# shelves and cure time



## 7echo (Aug 24, 2008)

Going to paint some built in shelves and have a question about cure time. From searching the site it seems like the wait for latex to cure so you can set things on the shelves is about 30 days. Is this correct, and is acrylic included in this cure time? 

Oil cures much faster, or so I read in another thread. 

What about Aura? What is the cure time for Aura to be able to set things on the shelves?


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Although not completely correct- the words Latex, acrylic and waterborne are somewhat interchangeable.
I just did a buffet for someone- used their ...Behr.. gloss- I told them to wait at least a week- heavy stuff longer.
One trick if it is a light color is to very lightly dust it with talcum ( baby) powder. 
Most paints full cure in about 3 weeks- but every day they get a bit harder. Some faster than others. I would trust Aura more than what I used..


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

If you can stand flat for your shelf surfaces you will not have to wait out cure times. You will not be able to clean flat shelf surfaces like you can semi or something though. It is when you raise the sheen of latex and acrylic products to something like semi-gloss that the resins and all have to set and harden for 30 days or so. 

Oils will cure faster but will take longer to dry initially. Lighter colors will yellow over time and chalking is a characteristic of oil paints on down the road. They are also more or less forbidden in many states now. 

That said, I painted gallery pedestals all the time for galleries and we never were able to wait that long. Most things did not mar the finish much. Heavy pieces would sink right into the paint films though.


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## Will22 (Feb 1, 2011)

Regular latex paints do not dry to a hard film, so they "block". For shelving, bookcases, countertops, table tops, Oil-based paints are the best choice (if they are not VOC prohibited in your area). Otherwise, use an acrylic porch/floor paint, or an industrial acrylic, which have a harder film.


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## ric knows paint (Oct 26, 2011)

Will22 said:


> Regular latex paints do not dry to a hard film, so they "block". For shelving, bookcases, countertops, table tops, Oil-based paints are the best choice (if they are not VOC prohibited in your area). Otherwise, use an acrylic porch/floor paint, or an industrial acrylic, which have a harder film.


Will, that is great advice. Many people would never consider an acrylic floor paint because it's...well, it's for floors. But, you're right - many of the acrylic floor paints (at least the better quality ones) are harder, and far more block resistant than are the more conventional latex coatings - _and_ they're usually available in satin or semi-gloss finishes.


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## 7echo (Aug 24, 2008)

Thanks for the comments.


I used BM Impervo oil, satin finish. Went on fine and looks good. I will give it a couple of weeks before putting them back in service.


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