It is no secret that for any repair, the issue of the timing of its implementation is very important. Therefore, planning should take into account all periods of time that will be spent on the necessary waiting between different stages of work. Carrying out repairs in the apartment can not do without work on wall plastering. Before proceeding to the next stage of finishing, 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 hardening time of a particular composition on the surface, it is still useful to know some general points.
How long a finished wall dries depends on a number of factors, namely:
- base type;
- Solution type;
- Weather;
- The thickness of the applied layer of plaster.
Primary drying
Primary drying is typical for the use of several layers of plaster. In this case, it is extremely important to maintain certain periods between applying layers.
Foundation 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 the mixture is applied. It is desirable to carry out 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 that, you can already apply the next layer of plaster, but do not forget that this will increase the drying time of the walls.
- Plastering wooden wall surfaces carried out much faster. This is easily explained by the fact that the tree is able to pass a significant amount of air and heat. It will take 12 to 14 hours for a normal layer 2 cm thick to dry (This is provided that the air temperature is on average from +15 to +25 degrees, and the air humidity is about 75%). At the same time, if the application layer is doubled, the surface hardening time will increase by 50%.
- Drywall is a completely flat and dry surface. Due to this, the drying of a layer of plaster of 2 cm on such walls will be carried out in just 8-9 hours.
- The hardening time of the mixture on aerated concrete and expanded clay blocks depends directly on the degree of moisture content of the material. Dry material allows the possibility of applying 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.
Mortar type
An important factor affecting how long the plastered surface will dry is the type of mortar. The most common include the following:
Mortar
Lime mortars are characterized by high plasticity. The subsequent layer can be applied after 6-7 hours, and the finished surface is strong and durable. The use of lime composition is an old, but proven method. Its popularity in our time can be explained by its 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 applying layers, which ranges from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Gypsum plaster dries completely in five days after all layers have been applied.
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, approximately 2-4 days (depending on the base and layer thickness).
Clay-cement mixtures
Especially often such solutions are used for finishing fireplaces and stoves, because they are able to withstand relatively high temperatures. The norms and terms of drying are similar to those for cement plaster.
Weather
Air temperature and ambient humidity have a direct impact on how long the surface will dry. As for humidity, it should not exceed 70%. + 18 + 20 degrees is considered the best temperature regime for plastering walls. If the thermometer shows a mark above 30 degrees, then you do not need to start work. Otherwise, the plaster will quickly crack, and possibly disappear altogether.
If the thermometer is below +7 degrees, you should also not start plastering work. In this case, the drying process is significantly slowed down.
Thickness of the applied layer
It is quite natural that the drying rate 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" refers to the period of time during which the mortar used reaches its maximum strength.
- For cement-sand compositions, complete drying occurs no earlier than 4 weeks after applying the last layer.
- Lime mixtures are characterized by a hardening period of 7-8 days.
- The gypsum surface dries the fastest. Full readiness of the walls for further processing occurs after 4 days.
How can I 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 need to follow a number of rules:
- Try to carry out work on finishing the walls in the warm season.
- It is important to ensure that dry heat is present in the room. It is possible to resort to the use of electric heaters, but only with extreme caution, cracks may appear on the walls.
- Good air exchange is of great importance, it is important to take care of it.
- The use of hair dryers, hardeners, bright lamps is allowed. But in order to avoid the need for re-repair, you must strictly adhere to the instructions for the solution used.
- Since the gypsum surface dries the 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 difficult in the process of plastering walls. The main thing to remember is that the next layer cannot be applied if there are still wet areas on the previous one. Gypsum plaster will achieve the expected result in the shortest possible time.
