Many plasterers would most likely tell you to wait 3-7 days prior to painting new plaster.
for painting -you can paint within 3 days, but it will have marks and slats coming through in the long term. best practice is to wait 2 weeks to a month before applying paint... if you can wait out the month, do. start with a good quality plaster primer before finishing coat...
While some may suggest plastering and painting on the same day, it's essential to allow the plaster to cure before applying paint. Waiting for the plaster to dry completely, typically for around two weeks, allows all moisture to evaporate. This helps prevent issues such as paint peeling in the future.
With freshly plastered surfaces, leave approximately six months to dry completely before painting.
Preparing newly plastered walls
First and foremost, let the plaster dry. Paint won't adhere properly to wet plaster, so make sure it's fully dried. This takes around 3-5 days for overskim or 4-6 weeks for a new plaster wall, though it can take longer depending on humidity and ventilation.
Plaster generally takes around three to five days to dry fully. It will turn from a brown colour to pale pink. Then, you can apply your mist coat of paint or wallpaper. How long the plaster takes to fully dry can depend on how thick it is, and the conditions of your home.
Can you paint directly over old plaster? You should only paint onto old plaster if it isn't flaking or cracked. If it is in poor condition, you should repair and/or use sandpaper before you begin painting. Any imperfections in the surface will show through even multiple layers of paint.
Increase airflow
Good airflow will help to encourage your plaster to dry more quickly. If it's not too cold, it can help to keep windows and doors open. Similarly, a fan can help as long as you keep it on a low setting so that it doesn't cool down the room too much.
Drying time for skim coating typically ranges from 24 to 48 hours per coat, depending on the thickness of the application and environmental conditions like temperature and humidity.
The best condition for allowing your newly plastered walls/ceiling to dry is to provide some ventilation by opening a couple of windows slightly. You can put the heating on, however, we recommend you keep this at a low temperature for a number of days after the plastering is completed.
Final Thoughts. Using roll on filler to skim a wall is quick, easy, and gives a great result. It's a lot cheaper to buy a couple of tubs of Dalapro Roll Nova than it is to hire a plasterer, and you'll have a full room skimmed in no time.
Due to the fact that newly plastered walls cannot be painted using certain paints until they are completely dry, contract matt is the best paint to use.
Newly plastered walls need sealing in the same way as your ceiling or drywalls: they should have a stabilising primer layer first, before they're applied with at least two coats of paint. A previously painted wall should also have at least two coats, without the primer layer first.
DRYLOK Wet Wall Bonding Primer, beyond its part in a masonry waterproofing project, is an excellent product for priming plaster walls due to its versatile nature and high-performance capabilities. It can be applied to various surfaces: Interior and exterior walls. Vertical and horizontal surfaces.
Experts agree that 24 hours is best. Not letting the walls dry can result in issues like peeling or bubbling paint.
As a rule of thumb, plaster takes up to 4 weeks to dry completely. You can speed things up with a heater or by opening a window. Top tip: If you don't let the plaster dry and apply emulsion paint to wet plaster, it's likely to crack and peel off.
Always allow a minimum of a week before you paint over fresh plaster to ensure it is completely dry. As we said before, sometimes, in combination with wet weather conditions, you may need to wait even a month to paint your walls. It may sound like a lifetime, but the wait will be worth it.
A minimum of seven days of curing is recommended for plastered surfaces. Grooves: After plastering the outer walls, cut grooves to prevent cracks caused by temperature differences. These grooves function as expansion joints in the wall.
Let the plaster dry
Your plaster will dry quicker with a heater or if you open a window. If you try to apply paint to wet plaster this can cause adhesion problems. Applying emulsion to wet plaster also means that it may not bond properly and you could find that it peels off your wall.
Eggshell and satin are popular finish choices for interior walls, but matte or gloss also work fine on plaster. Apply two coats for the best durability and color accuracy. Paint the wall edges first with an angled brush, carefully avoiding woodwork. Use painter's tape for added protection.
Another way to seal the plaster prior to painting is to apply a readymade sealer, Dulux make one specifically for new surfaces. I personally use acrylic stabilising solution, really made for stabilising chalky surfaces, but also excellent for sealing bare or new plaster.
There's no harm in postponing decoration for a while, in fact it will give the plaster time to dry out fully and any subsequent shrinkage cracks can be filled before painting. The only downside in a kitchen area is the risk of grease spots and splashes which would resist a subsequent water based paint.
Depending , usually couple of days but sometimes the waiting time may be overa a week to dry properly. But If the walls have a smooth finish with filler , the painting can be done in 24-48 hours time.
Airflow: Good airflow can help speed drying by circulating air around the damp plaster. You should keep the room well-ventilated and use fans to increase airflow during drying.