Waiting to Paint

"I'm having a house built. Is there a recommending time to wait before painting? I've been hearing that one should wait for a period of time for nail popping to have occurred before painting, is this true?"

I have heard the about the idea of waiting to paint for 90 days after the drywall/plaster has been finished but have never seen any major problems occur with not waiting. Technically, as long as the surfaces are made ready by the previous trade (workers) and is fully cured or dry it is ready for painting.

The idea with nail popping has more to do with settling of the homes framing. This process takes time and is the result of the weight of the roof, exterior siding or stucco and the drywall on your homes wood framing. Plus the wood will dry out and shrink a little during the first year.

Normally the interior painting takes place when the drywall/plaster contractor is finished and given the O.K. to proceed. After painting other trades will have access to your home. This schedule allows the home to be built quickly. Waiting to paint will only slow down your homes construction.

The only time that waiting to paint is necessary is when painting stucco. This type of exterior finish must cure for 30-45 days before any priming and painting can take place.