023. Scientists can’t figure out how to make acrylic-latex paint actually DRY?
I used Behr paint. Always have used it never a problem. I used an undercoat and then Beht. The cupboard fronts are fine but my edges are still sticky AFTER 5 months they are still sticky. I’m thinking of using Easy Stripper, not using the undercoat and a very light touch of the semi-gloss enamel Behr. I’ll NEVER use Behr again.
There is water based paint available, at double the cost, that dries not sticky. The best alternative is to use oil base paint. The lower the sheen, the less sticky the paint will be. In other words, if you use an egg shell enamel, it will dry less sticky than high sheen or even semi-gloss.
I painted two woode chairs with Valspar. They are still tacky. What can I do?
My bannister rail is sticky. Its been years since it was painted and is showing a bit of bare wood. Thought I would rub it all down but it just seems to raise more paint so surface is no good for repainting. Its too big a job (for me anyway) for paint stripper. Do I just keep rubbing down. The mess from doing it is driving me crazy even if I put down sheets.