ᐅ Priming and Painting Drywall Before Installing the Screed

Good morning everyone,

Since last August, I have been renovating a house that was unoccupied for 10 years to bring it up to modern standards. I had already started filling the joints of the suspended ceiling made of drywall panels and planned to paint it, until someone told me that the panels shouldn’t even be installed yet because the screed has not been laid.

My questions are: does it make sense to prime and paint the ceiling beforehand? I would prefer not to spend too much time on other tasks. Does the primer and paint even protect the filler from rising moisture?

Answer:
After installing a screed, ventilation should be avoided for a few days (depending on the binder used) to prevent premature moisture loss, which can negatively affect the screed’s strength. During this drying phase, it is quite common for the water evaporating from the screed to run down the window panes.
Ceiling elements, for example those based on gypsum fiber, generally are not exposed to moisture except in bathrooms. Therefore, they are not “waterproof” and can warp when exposed to high humidity.
For this reason, it is advisable to allow the screed to dry completely before installing the ceiling elements.
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Regards: KlaRa

My predecessor is absolutely right. Plasterboard was installed on the ceiling before the screed was applied, resulting in some boards having to be replaced afterward because they were damaged by the moisture from the screed.