Replies

1. 
   DaveRicheson | Feb 01, 2006 01:52pm | #1

   Skim coat with plaster or drywall compound?

   If plaster I can't advise you.

   I dw compound, scuff it with a 120 grit screen on a sanding pole, dust it off and apply the mud. You may want to use some dish washing liquid in the joint compound to reduce the amount of air bubbles you get it the skim coat.

   Another possibility is using D-Mix for the skim coat.

   I haven't used D mix yet, but other here swear by it. Do an archive search for it, and you should get a lot of useful information and the formula. I believe it is a drywall joint compound and plaster of paris mix, that has a faster set time and makes a smoother skim coat (with less sanding) than all purpose jc.

    

   Dave

2. 
   DonCanDo | Feb 01, 2006 02:03pm | #2

   Remodeling my kitchen..... the walls are two-tone gloss (dark colors) and full of nail holes, so I want to just skim-coat the whole thing rather than spackle and prime. My intuition tells me I should give the gloss a good scuffing-up before the plaster, but is the scuffing actually necessary?

   Joint compound sticks pretty well so there's a good chance that you wouldn't have any problems skipping that step.  But, is it worth the risk?

   But instead of scuffing all of the walls before the skim coat, I would prime them.  Primer should adhere to the walls and the skim coat will adhere to that.  After the skim coat, prime again.

   Then again, I'm not very good at skim coating, so I would probably be looking at patching nail holes, dings and dents.

   -Don

3. 
   MarkH | Feb 01, 2006 02:30pm | #3

   Wash with TSP before you do anything to get the grease off.

4. 
   csnow | Feb 01, 2006 05:47pm | #4

   Washing with TSP will both scuff the walls, and get the grease off.  You could also use a bonding agent like Weldbond, but that may be overkill.

1. 
   rpholland | Feb 01, 2006 05:54pm | #5

   You don't want to do this job twice, I would take the extra step and use Plasterweld over the paint.  This product is made by Larsen products, I think, read the data on it first.

   Robert

    

5. 
   PaulBinCT | Feb 01, 2006 11:25pm | #6

   Absolutely scuff it... it will remove surface contaminants as well as giving some tooth to the surface.

6. 
   dryhter | Feb 02, 2006 01:32am | #7

   A skim coat will blister , or bubble .Joint compound (JC) more than dura-bond

   Clean it ,skim it , scrape it , skim untill satisfied , scraping between coats (don't sand untill final coat , damp sponge , prime , done .

   Skim first/second  coat with Dura-bond , after that JC .

   GOOD LUCK !

   DAVE

7. 
   omaha | Feb 02, 2006 04:43am | #8

   Scuff sanding is a great first step.  I would apply a product called Gardz sealer with a 3/8" nap roller if the surface is grease free.  Be careful because this product is very thin.  It is clear and will seal the surface for mud.  I would then apply either joint compound or topping.  I find the lightweight compounds are hard to sand and don't finish as well.   Be sure to prime the mud before applying a finish paint.

8. 
   appletlarson | Feb 02, 2006 04:56am | #9

   Why skim coat instead of filling nail holes? Either way youll have to prime before repainting. But if u insist on skimcoating, make sure the surface is clean and use a bonding agent before your compound. Pre mixed lghtweight joint compound is the easiest to work with if u dont have much experience with setting type plasters.

1. 
   Pigsooie | Feb 02, 2006 05:45am | #10

   thanks to everybody for your great information. I think I'm good to go.

   Edited 2/1/2006 9:59 pm ET by Pigsooie

9. 
   andybuildz | Feb 02, 2006 05:50am | #11

   I did a whole buncha walls like that here. I used TSP first but being the paronoid I am I also went over it with "easy sand" then I skim coated all the walls and ceilings.Looks awesome!!

   Oh yeh, one other important thing. I took a real sharp spackle knife and scraped all the walls and celings first to knock off all the noogies and that alone roughed up the walls a bit before I wiped them with TSP and Easy Sand.

   Be wall, I mean well

   a...

   The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!

   When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides, I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.

    

    

   
    

    

1. 
   Pigsooie | Feb 02, 2006 02:09pm | #12

   Right on! THAT'S the upbeat answer I was REALLY looking for! Now I can actually start the proj with a spring in my step. Thanks!

10. 
    Jer | Feb 02, 2006 03:01pm | #13

    You must must always scarify a gloss wall, (or any wall for that matter) before skimming, even if it is with joint compound.  Adhesion is key ('scuse the pun) in plastering.

1. 
   Pigsooie | Feb 03, 2006 01:17am | #14

   Thanks Jer. Will do.