6 Effortless Ways to Make Spray Paint Not Sticky

Does your house need repainting?

Even though there are painting services out there, there’s nothing better than your own choices and precision involved in painting your house with your dream color.

Also, how can we forget all the fun we will have with our partner or peers while painting it?

There are various ways of painting your house like using paint rollers, paintbrushes, and spray painting too.

Here we will talk specifically about spray painting and how to get the right finish without worrying about stickiness.

But before you begin with your spray-painting session, here are a few pros and cons of spray paint you should take into consideration.

Pros	Cons
• It is effortless • It requires little time • It is versatile • It involves little or no wastage of paint • It is quick	• It is toxic to humans • It is also expensive • It is not Eco-friendly • It can have a sticky finish

What Makes Spray Paint Sticky?

The stickiness of the spray paint is generally caused due to the over-application or when you have used too much paint than it’s actually required on the surface.

The paint you applied may also remain tacky days after application due to “blocking” which keeps paint from drying faster.

This is commonly seen when you use latex paint on cold or humid days.

Tackiness may also happen when you use poor quality paint and do not wait enough between applying multiple coats.

6 Simple Ways to Get That Non-Sticky Spray Paint Finish

It is not easy to relish and feel the fresh new paint when all you can feel is the constant stickiness of the spray paint.

It can also lead to your house smelling like spray paint for days.

Hence, to avoid this problem, your first step will be to make sure that your spray paint has a non-sticky finish.

How to achieve that? Here are the 6 best ways:

1- Buy That Primer

If you are buying extra spray paint, also buy the primer.

Apply it as the very first thing on the surface. Primer is the best way to get the perfect finishing.

Why is that? Simply because…

• It smoothes out the uneven surface
• It increases the durability of the spray paint
• It brings out the actual color of the spray paint
• It does not let foreign substances cause irregularity and stickiness

Some of the best primers you can use for getting a non-sticky finish are:

• Krylon ColorMaster
• Montana Gold Spray
• Rust-Oleum Zinsser Bulls Eye
• Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch

2- Shake the Stickiness Off

After applying the primer coat and before applying the spray paint, don’t forget to shake the can well.

Again, it should neither be too little nor excessive.

This is why you should always shake the can:

• It ensures proper viscosity in the paint to make spray paint not sticky
• If you do not shake it, you will only be using the propellant and not the actual paint
• The paint will not have the proper texture if you don’t shake the can well

PRO tip: Make sure you shake it for about 5-10 seconds to fix tacky spray paint!

3- Perfecting the First Coat

Now that you’re done prepping up the surface, it is time to move to the prime purpose.

Always remember that the first coat matters the most while spray painting your house. It is important to get it right.

Do not worry. The following tips will help you through this.

• Before applying the first coat, check if the primer is dry and not tacky
• Once it is dry, evenly spray it on the surface
• Look out for any irregular corners or areas of your house. These minor issues can create major complications
• If you forget to spray somewhere, do not spray excessively. This does not let the spray dry completely, creating stickiness

Some of the best non-sticky spray paints to make it easier for you include:

1. Krylon ColourMaster Paint
2. Rust-Oleum Spray Paint
3. Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch
4. Krylon COVERMAXX Spray Paint
5. Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray Paint

4- Second Coat Application

Applying the second coat is totally up to you.

If you feel like the shade you want for your house goes on the darker side, go for the second coat. If not, one coat is sufficient.

A few things to keep in mind before applying the second coat.

• Let the first coat dry completely
• Applying the second coat on a wet first coat can make your painting look messy
• If you want to speed up the drying of the first coat, you can use a heater

5- Use Talcum Powder

To fix the paint that is still tacky you can sprinkle a bit of dusting powder over the sticky painted surface.

Rub the powder gently with your hand and you can see the stickiness gone within minutes.

If required reapply the powder once again and check the results.

Make sure that you do not use too much of it as it can compromise the color and finish.

This method can work well for cabinets, bookshelf, dressers, bathroom vanity, drawers, door jambs, etc. where the items or two surfaces will come in contact with each other.

6- Temperature and Humidity Check

Have you ever wondered why antique books and paintings are kept at a certain temperature and humidity level?

This is because these play a tremendous part in the proper maintenance and preservation.

Even if you’ve taken all the precautions and followed all the steps properly to have the perfect finishing, the wrong temperature, and high humidity can ruin it completely not just for the present but in the future too.

How to avoid this?

• Do not choose humid days for spray painting your house
• Close the windows
• Make sure there is no moisture
• Use a fan or heater to reduce humidity

Other than these steps, there are many others to make spray paint not sticky.

These are like coating your painting with furniture polish, preferably wax, which can help make it non-sticky.

Few Extra Tips

To tackle one of the biggest issues, which is the sticky finish of spray paint, here are a few extra tips and suggestions for you.

These can help you in painting your walls and ceilings with all perfection and without any tacky paint surfaces.

1- Make Sure the Surface is Free of Dust Particles

If the walls are not clean, the effect of new spray paint can get dull. 

Hence, it is necessary to get clean the surface to give a fresh and brand-new look to your home.

2- Smoothen the Surface

Along with checking out for dirt, ensure the surface does not have irregular dents or bumps.

This can make your walls look inconsistent and haphazard.

3- Use Your Entire Hand to Hold the Can

Often people make the mistake of moving the can only through the wrist.

You should move the can swiftly using your entire hand, especially if you feel that the spray paint in the can is still tacky.

4- Overlapping Technique

If your house surfaces have a huge area and require a lot of overlapping, the best trick is to not overdo it.

Instead of going for a heavy coat, go for lighter ones to make it look smoother.

5- Be Patient

Renovating your house requires patience and so does spray painting.

Do it with ease and all the calmness in mind.

The bottom line

Spray painting is an amazing idea for painting walls, ceilings, wood furniture, and other household items made of metal, vinyl, or plastic.

Apart from domestic purposes, spray paint is used for industrial purposes too – as seen utilized by big brands like the airline, Delta, and Adidas.

Spray painting has also found its place in the art industry as well.

No matter where you wish to spray paint, it’s important that you know the proper spraying steps and techniques to have a quick and non-sticky neat approach.

Try to use the above-mentioned hacks and you will be surprised to see that your work looks on par with that of the professional painters without any stickiness of the paint!