Can You Use a Dehumidifier to Dry Plaster

Almost every other house chooses to decorate their rooms with plaster to make them modern and royal as dehumidifiers are popular for their ability to dry up everything quickly. A lot of people wrongly use a dehumidifier to dry up plaster faster. 

Although it helps to dry plaster, it is wrong to use because it can cause severe damages to it. You can see some of them in the short term and some in the long term, but a dehumidifier can destroy it, wasting your money and effort. 

Here is a detailed analysis to make you aware of why you should never use a dehumidifier to dry up your fresh plater walls or roofs quickly. 

Why not use a dehumidifier to dry plaster? 

Following are the reasons to let the readers know about the damages of drying the plater by using a dehumidifier. 

  1. Cracks 

The bad effect would be a crack in both its interior and exterior sides. You might see them eventually after one day or a week. Sometimes it takes time to show up because they are internal and take a little time to develop towards the exterior side. 

Cracking will give it an untidy look, and your efforts would be in vain. Plasters are for decoration, and so it is important that they should be without any cracks. 

You might think that it is because of the low quality or bad finishing by the worker, but the reason can be a dehumidifier. So, make sure to avoid it so that you can save your money from wastage. 

  1. Dry out 

If plaster dries out in its making, it can be very dangerous to apply as it will also result in cracks in a short time. It is due to the inappropriate humidity level at the site. Some people treat it with a dehumidifier which is wrong as it can cause damage to your material. 

You should check the humidity by using a hygrometer, and if it is not optimum, then you should try out increasing the ventilation or other natural process. Never use a dehumidifier as it is more damaging than drying out to the plaster. 

  1. Loss of shape

It also loses its shape over time. The cracks are the first damage, and they don’t stop at one time but keep on increasing. Due to their increase, the shape is lost, and you see your money and passion wasted in it. 

Platers are usually one of the most strong materials and they are very unlikely to use shape. The pyramids have a lot of plaster, and they are still in very good shape. All this needs a little care at the start of its application, but if you are not careful, then you would lose its purpose of beauty and decoration. 

  1. Loss of color 

The plater can also lose its color by absorbing water in its cracks. The discoloring looks very unpleasant, and you have to repaint it, but even doing that would not fill up the cracks. This damage would go in the cycle in this way. 

So, to avoid the chaos of repainting and getting the discoloring again, you should not switch on your dehumidifier when it is fresh. 

  1. Break

The most dangerous and threatening consequence is that the plaster might break and fall over your head. It is heavy in weight and can cause severe injuries depending upon the conditions in which it falls. 

Over time due to growing cracks and loss of shape, it loses its adhesive ability and separates from your walls or roofs, which results in falling. There have been very severe cases, and we care that you don’t end up in any of such cases. So, be careful at the start of its application to avoid any chaotic experience.

When to use a dehumidifier after your room is plastered?

If you live in a damp area, then you need the dehumidifier as soon as possible to breathe healthy air and sleep better. Still, it would help if you did not hurry in doing it.

The best time to use the dehumidifier is when the plaster is completely dry and fixed. You can check it by feeling it with your hand or seeing that how much the color is light as the dark patches get lighter with drying. Before that, never turn on the operation. You must be patient at the start to get the best results. 

Best way to dry plaster

The best way to dry plaster is to keep the process natural. It would help if you left it by ventilating the rooms well by opening your windows and doors. We suggest you apply it in the summers as it will dry out faster. 

In winters, plaster takes a long time of fourteen to twenty-one days to dry up completely. This makes the users patient for many days, and it is hard to wait because everyone wants to start the decoration process as early as possible. 

Can you sleep in a freshly plastered room? 

Yes, you can sleep in a freshly plastered room because it doesn’t have any harmful elements that can cause any bad effects. Still, the best is to wait for at least four to five hours before you get to your bed in the same room. 

The other advantage of waiting for a little is that it gets a little stronger in this short time, and you don’t fear its breakage or falling over your head. 

Can you paint the fresh plaster? 

It would help if you waited for the complete drying before you intended to paint the plaster. If you paint it immediately, the color will not catch the true shade, and it is dangerous for the plaster too. It can cause cracks in the future, so to avoid any such hazardous situation, you should be patient in painting your plater with your favorite colors. 

Main functions of Dehumidifier 

Following are the main functions of a dehumidifier. 

It is important that you should know these, so you don’t use them out of your guess for other purposes such as drying the fresh plaster in your house. 

  1. Controls humidity

The first and foremost purpose of the dehumidifier is that it is supposed to control the humidity by extracting the extra moisture through its operation. 

  1. Prevents mold

The extra water can result in a mold that can destroy your walls and furniture and make you unhealthy. A dehumidifier prevents it. So you should install the dehumidifier in your plastered room also after drying so it can be saved from mold too. 

  1. Eliminates bad odor

Another problem that accompanies extra water in the air is the bad odor which makes the atmosphere of your house very uncomfortable. The dehumidifier eliminates it completely and makes the atmosphere very pleasant. 

  1. Improves air quality 

The dehumidifier improves air quality up to 99% and makes the conditions for microbes, germs, and infectious insects unfavorable. So, you can breathe in better and healthy air without the fear of getting any allergies. 

It is an electric appliance, and you should use it according to its manual carefully and know its main purposes. 

Conclusion 

It would help if you did not use a dehumidifier as a catalyst to dry up plaster, as it can do a lot of damages. You can end up losing the painted color and shape. In some cases, it breaks when the cracks get severe. So, to avoid any loss, you should wait for the plaster to dry up completely. Follow the instructions given above to get the best results. 

All you have to do is be patient at the start and let your plaster dry naturally. Once it is done, nothing is going to affect it due to its strong adhesive force. 

FAQs

Can we use the dehumidifier at low fan speed to dry the plaster? 

No, you cannot use the dehumidifier at a low because the dehumidifier at any fan speed is harmful to the fresh plaster. We recommend you turn the operation off until it completely dries out. Never take the risk before as it can destroy the plaster, and you can end up losing all your expense on it. 

Is there any specific dehumidifier for drying plaster? 

A dehumidifier is for controlling the extra moisture. However, it has other advantages such as preventing mold, improving air quality, and eliminating bad odor, which might confuse you that it is good for drying up your fresh plaster. 

A dehumidifier can damage it while drying, and there is no specific unit for it. The best way is to let it dry up naturally in normal air and room temperature. 

Can I operate the dehumidifier after the plaster is completely dried?

Yes, you should not fear using the dehumidifier once the plaster has dried completely. It is not harmful to it anymore. Once it is fixed, it is very strong that operating the dehumidifier will not affect it in any way. 

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