In this article, we’ll explore how long it takes deep pour epoxy resin to cure – let’s begin!
Deep pour epoxy resin typically takes around one week to properly cure after you pour it.
In most cases, the epoxy usually dries out almost completely within the first 12 hours to 24 hours after pouring.
Normally within the next 5 to 7 days the epoxy finishes curing. Afterward, the epoxy is fully hardened and “finished” resin.
That means if you want to work with it while it is still remotely malleable it needs to be within the first couple of days after pouring.
Do Different Applications of Epoxy Affect the Curing Time?
An important factor to consider while estimating how long your deep epoxy will take to cure is your application of it.
In other words, whether you are layering several pours or a single pour, may affect the overall time it takes to cure properly.
Further, you may use deep epoxy for table top applications, like making epoxied items (trinkets encased in resin), that are only poured ⅛ inch to ¼ inch thick and take much less time to fully cure.
Table top deep epoxy applications require as little as 4 hours to 8 hours to dry and only 12 hours to 24 hours to completely cure.
But, if your application is something much larger scale, for example, a river table, or resin flooring,
Depending on the type of deep epoxy you’re using, the epoxy may be dried and hardened fully within 24 hours to 48 hours of pouring the resin.
However, even in these cases, deep pour epoxy still takes another few days to finish curing correctly.
At any point, before your deep epoxy is fully cured, there are slight chances of damaging it.
Likewise, while pouring the deep epoxy, if you do a poor job, you may set your resin up to finish with cracks, blisters, bubbles, and a yellowed color.
Does Dye and Other Ingredients Impact Epoxy Curing Time?
One last point to keep in mind when figuring out how long your deep epoxy needs to cure is that any additional ingredients that you mix into your epoxy mix may affect the curing time.
In some cases, ingredients may extend the curing process from a few hours to a day or two extra.
Some additional ingredients may do the opposite, shortening the curing time from several hours to a day or two.
When shopping for the best deep pour epoxy for your river table, flooring, coating, epoxies, and other resin projects, always check the label for instructions and specs.
The amount of time it takes for the epoxy to cure is usually marked clearly on the label so it’s quick and easy to read.
The Takeaway Answer
The average amount of time deep epoxy takes to cure is 5 to 7 days. That said, the exact amount of time that deep epoxy takes to cure varies depending on what your desired application for the epoxy is, the temperature where you’re epoxy is poured and will cure, the brand, special ingredients you mix into your resin before pouring, and more.