

The moisture from the new plaster is then trapped behind this skin and cannot evaporate off. The reason for not painting new plaster before it’s completely dry is that most paints will simply form an air tight skin over the wall. The short answer to this is yes! Wait until it’s totally dry and the same colour as in the third image above. direct to plasterboard or on to a bonding coat over brickwork, concrete blocks etc…. However, any approximate drying times will also depend on what the plaster has been applied to e.g. There are quite a few different types of plaster ( information on these can be found in our plastering and skimming and types of plaster project) and each has it’s own approximate drying time. One final thing to throw in the mix at this point is the type of plaster you’re intending painting on. New plaster that has fully dried and is now a uniform light colour all over New plaster colour after a week on the wall – The plaster is drying and lightening up in colour but there are still damp patches New plaster that has just been laid on the wall As you can see the plaster has now dried out completely and is a uniform light colour across the entire area, giving a good indication that it is now dry and safe to paint. The third image below shows the plaster after about 2 and half weeks. As you can see some areas are much lighter now indicating that they have dried out, but there are still quite a few dark patches indicating that they are still damp and have a fair amount of drying to do. The second image below that shows the same area after about a week. As you can see, the plaster is quite dark in colour as it has only just been laid on.

The first image below shows a newly plastered wall. So, how do you really know when it’s safe to paint new plaster? The best gauge for this is the colour of your new plaster. two or even three coats of plaster, can take months to dry out fully! In extreme situations, a fully plastered wall, i.e. To be 99.9% sure that your new plaster is safe to paint, we would recommend waiting for around 3 – 4 weeks, but in some situations it can take as long as 6 weeks or more. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question as all walls and ceilings will dry out at different speeds, depending on many factors such as humidity, air temperature, the type of property, the type of plaster, how many coats of plaster there are, whether the central heating is on and many other factors.Īs a very rough estimate, in a normal centrally heated and well insulated house in summer time, you can be pretty sure of safely painting after around 2 weeks, but this isn’t guaranteed. A very frequent question to DIY Doctor is How long must I wait before I can start painting new plaster? When a wall or ceiling is plastered the wall is obviously wet. How Long Should I Wait before Painting New Plaster? If this is your first time painting new plaster, you will probably have quite a few questions What type of paint should I use? How long do I have to wait before I can get painting? How long does plaster take to dry? etc…, all of these questions and more are answered below, so read on.
PLASTER PAINT HOW TO
To help you with all the different choices or paint, we’ve compiled a quick PDF Guide for you to download with all the necessary information on the ins-and-outs of how to paint new plaster.ĭownload our guide on understanding the different types of paint Painting new plaster that has fully dried Likewise, painting new plaster is often one of the finishing stages of major building works such as the construction of an extension or loft conversion. Once your new plaster is painted, you should be left with a clean, fresh and inviting room space. Painting new plaster is usually an essential step on the road to completion if you have had any major home improvement or building work done, or have had any walls or ceilings plastered or skimmed, painting will be essential.Ī quick skim coat of plaster can quickly and easily rectify many types of imperfection in walls and ceilings and give you a clean, flat and even base to work from. After the mist coat has dried you should then be able to apply your top coat. New plaster should be painted first using a mist coat, which is a mixture of paint and water, mixed at the ratio of 4 parts paint to 1 part water.
