How to Paint New Plaster

One of the best ways to beautify the interior of your home is to let us plaster your walls. Plaster hides cracks and helps to insulate your home from the inside. Once we have finished the job, you may be interested in painting your walls yourself or having an artist paint a mural on one of your walls.  These are excellent ideas, but before you do anything, make sure you know when and how to paint new plaster.
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Wait to Paint Your Plaster 
Newly plastered walls contain quite a bit of moisture, so even if you're in a rush to get your wall painted, it’s best to allow sufficient drying time. So how long is long enough I hear you ask? The answer is dependent upon several factors, some of which are listed below. 
• How thick was the plaster applied?
• Is there high humidity in the home that could delay drying?
• Does the home have working central heating?
• What level of temperature is the room? Is it generally cold or warm?

Generally, it would be best to delay painting your new plaster for a period of between two to four weeks; this should allow more than enough drying time. However, if the environment is very damp, then drying time can take up to six weeks. 

A good way to tell if your walls are ready to be painted is by undertaking an assessment of the colour of the walls. You will see splotchy, almost checkered patterns. As the walls dry out, you will notice a more uniform appearance with only a few splotches that haven't yet fully dried. 

Walls need to be completely dry before they are painted. Using paint too soon could bring about dark splotches in the paint where the plaster has not dried yet.  If the paint dries over plaster which has not sufficiently dried out, there is actually a chance of developing mould in your walls.

Prepare Your Plaster for Painting
If you didn't hire us to plaster your walls, then you may have a few rough spots that need to be taken care of before you can paint your newly plastered walls. You may see things like trowel strokes or plaster buildup that need to be smoothed away. 

In order to remove these various blemishes, you will need to use sandpaper. Be careful not to sand the surface too harshly, or you could remove some of the plaster. Also, be sure to use sandpaper that is not too rough. To ensure there is no damage done to your plaster, use no greater than a 240 grit piece of sandpaper. 

Mist Coat
Before you paint your wall, we recommend that you apply what is called a mist coat. It is a weaker matt emulsion that will bond with your plaster. To prepare your mist coat, you will need to mix it in a bucket with the ratio four parts mist coat, one part water. Make sure you cover furniture and the floor to avoid damage. It takes about 24 hours for the mist coat to dry.

Paint
Be sure not to use any paint that won't breathe, such as vinyl paint or silk paint. These kinds of paints will trap moisture and do damage to your plaster. Now all that is left for you to do is chose the paint you want and begin painting!

Are You Thinking of Having Your Home's Interior Plastered?
If your walls are not plastered, and you are considering having them coated, let us know. Either call or fill out our simple online contact form to get in touch. One of our friendly staff will call you to discuss how we can plaster your walls. Don't wait, act now!

CALL PLASTERING REDBRIDGE TODAY! WE WORK IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS...
Plasterers in ​Goodmayes | Plasterers in Hainault | Plasterers in Ilford | Plasterers in Newbury Park | Plasterers in Redbridge | Plasterers in Seven Kings | Plasterers in Snaresbrook | Plasterers in South Woodford | Plasterers in Wanstead | Plasterers in Woodford