ᐅ Is the masonry too damp for interior plaster?

Hello everyone,

First of all, happy New Year to you all!

We are building with a construction company that is handling several trades for us, including the structural shell, plumbing, heating, interior plaster, and exterior render.

The work is currently in full progress and so far everything has been to our complete satisfaction.

However, the interior plaster is scheduled for January 15, 2014, and unfortunately, the walls are still quite damp. I am concerned whether this is acceptable and worried about potential mold problems later on.

The moisture meter beeps with every measurement— is this normal for a new build? Or should I arrange a dehumidifier at short notice?

Upstairs it looks better, with readings between 13% and 23%. The concrete ceiling was measured at about 23%.

The roof beams and the Pavatex boards on top show about 17% moisture. The cavity insulation between the rafters (which will be cellulose) has not yet been installed. I will install the vapor retarder (Intello Plus) before the interior plaster, but the insulation is planned to be blown in only after the screed has dried and the majority of the moisture is out.

The interior plaster planned is a lime-cement plaster.

What do you think of these values? After extensive research here in the forum and on Google, I am still not much wiser.

Best regards from the Odenwald

Dominik

Here is the image showing the measurements. Unfortunately, it is not drying at all in the current weather conditions.

What are your thoughts on this?

An expert once told me that if houses are built during the cold season, problems may arise afterward because they do not dry properly.

Are the windows not installed yet?

If the windows are installed, using a construction dryer would definitely make sense.

The windows are already installed. I know it is important for everything to dry properly, but the question is whether it needs to be completely dry before applying the interior plaster. A lot of water will enter the house during that process.

I also didn’t find anything about this in my technical datasheets, but it’s not entirely my area of expertise. However, when we plastered a wall, it was wetted beforehand to help the plaster adhere better.

As you already mentioned, the plaster is quite moist, and due to the thickness of the layer, there is a significant amount of moisture present.

Lime-cement plaster has a certain alkalinity, which prevents mold growth. One thing I can say for sure is that the surfaces need to be dry before painting.

Oh, and regarding the wood, an initial moisture content of up to 18% is acceptable. Afterwards, the value inside should be between 10-12%.