It usually takes at least a few days for plaster to dry completely, but it’s recommended to wait at least 1 week to paint newly plastered walls. Fully dry plaster is a light creamy pink color.
If it seems like the paint is peeling because there are too many old coats, sand or scrape off the old paint and repaint the plaster. Paint can also flake off if the plaster wasn’t primed before the coat of paint was applied.
This is most common on exterior walls, bathroom walls, and kitchen walls, but it can happen anywhere. Changes in temperature from day to night and due to air conditioning can also make plaster walls moist.
This also lets you see the plaster below the paint and make sure it is still solid and not flaking off the substrate layers. As long as the top coat of the plaster isn’t loose, you can proceed with paint prep.
Note that if there is any plaster damage below the paint, you must repair it first before you proceed to repaint the area. You can do this by patching it with joint compound or patching plaster.
If you repaired any damaged plaster, make sure to wait at least 3 days and preferably 1 week for it to dry before priming and painting it.
Semi-glossy or glossy paints look nice on plaster if you want to give it a bit of a shine. Try to match the color of the paint to the existing coat. If you can’t, prime the whole wall with a plaster primer and repaint it all with a fresh coat of paint.
For example, if you discover the top coat of the plaster is damaged underneath a section of peeling paint, you can patch the area this way before repainting it. You can also fill in small cracks in your plaster with joint compound or patching plaster. For any large damaged ares, say bigger than 2 ft (0. 61 m) by 2 ft (0. 61 m), it’s best to get professional plaster repair done using traditional methods and matching materials.
The masonry bit won’t go through the wooden lath beneath the plaster, so just back the drill out as soon as you feel it hit wood.
Note that this is intended to help the plaster re-adhere to the lath below and prevent further separation of the plaster when there is a really deep crack. If the crack is just in the top layer of plaster, you can patch it with joint compound or repair plaster.
Wipe off any excess adhesive that oozes out of the holes with a wet sponge. You should see the crack shrink as the screws pull the separating plaster back together. If there is still a small crack after you remove the screws, fill it in with joint compound or repair plaster and prime and paint over it.
Plaster construction gradually went out of style as drywall became more prominent from the 1950s and onward, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great method of building walls! Drywall is used in modern construction because it’s faster and cheaper to use.
