We are building a new home and the interior finish is skim coat plaster over blueboard. We have heard inconsistent advice on how and when to prime and paint the plaster and would appreciate some help in separating out fact from fiction.

The first area of uncertainty is how long the plaster should sit on the walls before priming. We have heard times varying from "it is ready immediately" to "you must wait 2-3 weeks." In our past experience, we've waited somewhere around 3-7 days and have had no problems, but this was largely determined by our scheduile at the time - not a conscious effort.

Second area of uncertainty is sanding prior to priming. Some say it is essential, some say it is a mistake to do it at all.

There is a lot of noise surrounding the nature of the first primer to go on the walls. Any clarification on those issues would also be helpful.

Thank You,

Steve

 

My advice is that 2-3 days is plenty of time to wait before priming. Also don't sand it again after the final polish coat has been applied. That only weakens the surface