Does Heat Make Epoxy Dry Faster?

Filling cracks in your sidewalk or outdoor molding with epoxy? Maybe you are using it to waterproof your basement floor. No matter what you are using the epoxy for, it always seems like it takes forever to dry. So, what can you do to make it dry faster?

Heat speeds up how quickly your epoxy will dry and cure, especially at 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. You can make your epoxy dry and harden with a heat lamp, space heater, or blow torch. Maintain a consistent 75-85 degrees for 24 hours to make epoxy dry and harden.

In this article, we will give you a few tips and tricks for making your epoxy dry quicker. Also, we’ll talk about the ideal temperature, as well as a few other ins and outs you need to know before applying heat to our epoxy.

Epoxy, or epoxy resin, is a material used for many types of applications from sealing floors to protecting ceramics or paintings. Epoxy is created by mixing two components together that are made for each other. The liquid resin has to be mixed with the right hardener for the chemical reaction to happen.

After the two materials are mixed together, the epoxy is changed from a liquid to a solid. The hardening (curing) can take from 24 to 72 hours depending on the components, the ratio of the components, temperature, and thickness.

The best temperature for the epoxy to dry is 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Placing a heat lamp or space heater near the surface you are using the epoxy on can make it dry faster. You can even use an oven or a blow torch.

However, it is important to keep the temperature steady during the first 24 hours, no matter what temperature you use. Temperature changes during drying time can cause bubbles, cracks, or dimples. Keep the resin at a steady temperature for at least 24 hours for the best results.

If you live in a cold climate and need to work outdoors or in a drafty room, there are solutions you can use. One choice is to make a resin hot box. This is a pretty easy project for a DIYer or anyone else who can follow instructions.

All you need is a large cardboard box, lamp, and an incandescent bulb. Put the lamp inside the box and turn it on. Put your project inside the box to help it dry. Of course, this only works if your project fits inside the box. Depending on your individual situation, one or more of these may be perfect for your project.

You can definitely use your oven again but only if it’s to dry epoxy or bake clay. If you’ve dried epoxy using your oven then it’s no longer safe to bake with.

The chemicals inside of the epoxy release gases into the walls of your oven, and they don’t go away. This means if you use your oven to cook food afterward, then the chemicals will seep into your food, making it toxic for you to consume.

Think of this as dumping bleach into the water. If you put bleach into a five-gallon tub of water, are you going to want to drink any of that, at any point? Is there a way to separate the bleach without using any special equipment or machinery? No. It’s the same concept when you dry epoxy in your oven.

There’s no way to separate those chemicals from your oven, therefore making your oven unsafe to bake food with any longer.

Using a hot box, space heater, or lamp are all good ways to speed up the drying process when working with resin. However, you have to remember to keep the resin at the same temperature for the first 24 hours. Do not just heat up the resin for a few hours to speed things up and then let it dry the rest of the time at a lower temperature. And always follow the directions and use proper safety measures.

Never use your oven to dry epoxy unless you don’t plan to use your oven for baking food any longer. If you use epoxy in your oven, then you’ll need to purchase a brand new oven if you decide to bake with it again.

When drying your epoxy, it’s important to pay attention to the safety precautions, and follow them accordingly to protect your health and wellbeing. Safety is essential when taking on any project in the DIY world.