How To Make Spray Paint Not Sticky? – Comprehensive Guide

How to make spray paint not sticky is indeed a question that makes a lot of people scratch their heads in frustration. I mean what could be more annoying than to see the paint go all sticky and tacky even after it has been hours since you spray-painted it?

For me, the answer is a big fat no. But before you dive into the details of how to correct a sticky spot you need to understand what makes the paint go sticky in the first place.

So, in this article, I will be discussing what makes the paint sticky, how to avoid it from happening, and what to do if it indeed gets sticky after all. In any case, I would recommend you to read out this article till the end so that you don’t miss out on any points. With that being said, let’s get started!

How To Make Spray Paint Not Sticky?

1. Always Use A Primer

Professionals always prep up the surface they are about to work on. It is just a basic rule of thumb that must be followed in order to ensure a nice professional finish. A good primer acts as an adhesive thus, making the surface more suitable for the paint to settle in and stay for much longer.

In other words, it takes much longer for a well-primed spray-painted surface to wear out than one that was not primed beforehand. Besides, it also speeds up the drying process of the spray paint owing to its volatile nature. Hence, a good primer will definitely help make the paint not sticky.

2. Shake The Can Thoroughly Before Use

Another trick to help you avoid the spray paint from getting sticky is by making sure that you shake the spray can thoroughly before getting started. This little endeavor will help mix up the paint within the can thus, it comes out with an even consistency when you finally start painting the intended surface.

As a result, when the paint comes out evenly and spreads all across the surface in a fine layer, it will dry out much sooner than you would have expected. So, always remember to shake that can and do a little patch test before you move on to spraying the object.

3. Take A Breather Between Each Layer

One of the most likely reasons why the spray paint takes so long to dry out is that you don’t wait for one layer to dry out before applying the second layer on top of that. You must give each layer a minimum of ten to fifteen minutes so that it can dry out entirely otherwise, you will just be trapping one wet layer with another. Then what happens is that the top layer dries out leaving the inner layer all wet and impossible to dry.

Besides, you must always do your work in a well-ventilated space so that plenty of air can brush against the spray-painted volatile molecules.

4. Use Talcum Powder

Talcum powder can be of exceptional use in this case if used correctly. All you have to do is sprinkle a small amount of talcum powder in the spray-painted area and let it suck up all the moisture, Then simply brush off the powder to expose a fully dried surface.

However, make sure that you use only a small portion of the powder and you must do a patch test to see if the powder changes the color of the paint. This trick is especially useful on surfaces that experience a lot of friction such as cabinets, drawers, doors, shelves, etc.

5. Use Auto Wax

Auto vax is a very effective way to get rid of all that stickiness that turned up on your surface. So, instead of just throwing the whole object out, simply apply a small amount of auto wax on the sticky spot. Make sure that you rub the wax into the surface and then let it sit for a good fifteen minutes.

After that, just remove the auto wax with the help of a buffing cloth. You will see a visible difference on the surface. You can also repeat the process if the stickiness remains.

Why is my spray paint still sticky?

There may be plenty of reasons why your spray paint may be sticky even long after you are done working on a surface. It could be because of the inconsistency of the paint because you forgot to shake the can before getting started, or maybe you were in a rush and didn’t wait for one layer to dry out completely before you painted another layer on top of it. And who knows, maybe it was because you were short on money and did not prime the surface before treating it with spray paint. All these reasons make the paint go sticky and tacky.

Final Thoughts about Sticky Paint

To sum it all up, it is safe to conclude that it is pretty easy to make the spray paint not sticky. However, I would recommend you avoid all this stickiness from forming at all. For example, if you shake the bottle well before use, and prime the surface with a good primer before spray painting then the chances of the spray paint getting sticky are minimal.

You must also let one layer dry out completely before you spray the next layer to get an even consistency. In any case, if you found all this information helpful, then don’t forget to share it with your friends!