Skim coating yourself
As I’ve seen noted in other posts on this forum, skim coating can be incredibly expensive. Has non-contractor out there ever tried to skim coat themselves? Is it doable? What were the results?
As I’ve seen noted in other posts on this forum, skim coating can be incredibly expensive. Has non-contractor out there ever tried to skim coat themselves? Is it doable? What were the results?
If it were just a few dollars, I would happily hire someone to do it. But, I’ve received quotes of anywhere from $20,000-$32,500 to skim coat at 1,400 sq ft apt. Seems insane….Does anyone have an idea what skimcoating should cost?
You will not get hairline cracks after a a few months. If you get cracks, they’ll appear before you’re done painting.
Plaster cracks when it shrinks and when it’s structurally compromised. Shrinkage is about the wrong water-to-plaster ratio and too-thick application. Structurally, you want to make sure you put the plaster on something it will adhere to, and/or create a good mechanical bond.
I would suggest using joint compound (it’s not evil, it’s basically plaster, you can put it over plaster and it will look exactly like plaster) that’s already mixed, and not putting it on too thick. If it’s too thick, it will take forever to dry, and it will crack.
If that happens, sand it and go over it again with more compound.
And I would use something like plaster weld to ensure a good bond.
All I have to say is invest in a contractor, you can do it yourself & it may look good for a few months, then u will begin to notice hairline cracks, leave it to a pro & spend a couple of dollars, if you want me to recommend someone you can email me at caseycrosario@aol.com
As we are considering some DIY skimcoating as well, I have two related questions:
1. Has anyone had luck skimcoating a ceiling? We were planning to tackle our walls but were assuming that our ceilings might be tricky and best left to a professional. Any specific tips for skimming ceilings?
2. If you use a mix of compound and plaster, what brand/type of plaster do you recommend?
About the only successful DIY project I’ve ever done was fixing cracked plaster skim coating a small room. I can’t say I really enjoyed it, but I was surprised at how good it looked when I was done. An experienced friend came over the first day to get me started. I mixed joint compound with plaster. As I got better, I used more plaster and less joint compound. I sanded with a palm sander and ultra fine paper and it came out perfectly. The corner behind the radiator is a bit of a mess, but no one can see it anyway. In a big room or one with high ceilings, it might be harder.
Taping/skimming is one of those things that is either kind of fun/zen or very frustrating, depending on who you are.
I would try a low-stress room like a closet, see how you do, and don’t set any expectations for yourself beyond the closet. That way, if you love it, you’ll be stoked to continue. If you hate it, you won’t feel like you committed to doing your whole house.
I’m not sure of the difference. What I can say is that the method I described in the blog is for doing an entire wall or an entire room.
Common mistakes would be not working quickly enough and laying on too much compound. What you’re shooting for is an even, thin layer. Joint compound is just a fluid dust. It lacks the hardness of lime plaster, which is fine so long as you don’t build it up too thickly as the primer seems to take care of the hardness issue. For the same reason, don’t use compound to repair the wall, such as holes or deep cracks. Use plaster for that. Painting the wall with Plaster-weld before skimming is also a good idea. I learned that one since I wrote that article.
I lent my Magic Trowels (different widths) to a half dozen people without plastering experience and everyone was thrilled with the results.
Thank you both for the comments. Do either of you have thoughts on patch skimming v. attempting to skim entire rooms? Also, are there any common mistakes that I should be aware of in advance?
-Thanks again!
Do it yourself, it’s incredibly fun if you have the time.
I think having that trowel Steve mentions would be great, but I also have found that you can get pretty stellar results from the white plastic 12″ blade that they sell at Home Depot for 95 cents, it has nice flex and resistance, actually better than a metal blade. The trowel in the above post actually appears that it might have struck a balance between the plastic and metal.
You can do this yourself, definitely. You’re probably going to not be great at first so start in the basement or get ready to sand quite a bit. The most important step to get quality results with a skim coat is to avoid premixed compound — take the time to by the bags and mix it yourself. You want to start out with the softer mixes (like the USG Lightweight bags) and work in more lime plaster as you get better, if only for the simple reason that as you start you need a softer plaster to sand mistakes away more quickly.
You will also need to prep some surfaces with Plaster Weld, basically anything that is gloss paint, wood, metal, anything that the plaster won’t adhere to naturally.
Keep in mind that you really can’t mess anything up, you can sand mistakes. As you get better you’ll need less sanding and that will make you happy. Have fun