Painting New Plaster

lilyann1 · 1 June 2007 at 8:09AM

We have just had our hall stairs landing plastered.We originally wanted it skimmed but the plasterer who has done it for us,did pva bond first then 3 coats of plaster.He has told us to leave it dry for 2 weeks then paint it in cheap white emulsion first before we paint it its colour.
Two friends who have had their houses plastered said oh no you have to seal it first with a watered down pva solution or it may bobble????
Any real advice welcome please ???

Dave_Brooker · 1 June 2007 at 9:58AM

lilyann1 wrote: »

We have just had our hall stairs landing plastered.We originally wanted it skimmed but the plasterer who has done it for us,did pva bond first then 3 coats of plaster.He has told us to leave it dry for 2 weeks then paint it in cheap white emulsion first before we paint it its colour.
Two friends who have had their houses plastered said oh no you have to seal it first with a watered down pva solution or it may bobble????
Any real advice welcome please ???

Why ignore the advice of the plasterer?

Always best to take advice from professionals rather than rank amatuers...

ChasingButterflies · 1 June 2007 at 10:03AM

Our plasterer told us to paint with watered down paint too... I have done with no problems!

Happy painting!

Debt_Free_Chick · 1 June 2007 at 10:34AM

It's an old argument that comes up regularly and you'll find those that swear by using PVA bond onto bare plaster and those that swear against it.

Some advice from the DIY Doctor - lots more from Google if you search for new plaster PVA

I'm not so confident that 2 weeks is long enough though, especially as you have three coats of plaster :eek: I'd leave it as long as I possibly could.

All the PVA does is to "seal" the plaster - but a coat or two of diluted emulsion will do the same job - your choice. Having had a new extension completed in September, I just used diluted cheap emulsion. Be warned though, you can literally see the plaster sucking the first coat in! But this is what you want.

Also remember that the plaster will continue to dry out for months and you'll get some cracking in the corners and where the ceiling joins the wall. Then, you'll either have to patch this up - or simply leave the final decoration for 12 months

mpython · 1 June 2007 at 10:55AM

Quite a lot of companies sell products for sealing plaster.

http://www.polycell.co.uk/products/polycell_basecoat.html

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=32372&ts=91651#

I would recommend letting the plaster dry properly first though. You will see it go through various shades before its dried thoroughly.

olly300 · 1 June 2007 at 11:02AM

Take the advice of the plasterer. They would have gone to college to learn that skill so they know what they are talking about.

weekendwarrior · 1 June 2007 at 11:35AM

Don't use PVA!!!!

PVA is not designed to be used as a primer for painting, just like it should not be used as a tiling primer in wet areas.

See here-

Painting new plaster

PVA and tiling

Debt_Free_Chick · 1 June 2007 at 11:41AM

olly300 wrote: »

Take the advice of the plasterer. They would have gone to college to learn that skill so they know what they are talking about.

Then Google and see how many plasterers and decorators disagree with using PVA

I wonder what was done before PVA was invented/available :rolleyes:

Alisonsvilla · 1 June 2007 at 11:45AM

I had my living room re plastered 4 weeks ago.
I have had a painter round and she said there is a new paint out that can go straight onto the walls-so that is what I am having done next week.

I am only having the walls white-I am happy with that and the walls are dry now.

Avoriaz · 1 June 2007 at 1:47PM

Where is Nelly when you need him?

Nelly, get your a$$ over here.

misgrace · 1 June 2007 at 2:06PM

lilyann1 wrote: »

We have just had our hall stairs landing plastered.We originally wanted it skimmed but the plasterer who has done it for us,did pva bond first then 3 coats of plaster.He has told us to leave it dry for 2 weeks then paint it in cheap white emulsion first before we paint it its colour.
Two friends who have had their houses plastered said oh no you have to seal it first with a watered down pva solution or it may bobble????
Any real advice welcome please ???

I would leave it longer than 2 weeks, as he did a bonding plaster first, I presume it was back to the brick, then on top he did another two coats.
The thing is the whole paster from inside out can take months to dry out, hence you show never use PVA on top of new plaster.
This will seal the moisture and not allow the plaster to breath, the plaster must be allowed to breathe and dry in its own time.

Never ever use silk paint in this case, and never use Vinynl matt, get ordinary super matt, you dont even have to buy these paint that you can put on wet plaster, personally I would never use them, I am a professional P&D been in the game over 25 years, and no matter what products they bring out I am still wary.
I stick to the tried and tested method, and its never let me down yet.

The onus is on you, a lot op have said used watered down emulsion as your miscoat/sealing coat, and the is by far the way to go.

You have a lot of plaster there, and I would still wait longer, but I am not a plastererer, Nelly the plasterer on here will guide you as he definately knows his stuff, and he will give you the right advice.

Painting New Plaster

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