Is painting wet plaster bad?

[Jake]

Hi All,

We've just had a bedroom plastered (the full floating/wet/browning method on to bare brick). The plasterer finished yesterday and the girlfriend wants to paint it tomorrow. How can I stop her? Apart from hiding all the paint and brushes that is. I need a good argument!

I just asked the plasterer (who's now working on another room) what his argument would be. He said "it could crack". Not really a winner in an argument. I need a really sounds reason not too. Like the moisture will go the other way, in to the bricks, which will then rot and cause damp. Hey, that sounds good!

Jake Howlett

[Set Square]

You can tell when the plaster is dry, when it goes a much paler colour *all over*. If you paint before that - particularly with non-porous emulsion paint - the moisture will blister the paint. Then you'll have a *hell* of a job getting *all* the paint off in order to get a flat surface on which to start again.

Don't go there!

With full plaster - as opposed to skimming over plasterboard - it can take a week or more to dry out this time of year. If you're lucky, you *may* be able to paint it over the weekend of Oct 30/31.

[cmcardle75]

At the least, you must wait for the plaster to change to a much paler colour. With bonding, this may take some time.

Only after this has occurred, use a specialist new plaster paint, such as Dulux Trade Supermatt. Apply the first coat thinned (you can use white for this, as it can do the ceiling and the walls). Then do two coats of the desired colour.

Applying normal Vinyl emulsion a day or two after plastering (including bonding as well!) would be a disaster.

Christian.

[mogga]

Why don't you tell her you'll paint it for her when its all ready to be painted? ;-)

[G&M]

Take her shopping !! If necessary for the paint but say you can't decide on which shade of whatever colour she wants you prefer.

[Mike Clarke]

You mean she actually gives him some choice in the colour ?????

[Huge]

Michelangelo managed OK ...

[Philip Wagstaff]

">>> We've just had a bedroom plastered (the full floating/wet/browning

If you do not give the wall adequate time to dry you may end up with obvious variations in hue and brilliance, even join lines, as you will effectively be mixing two painting styles: fresco - wet and fresco secco - dry. Water soluble paint placed on wet plaster will be absorbed and chemically interact with the plaster producing a highly durable, matt finish. Secco produces are brighter, finish where the paint is more likely to chip and flake.

[G&M]

I assumed not - hence the advice to take her more general shopping first :-)

[Andy Minter]

But Leonardo's 'Last Supper' is in very poor condition. he should have consulted ukdiy

[raden]

In message , Andy Minter writes

Where he'd get

someone replying who'd never tried plastering, but changed a 3 pin plug once and thought it should be relatively easy

3 people asking if Leonardo would work in the Wolverhampton area, and how much they think they should pay him

a couple of experts arguing as to how best to grind Lapis Lazuli

... and several more in a heated debate as whether it would be better to restore it or just scrape it off the wall and start again

[Andrew Gabriel]

and you forgot the someone telling him to fit two combi's...

[raden]

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

Well, (and believe me) I thought about it, but thought better of it

[Owain]

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote | >>But Leonardo's 'Last Supper' is in very poor condition. he should | >>have consulted ukdiy | > Where he'd get | > ... | > and several more in a heated debate as whether it would be better | > to restore it or just scrape it off the wall and start again | and you forgot the someone telling him to fit two combi's...

Nonononono. Leonardos are outdated art now, much better to get two smaller Damian Hirsts. Up to date and have art in two different rooms. Have then on castors and then you can put them together whenever you have a big exhibition in the lounge. And more money from the lottery for Damian Hirsts than there ever was for Leonardo. A win, win, win loadsamoney, situation.

Owain

[Jake]

It looks like this is what actually happened. We used a heater to keep the room warm 24/7 for three days. All appeared kind of dry and we painted. There is now a dull white patch on one external wall. I reckon the walls must have appeared dry on the surface but were in fact still holding moisture further down in the plaster.

What I've learnt - WAIT until the room is completely dry.

Jake