Drytime of stucco
Monday 04 April 2022
You have probably noticed how much material and water has been used to plaster your walls. Of course, that water also has to get out. Although you can understandably sometimes see the stucco dry, it is very important that the stucco dries really gradually. In this article we would like to give you a number of tips, so that your stucco dries just as beautifully and without cracks as the professional left it.
How long should stucco dry?
Stucco consists of plaster and a fair amount of water, sometimes as much as 60% of the whole. The amount of water depends, among other things, on the type of stucco, the composition and the plasterer himself. To give you an idea, if a square meter of plaster of maximum five millimeters is applied, an average of two liters of water is used. With a somewhat larger job of 400 m2, you are talking about no less than 800 liters of water. That's about six bathtubs full of water.
That enormous amount of water has to evaporate from the stucco. Normally 400 m2 of stucco would have dried completely in about one to two weeks. You can assume that stucco dries a millimeter per day. The condition is that there is good air circulation.
How long stucco has to dry depends on the following factors:
The thickness of the stucco layer
The thicker the applied material, the longer it will take to dry. We already indicated that you can assume that stucco dries by a millimeter per day. Once your stucco is the same color all over, it will be dry. This is not yet the case if dark spots are still visible here and there.
The composition of the material
There are different types of stucco, from plaster to spachtelputz. Each species has a different composition. That is why one type of stucco can contain more moisture than another type and therefore naturally also has a longer drying time.
The humidity
The humidity can have a major influence on the drying time of your stucco. Because warm air can absorb more moisture than cold air, stucco dries faster with warm air. At the same time, make sure there is sufficient ventilation and open the windows nicely and if you have to leave or in the evening a crack. Your stucco will only dry properly if there is sufficient air flow and fresh air supply.
The ambient temperature
Although a warm(er) ambient temperature contributes to faster drying of your stucco, it is strongly inadvisable to use a heat canon or set the heating to a high temperature. It is better if you maintain a constant ambient temperature of a maximum of 19 °C to 20 °C. Then there is the least chance of cracking.
Always obtain information about this from the professional, who can of course be booked quickly and easily via Zoofy.
The ventilation
In order to ensure optimal conditions during the drying of the stucco, constant ventilation will have to take place in the relevant room and windows should not be left closed. Again, don't overdo it. If a few windows are wide open, that is enough. That way fresh air can get in. At a certain point, the “old” air is saturated with moisture.
In fact, it is not even recommended to open the windows wide.
Do not force dry stucco
No matter how much you are in a hurry, never try to forcefully shorten the drying time of your stucco. Before you know it, ugly cracks appear in your tight walls or ceilings. Pity about the effort, time and money. So don't rent such a huge construction dryer that can suck up to 100 liters a day to dry your stucco.
Further reducing the risk of tearing
In addition to taking the foregoing into account, the craftsman will usually cut the stucco while still wet into the internal corners to prevent cracking.
Help, there is mold on the stucco
Especially with thick layers of stucco, it is possible that mold will appear during drying. You can easily wipe that off. If the fungus then reappears after a few days, the part in question is not yet dry enough. Sometimes the drying of certain spots can take up to several months. Then you can carefully place a small electric heater (not too close) next to it. View the costs for mold removal here.
The stucco is yellow after drying
Although the plasterer has taken precautions, it is still possible that your stucco dries yellow. This is possible, for example, if there is a certain degree of contamination under the plaster layer. Think of the place where an old fireplace or flue used to be. That's not a disaster. The painter can treat these spots with a special insulating layer, after which you can no longer see them.