Certainly wait for at least 7 days. Wait until the plaster changes colour from a dark brown to a light salmon pink.

Ceilings will usually dry in about 3 days but its always wise to leave for at least a week. Likewise with walls, just wait until everything has turned light pink.

You should also seal the new plaster with a watered down paint ( I usually add 10-15% water to the paint ) or use a new plaster sealer, for the reason that new plaster is very porous and will almost certainly suck all the moisture out of undiluted paint as a result.

Signs its ready

  1. Even light pink colour
  2. No dark damp patches
  3. Dry to the touch
  4. No cool spots
  5. Moisture reading that is stable and low

What affects drying times

  1. The weather can slow down or speed up drying times. If it is very humid then it usually slows down drying times. If it is very hot the drying times speed up dramatically.
  2. Ventilation – Good ventilation and gentle air flow can help. Avoid blasting fresh plaster with intense heat, as this can cause cracking.
  3. If you have built out an area of wall/ ceiling that was uneven then this section will be thicker than the rest of wall/ceiling so this area will take longer to dry.
  4. I walls have been rendered/ backing plaster prior to plastering then this will cause slower drying times as you are also waiting for the render to dry out fully as well. A good rule of thumb for  drying times is for every 1 milimeter of plaster takes 1 day to dry. So if you follow this rule then you wont go far wrong

What happens if you paint too soon ?

  1. Paint can dry unevenly
  2. Paint can blister
  3. Paint can peel
  4. Basically paint can fail to bond properly to the plaster as the plaster is still in the process of emitting water

 

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Plaster drying timesPlaster drying timesPlaster drying times

In above photo you can see what plaster in still damp ( dark brown ) and what is dry ( light pink )