Or, a bare plaster paint that’s specifically developed for new plaster first. To summarise everything previously mentioned and answer the question, can I paint straight onto newly plastered walls? No, you need to either use a mist coat which is diluted general-purpose white matt paint. Summary – Can I Paint Straight Onto New Plaster? You do need to let the plaster dry but bare plaster paint continues to allow the plaster to dry out whereas a mist coat seals the plaster and will rebound any moisture that’s still within the plaster. While I say that, I don’t mean you can apply bare plaster paint to walls that have been plastered the day before. Available from most large paint brands such as Dulux, Crown and Johnstone’s bare plaster paint is easily attainable and they do have some benefits especially for newly plastered walls.ĭeveloped to allow the plaster to breathe they can be applied to newly plastered walls that aren’t fully dried. You will expect to pay around twice as much as what it will cost you to apply a bare plaster paint when compared to mixing your own mist coat. Bare plaster paint is more available and affordable than it used to be a few years ago but expect it still to be a much more expensive option for painting new plaster.
What Is Bare Plaster Paint?īare plaster paint is a specialised paint that’s developed for fresh or new plastered walls to provide a base coat before applying paint. Just use a standard matt paint mixed with 30% water to 70% paint to avoid any issues.
This can cause the mist coat to peel and crack easily. Why shouldn’t you use vinyl or silk emulsion for plaster? These types of paint create a film on the top of the paint and struggle to stick to the plaster. Matt emulsion that’s dark in shade should not be used, not only does it make the paint harder to see when on the wall but also makes covering it a difficult task.Ī general white emulsion should be used but make sure that you don’t mix and apply a vinyl matt mist coat or a silk mist coat to newly plastered walls. Magnolia would be a good substitute if you have some lying about. What Type of Paint Can You Use On Newly Plastered Walls?įor a mist coat, make sure that you use any standard general white matt emulsion, as long as it’s a light colour you should be fine. We all have different working methods but to be safe use a mist coat of 70% paint to 30% water. Not everyone will agree although and that’s okay. Once the paint is mixed and you think that it’s too thick still then you can add more water to the paint. It’s where we often see the best results and has become our most used mist coat ratio. If you asked what the best mist coat ratio then it would be a 70% emulsion to 30% water. There are claims that as low as 50/50 ratio is the best or 4 parts paint and 1 part water makes the best mist coat.īoth can work, not one is the correct answer. You do however need a thin consistency as the name suggests a mist coat should not be thick emulsion but diluted. If you’ve done a quick search before to find the answer then you’ll be quite confused with all the suggestions. You may be wondering what’s the best mist coat ration for new plaster that you should be used when mixing your emulsion matt paint. You first need to seal the newly plastered wall for the best results before applying normal paint. So, to briefly answer the question of can I paint straight onto new plaster? Well, without preparing what we call a mist coat – an undercoat to seal the plaster – or using a bare plaster paint then the answer is no. To complete the perfect base on plaster that’s ready for painting then you need to apply a mist coat or use a specialised bare plaster paint. You need to take time to properly seal the plaster so you can protect the wall and get the final smooth finish that you want. It’s important that you don’t start painting the wall directly with any kind of paint you have but instead take the time to access the plaster and choose the correct paint for new plaster. Painting a newly plastered wall takes a lot more preparation than painting a normal wall. 5 Summary – Can I Paint Straight Onto New Plaster?.3 What Type of Paint Can You Use On Newly Plastered Walls?.