Getting the Best Finish When Painting New Plaster

There's nothing like a freshly plastered room, but a lot of good plastering gets let down at the painting stage. Two things make all the difference: patience, and a mist coat.

First, let the plaster dry fully. New plaster starts dark and patchy and dries to an even, pale colour — wait until it's a uniform light shade all over, including the edges and any deeper patches, before you paint. Depending on the thickness and conditions this can take from a few days to a couple of weeks.

Second, seal it with a mist coat. New plaster is porous, so your first coat should be emulsion watered down (often around 50:50) that soaks in and seals the surface. Skipping this is the number-one reason paint peels off new plaster.

Once the mist coat is dry, you can decorate as normal. If you'd like, we can advise on realistic drying times for your specific job when we finish it.