For a home or a room within a home that is undergoing remodeling or a related home improvement project, you may find many imperfections on your walls. All rooms will have these imperfections on their walls and even the ceilings. Most of us just don’t notice it because of a beneficial technique called “Skim Coating.” Skim coating is a common method used to hide uneven walls or divots by painters. L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. will share how this technique is done in the event you find you may need to use this basic but essential skill to make your home look perfect.

Seal Walls with a Primer

All painters, when they need to skim coat a wall or ceiling, first start by sealing the walls with a primer. Often there may be cracks or even loose paper on the drywall or wallpaper. The primer will help seal and smooth out the wall’s surface. Additionally, the primer will also help preserve the drywall in the event any moisture or mild water damage has occurred. The primer will stop mold and mildew from developing and seal over the water stain. Some may feel like priming the wall is not important and often this step gets skipped. Never skip using a primer, especially when you are skim coating the walls. The primer is easily applied; just like a regular coat of paint you can use a roller to apply the primer on the wall.

Apply Skim coat to Drywall         

The next step is to apply the skim coat. Skim coat uses an all-purpose joint compound also known as mud. The all-purpose compound comes in a powder with which you add water to create the mud like paste. When mixing the all-purpose compound you want to add the water slowly and mix it well before adding more water. You will want to continue to add enough water until the compound is about the same consistency of mayonnaise. Once your compound has been mixed together you will want to use a roller and painter’s tray to spread or apply the all-purpose joint compound on the walls or ceilings. Note: if the mixture becomes too watered down add more powder to the mixture or add additional water to the mixture if it begins to dry out. The mixture will not spread correctly if it is too dry or too wet.  While the compound is still wet, use a squeegee trowel or a larger putty knife with a rubber edge and lightly scrape the walls to smooth the compound out. Use a damp cloth to occasionally wipe your putty knife or squeegee clean. When you begin to smooth out the compound, start at the top of the wall and go all the way to the bottom of the floor and work your way across the wall. Once you’ve gone from top to bottom repeat this same process, but instead go from side to side as you work your way down the wall. After you have finished going over the wall a second time with the putty knife or squeegee, let the wall completely dry. Once the all-purpose joint compound is dry, use high grain sandpaper on the high edges or imperfections. This helps smooth the wall. You can now begin painting or wallpapering your smooth and prefect wall and/or ceiling.

Interior & Exterior Painting & More in Amagansett, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Montauk, North Haven, North Sea, Noyack, Shelter Island, Sag Harbor, Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, Springs, Water Mill, Westhampton & Westhampton Beach, New York

L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. often uses skim coating to improve damage to uneven walls. Skim coating is used more often than most people realize. You will find this is a valuable technique when remodeling or repairing your walls and ceiling surfaces. If you need help with your home’s remodeling or painting projects, L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. can help. Contact us today.