Plaster still damp - what to do?

LindseyM

Hey,

We've not long moved into our new house :j and have just had the dining room skimmed (all walls and ceiling). It was done last thurs/fri and all the walls are dry except for one patch on the wall adjacent to the outside wall. Excuse the crappy paint drawing, but best way I could explain it really:

Any ideas on how to sort this? I'm trying to paint it ready for everyone coming for xmas dinner, but have just left this patch for now :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance
Lindsey

Edited to add: The room is quite cold because the radiator is off the wall while we paint, so would bringing an electric heater in help? Or a dehumidifier? (Just saw another post on them which gave me the idea) - I've got a feeling this is going to be something major, but I need a quick fix till after the 25th!

~Chameleon~

When you say you're painting the walls, I take it you're doing a fine mist coat as your base coat and building up from there? You probably know this anyway but just to make sure you should be using matt on a newly plastered wall, not vinyl. If it's just one small patch that's still not completely dry then I'd just carry on and paint over it, or at least just a couple of initial coats so it won't stand out like a sore thumb over xmas, then finish it off afterwards.

LindseyM

Hi and thanks for your quick reply

Yep, doing the base coat with matt. So, I'll just paint over it then and see what happens? I was just worried that painting over it might stop it from drying out properly?

Thanks again :beer:

p.s. the patch is about 1.5' x 1.5', is that small....?

~Chameleon~

If you just do a single diluted mist coat for now it won't stop it from drying out properly. Leave the other coats until you're sure it is properly dry otherwise it could blister the paint.

I guess it all depends what colour your top coat is as it might look worse having a patch of white paint showing rather than leave it as bare plaster for now :rotfl:

jorichste

I'm fairly sure that plaster takes a couple of weeks to dry properly, don't panic!!

BB1984

It might just be because the plasterer made the skim a bit thicker in that spot - to even out the wall or something.

Don't use a dehumidifier!! Forcing the moisture out of plaster can cause it to crack/weaken. An electric heater on low might do the trick, but don't blast it directly at the spot. My new plaster took weeks to dry out in our new house, as we didn't have any heating. Once the CH was connected, it dried out pronto.

If I were you I'd put a heater in the room, see if that works. If not, personally I wouldn't paint it....although it might be fine. As it's low down on the wall, is it that noticeable? I'd be tempted to leave it to dry out properly, not rush the job in time for xmas. Can you put something (inflatable reindeer?! ) in front of it....?!

BB

andrew-b

It's too soon really to be painting the fresh plaster. For a skim coat of plaster you may need to wait at least a couple of weeks for it to dry fully..for new plaster that isn't just a skim so much deeper it may take months. When you paint it use watered down paint for at least the first coat. I may as well say it before someone goes suggesting it ...but don't seal the wall with PVA first (hi BB ). The plaster needs time to dry naturally..speeding it up too much may cause it craze/crack. Don't rush it just for the sake of Christmas ..i'm sure your guests won't mind unpainted walls and aren't just coming to see your walls - think yourself lucky you have some walls to plaster and paint!
I'm sure you can improvise and make it look nicer with strategically placed christmas decorations! Provide enough drinks and they won't be able to focus on the walls to notice!! If you saw the state of our house at the moment you would be surprised to believe we have the slightest intention of hosting christmas this year!

Andy

vansboy

Best to leave ALL of it, bit late now, but certainly the area which is obviously still damp, needs to dry as naturally as possible.

Can you just stand something in front of this area, for now?

VB

jockster211

Hi Lindsey

I'd suggest a heater onlow heat. At this time of year cold air is 'moist' so plaster, paint, everything takes a little longer to dry out. Are you sure its 'wet' as sometimes plaster can dry out in different shadesOr as a previous poster said the skim may be a little thickerin that area.

The drying time depends how thick your skim was. If it was to cover slightly uneven walls then probably dry in 3 days or so (even with the heating off), if you were covering deeper artex then it could take over a week and lastly walls stripped back to brick or block & plastered new, can take over 3 weeks to dry out completely.

Id try a mist coat (4 parts matt emulsion paint to 1 water, and should be used on all new plaster) if it takes & seems to go on OK the overpaint.

Just in time for Xmas!

Jockster

misgrace

TBH Lindsey, i wouldnt go too mad with the coats of paint at the moment,or even finish it with a top coat, you could always stick a plant or somethere to hide the wet bit.:D

Wiat till your central heating as been for a couple of weeks, this will show any hairline cracks the might appear.

The problem with plastering in these weather conditions is, even though its better to let the plaster to dry naturally, or even with a low rad heat, as soon as you turn your central heating up to the normal temp, this can cause the plaster to crack,you cant odds it, I dont know why this happens, but its happened a hell of a lot of times in the new plastered walls I have painted over the years.