Advice on drying plaster
If you’ve had your home replastered, you might be wondering how you can encourage it to dry quickly and evenly so you can start decorating! Read on for our advice on drying plaster.
How long does plaster take to dry?
First things first, it’s important to wait until the plaster is completely dry before wallpapering or painting on new plaster. If you don’t, the plaster could get damaged. Plus, any paint you apply would likely just peel and flake.
In good conditions, for instance in summer months, plaster will typically dry in around three days. However, it’s safest to leave it for at least two weeks to be safe. If conditions are bad, your plaster could even take up to four weeks to dry!
As your plaster dries, you’ll notice your walls start to develop lighter-coloured patches. You’ll know your plaster is dry once the whole wall is this lighter colour.
Advice on drying plaster
Wondering how you can get your plaster to dry more quickly? Here are some simple steps you can take.
1. 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.
2. Maintain a consistent temperature
You might be wondering if cranking your heating on full can help to dry your plaster, but in reality it’s not a good idea. If the temperature gets too high, the plaster can dry too quickly and crack – especially the areas around your radiators.
Instead, keeping the temperature low, comfortable and consistent will help the plaster to dry evenly. In wintertime, see if you can hire heaters rather than turning on your central heating. You’ll want to ensure that the temperature doesn’t drop below two degrees, but it’s best to keep it at around 15.
3. Ensure the correct humidity
If your room is too humid, your plaster will struggle to dry. However, don’t jump to buy a dehumidifier just yet – if you take out too much humidity, your plaster could dry too quickly and crack.
In an ideal world, it’s best to keep your room at a humidity of around 60% to 70%. If your room is too humid, a dehumidifier can help – just watch out not to overcompensate!
Hire a professional plasterer near you
If you’re yet to plaster your home, why not find a plasterer to complete the job for you? Not only will they be able to plaster your walls to a professional standard, but they’ll also be able to give you advice on drying the plaster that’s bespoke to your home.
Simply pop your postcode into the box below and search approved local plasterers in our online directory.
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