Why You Should Consider Skimming Interior and Exterior Walls

Why You Should Consider Skimming Interior and Exterior Walls

After plastering to the naked eye the wall looks relatively smooth but to touch one can feel the roughness that is left behind. There is a way to make the wall look smooth and even smoother to touch, skimming. Modern construction has just become so much better! Did you know that skimming the walls could actually save on how much paint you have to use to get that beautiful smooth finish? Now you know!

Skimming for a long time was used to smooth out uneven, textured, or abused walls.

What is Skim Coating?

Painting rooms in your home is already an expensive process and most homeowners are already aware that primer is necessary before the paint can be applied. Skim coating is another step that needs to be completed even before primer is applied.

The goal of this process is to remove any unwanted lumps, bumps or generally uneven surfaces from the wall before a nice layer of new paint is added. The seams between walls and mouldings are also neatened up by skim coating. Even brand-new drywall benefits from skim coating to remove any seams between each sheet or potentially rough edges.

A mixture known as Sogo or Gypsum powder is spread in a very thin layer over any problem areas and is then sanded to a perfectly flat surface. This step requires skill for it to be beneficial. It can turn into a big mess for people who try to do the work themselves.

Plastering Equipment Needed to Skim a Wall

This method can show you how to skim a wall the easier way and the tools you will need are as follows:

  • Drywall compound (gypsum or Sogo)
  • Primer
  • Paint roller and roller sleeve
  • Mud pan
  • Squeegee knife
  • Taping knife and masking tape
  • Paintbrush
  • Sanding pole and sandpaper
  • Safety glasses (the last thing you want is mud or dust in your eye.)

Overall, skim coating is critical to having perfect walls. Primer and paint can’t fix dented or slightly warped drywall. By skipping this step when it has been recommended to you by a professional, there is a chance that you will notice imperfections in your walls that you thought paint would be enough to cover. Take your lighting and the layout of windows into consideration as well, since the way light hits your walls is a major advantage of skim coating. It is a small price to pay when the end results are so much more dynamic and satisfying to the eye.

Compare listings

Compare