Skim Coating Sheetrock - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

LNG24 · 01-23-2007, 10:10 PM

I have a job coming up where the customer has removed wall paper. Its a large area. The entire Foyer, hall, Stairway and upstairs hall in a Center Hall Colonial. Looks like I will need to skim coat the entire area to repair the walls.

What is the best way to do this? I have a 12" knife, but it seems like I should use something much larger for skim coating, but can't seem to find a larger knife.

Greg Di · 01-23-2007, 11:11 PM

Roll on the compound with paint roller then smooth it with the biggest knife you can get.

Thin your compound a wee bit and dunk the roller in the bucket. It's pretty simple, however skimming is time consuming at best.

daworz · 01-24-2007, 06:12 PM

I just finished a room 12x15 and had too remove three layers of wallpaper. It took me 4 days and i used a 12" knife and had to do some light sanding, I think a roller would make it very inconsiste(sp) and would alot more sanding? But either way there will be some sanding, I just like the feel of a knife?

Ted W · 01-29-2007, 10:22 AM

I usually do a 3' squares at a time, helps keep it manageable. Besides watering the mud down, I add a little dish soap (1 tbsp/gal) to help it flow smoothly. I also bend my 12" knife slighty and use only the convex side, which helps the sweeps blend together.

A guy I sometimes work with prefers to do 12" wide strips about every 10" apart, then go back and repeat the process between the strips. He also waters down the mud and adds dish soap.

Frankawitz · 02-01-2007, 08:00 AM

Check out All Wall they should have 18" knifes I use 14" also, being your dealing with painted surfaces I would sand out with polesander then basecoat with Durabond 90 then skim coat with topping it will make it allot easyer to sand out.

BlenderWizard · 02-01-2007, 08:06 AM

do 12" segments vertically approximately 11" apart. This will look like stripes. Then, after those dry, go back and skim (I call it floating) the 11" voids to fill in between the stripes. Then, after that dries, go back and sand.

BlenderWizard · 02-01-2007, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted W

I usually do a 3' squares at a time, helps keep it manageable. Besides watering the mud down, I add a little dish soap (1 tbsp/gal) to help it flow smoothly. I also bend my 12" knife slighty and use only the convex side, which helps the sweeps blend together.

A guy I sometimes work with prefers to do 12" wide strips about every 10" apart, then go back and repeat the process between the strips. He also waters down the mud and adds dish soap.

Holy crap, dude... hehe. I didn't even read your post before I wrote my previous one.

Ted's guy has the right idea.

tom m · 02-01-2007, 08:58 AM

Guys Ive done this from time to time only on small projects and have had mixed results. I only spackle on occasion and have gotten pretty decent at it. I dont know all the techniques or applications. I have 2 questions. Who uses 90 min setting compounds and is there a downside in durability? Skim coating over wallpaper glue has activated sometimes on me and other times not at all. WHY? Was it product used or technique or humidity?

Danahy · 02-01-2007, 10:04 AM

Put a coat or two of Cover Stain first, before your skim coats... This'll make the skim a whole lot easier after that...

There are many reasons for using Cover Stain here, ask if you'd like.

BlenderWizard · 02-01-2007, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom m

Guys Ive done this from time to time only on small projects and have had mixed results. I only spackle on occasion and have gotten pretty decent at it. I dont know all the techniques or applications. I have 2 questions. Who uses 90 min setting compounds and is there a downside in durability? Skim coating over wallpaper glue has activated sometimes on me and other times not at all. WHY? Was it product used or technique or humidity?

As far as durability of quickset... typically I have found that it is harder and stronger than regular all-purpose mud.

Frankawitz · 02-02-2007, 06:36 AM

any time you skim over wallpaper you have the problem of the moistrue from the mud will cause the glue to lift or if the glue has failed and lost it's bond to the wall surface. The thing I have never understood was why would someone cover wallpaper up I have always stripped it with no problems of tearing up the walls. The only problem with wallpaper is if someone uses sizing on the walls then you have problems. I always use Durabond 20,45,90 in the brown bags cause that way I can mix up a bag at a time and cover more area. also with this stuuf it's harder then plaster and will hold moistrue off, where as your ready mix and easy sand is to soft and if it gets wet well forget about it.

**AtlanticWBConst** · 02-03-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankawitz

any time you skim over wallpaper you have the problem of the moistrue from the mud will cause the glue to lift or if the glue has failed and lost it's bond to the wall surface. The thing I have never understood was why would someone cover wallpaper up I have always stripped it with no problems of tearing up the walls. The only problem with wallpaper is if someone uses sizing on the walls then you have problems. I always use Durabond 20,45,90 in the brown bags cause that way I can mix up a bag at a time and cover more area. also with this stuuf it's harder then plaster and will hold moistrue off, where as your ready mix and easy sand is to soft and if it gets wet well forget about it.

As this post shows, there are problems with walls that had wallpaper previously on them. We have run into the same problems over the years....
ALL wallpaper and it's connected residues need to be COMPLETELY removed or there will be problems.

As far as the skim coating: We like to use Durabond for the first 2 skim coats. It's easier to scrape any ridges down between coats. We use light weight watered down redimix compound for the 3rd coat. Last, after the final sanding, we do a compound 'touch-up'. It's that last touch up that really brings it all together.We have been doing it this way for 22 years with great results.

LNG24 · 02-03-2007, 09:05 PM

Thanks all: I can't wait (not) for this project to begin.

RockStar · 02-06-2007, 06:35 PM

Depending on how bad it is, take a small area using USG's Plus3, put the mud on and off going up and down. Once that dries do the same thing side to side. The trick is to put the mud on and wipe it all back off. You will really be leaving a small amount on and filling in the problem areas. Plus you can always do it a few more times in the bad spots because it dries right away.
You'll save yourself a lot of time and endless sanding.

Not being an experienced finisher, Durabond and Easysand are like concrete to sand. Plus-3 comes off like butter.

The one thing finishers learn early: It's easier to take it off wet than dry.
Good luck: Bill

mtp · 02-06-2007, 06:45 PM

There is a product on the market called "Guards"roll it on and try using a pool trowel to lay the mud on

eastonsmith · 02-12-2007, 12:35 AM

try spraying a base coat on the walls as if it were a first coat of a double knockdown, then go behind it with a powersander with a vac. hookup (so you dont just blow dust in the house) When you get done with that just shine a light to it and do a quick bump out to it. Then it should be smooth as glass.

Union1 · 02-12-2007, 11:03 AM

First strip all wallpaper and glue, second seal with a coat of oil based sealer, next coat entire wall as Greg mentioned with thinned mud and a roller setup, I like 3/4 lambswool nap, I call this the Sloshing method. For wipeing down get a drywall sqeegie(sp), two light coats and a sponge snad and it should be a Level 5 finish. Good luck

Ted W · 02-12-2007, 01:41 PM

It just dawned on me there was no mention of the drywall surface being damaged. Anyplace where the topmost layer of paper on the drywall has been pulled off will bubble up if not sealed first. This happened extensively on one job I did (I don't think they sized the walls before wallpapering), so I sealed the entire wall with Kilz first. Other time there is innevetibly a few spots where the drywall surface tore away. In that case I spot prime those, uhh... spots.

Did you start the project yet?

1KingOfDrywall · 02-27-2007, 09:58 AM

1)wet down some 20-45 minute durabond and apply it with a paint roller. This makes for a great tack coat. 2)Give it a light sand or scrape when its dry 3)Than,apply a skim coat by hand with some 90 minute. Pull it kinga tight. Ignore the lines you 10inch knife is makng for now. Keep them formal and consistent.Like seams without tape. Now when its dry,4)scrape the lines in 1 long stroke per line and touch up using "wipe on-wipe off" PULL IT TIGHT.5) NOW do a light sand on all of it and pull skim tight with plus 3. It should look like glass. when that dries......hand sand with a sponge and tough up. WOOLAW!