How much does plaster dry on the walls?

It is no secret that for any repair the question of the timing of its implementation is very important. Therefore, when planning should take into account all periods of time that will be spent on the necessary wait between the different stages of work. Performing repairs in the apartment can not do without work on plastering walls. Before proceeding to the next stage of decoration, you need to know how long the plaster on the walls dries. Although there is no such instruction that will give accurate information about the curing time of a particular composition on the surface, it’s still useful to know some general points.

How much the finished wall dries depends on a number of factors, namely:

• Type of base;
• Type of solution;
• Weather;
• The thickness of the applied layer of plaster.

Primary drying

Primary drying is typical for several plaster layers

. In this case, it is extremely important to withstand certain periods between application of the layers.

Base types

How long the plaster will dry depends, first of all, on the type of base.

• The concrete surface must be dry and clean before applying the mixture. It is advisable to work at a temperature of +15 to +25 degrees and a relative humidity of about 75%. Under such conditions, primary drying (up to 2 cm) occurs within the first 24 hours. After this, you can already apply the next layer of plaster, but do not forget that this will increase the drying time of the walls.

• Stucco wooden wall surfaces carried out noticeably faster. This is easily explained by the fact that wood is capable of transmitting a significant amount of air and heat. Drying time of an ordinary layer 2 cm thick. it will take from 12 to 14 hours (This is provided that the air temperature on average is from +15 to +25 degrees, and the humidity is about 75%). At the same time, if you double the application layer, then the surface hardening time will increase by 50%.

• Drywall is an absolutely flat and dry surface. Due to this, the drying of the plaster layer is 2 cm. on such walls will be carried out in just 8-9 hours.

• The solidification time of the mixture on aerated concrete and expanded clay blocks depends directly on the degree of moisture of the material. Dry material allows the application of the next layer after 6 hours, while high humidity slows down the work, because you have to wait a whole day, or maybe two.

• Brick walls have characteristics similar to concrete ones. Therefore, the drying time is similar to concrete surfaces.

Type of solution

An important factor affecting how much the plastered surface will dry is the type of mortar. The most common include the following:

Mortar

Lime mortars are highly plastic. The subsequent layer can be applied after 6-7 hours, and the surface to be trimmed is durable and durable. Using a calcareous compound is an old but proven method. Its popularity in our time can be explained by the low price and ease of operation.

Gypsum plaster

Recently, gypsum plaster has become widespread, which allows saving on heating by creating a good heat-insulating layer. A feature of the gypsum mixture is the minimum time between application of the layers, which is from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Gypsum plaster dries completely five days after applying all layers.

Cement plaster

This type of wall plastering is the most popular, due to its high performance and ease of application. Due to its density and moisture resistance, cement plaster will dry longer, about 2-4 days (depending on the base and thickness of the layer).

Clay-cement mixtures

Especially often, such solutions are used to decorate fireplaces and stoves, because they are able to withstand relatively high temperatures. Norms and terms of drying are similar to indicators at cement plaster.

Weather

Air temperature and humidity directly affect how much the surface will dry. As for humidity, it should not exceed the figure of 70%. The best temperature conditions for wall plastering is considered to be + 18 + 20 degrees. If the thermometer column shows a mark above 30 degrees, then you do not need to start work. Otherwise, the plaster will quickly crack, and possibly completely disappear.

When the thermometer readings are below +7 degrees, you should also not start work on plastering. In this case, the drying process is significantly slowed down.

Layer thickness

It is natural that the drying speed of the plaster directly depends on the thickness of the applied layer. It's no secret that the thicker the layer, the more time it will take to dry. However, do not forget that the maximum allowable thickness of the applied layer should not exceed 5 centimeters. Ideally, it ranges from 1.5 to 5 cm.

Complete drying

The term "complete drying" means the period of time for which the solution used reaches its maximum strength.

• For cement-sand compositions, complete drying does not occur earlier than 4 weeks after applying the last layer.
• Calcareous mixtures are characterized by a hardening period of 7-8 days.
• The gypsum surface dries the fastest. The walls are fully ready for further processing after 4 days.

How to speed up the drying process of plaster

Artificial drying of the plaster is undesirable, as it is fraught with consequences (it can quickly crack). However, there are circumstances when it is necessary to accelerate this process. To do this, you must adhere to a number of rules:

• Try to do wall decoration in the warm season.
• It is important to ensure that dry heat is present in the room. You can resort to the use of electric heaters, but only with extreme caution, cracks can occur on the walls.

• Good air exchange is of great importance, it is important to take care of him.
• The use of hair dryers, hardeners, bright lamps is allowed. But so that there is no need for repeated repairs, you must strictly adhere to the instructions for the solution used.
• Since the gypsum surface dries fastest, preference must be given to just such a material.

Compliance with all necessary standards for drying the treated surface helps to reduce the drying period to 1-2 days.

There is nothing complicated in the process of plastering the walls. The main thing to remember is that the application of the subsequent layer can not be done if the previous ones still have moist areas. Gypsum plaster will achieve the expected result as soon as possible.