How long after painting with latex before I can repair a bad spot?

[George Bokros]

Ugh! I just painted the bathroom and unfortunately I discovered a spot I missed that will need repaired and sanded, how long do I need to wait before I attempt to repair it?
Thanks

[Frederick Skelly]

I always wait at least a week George. But I dont have any science behind that. I just find that if I tape or sand sooner, the paint is more prone to peel. YMMV.

Fred

[Myk Rian]

I just paint it. If you missed it, why the need to sand?

[Pat Barry]

I'd wait til its dry

[Phil Thien]

As soon as the paint seems dry to the touch.

[George Bokros]

I just paint it. If you missed it, why the need to sand?

Myk, it is hole I patched. I sanded it but I did not blend it out well enough, the patch shows.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Myk, it is hole I patched. I sanded it but I did not blend it out well enough, the patch shows.
If not primered, The patch will initially soak in paint, filling its pores. Second coat should be less noticeable.

[Rich Riddle]

Most latex paint dries to the touch in about an hour but the directions typically state to wait a full 24 hours between coats or repairs. These days, I follow those directions.

[Myk Rian]

Myk, it is hole I patched. I sanded it but I did not blend it out well enough, the patch shows.
Well NOW you tell us.
That, to me, is the worse kind of repair. I can never get it right.
The last one I tried has a doorbell over it.

[Phil Thien]

Myk, it is hole I patched. I sanded it but I did not blend it out well enough, the patch shows.

One of the problems people run into is that a patch will have a smoother texture than the wallboard around it, which has a rolled paint texture.

If it is an important area I'll use a rattle can of orange peel texture with the finest straw (I think yellow) to blend the patch with the surrounding texture.

Then I'll prime that with a rattle can of primer.

Then I paint.

This is the stuff I use:

http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/drywall/patching-repair/aerosol-spray-textures/homax-4055-spray-texture-drywall-oil-based/p-1473920-c-8199.htm

[Tom M King]

For final finish, find a light fixture that you can hold right next to the wall, and shine the light across the surface. You will see every little imperfection. I use one of the clamp-on lights with the aluminum reflectors, and a 60 watt bulb clamped to the hawk. It beats letting a room light hit it later, and show up something you didn't see while finishing because you didn't have the right kind of light. I hold the cord to the light in the hand on the hawk handle.

http://www.essentialhardware.com/power-zone-pz-300-clamp-light-8.5-202551.html?fee=16&fep=99198&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google&gclid=CjwKEAjw0LmoBRDHuo7UkaKXhn8SJADmDTG0PrpZqlL3-TgxzVGnblEnuM64oI1fUZ9D0U0L2_L2choCOuHw_wcB

[George Bokros]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions but no one has said how long I need to wait to sand out the patch I already did but did not feather out well enough. Goolge search tells me that it takes 30 days for latex paint to fully cure. I guess that is my answer, I need to wait 30 days.

I usually do what Tom King suggests but this time I short cut my process and now I have to pay for it.

[Pat Barry]

It will be fine just overnight. you certainly dont need 30 days

[Jason Roehl]

Some tips for a better chance at success:

1. Use stearated paper, 120-180 grit (I prefer 120 or 150 for this) on a ROS.
2. Use a light touch with the sander.
3. Keep the ROS moving when you sand, you don't want heat to build up in any one spot. If the latex paint starts to ball up, you've got more patch work on your hands. You want to avoid that.

I've done this many, many times, as soon as the paint looks dry, and is dry to the touch.

[Phil Thien]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions but no one has said how long I need to wait to sand out the patch I already did but did not feather out well enough. Goolge search tells me that it takes 30 days for latex paint to fully cure. I guess that is my answer, I need to wait 30 days.

I usually do what Tom King suggests but this time I short cut my process and now I have to pay for it.

We're telling you as soon as it looks/feels dry because the time will vary with the paint and the application. A pro will roll paint on thicker and more evenly than an amateur. It may take 2-4 hours in that case. I've watched as friends roll thin coats on that are dry in a half hour or less (no joking).