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Skim coat vs. joints & nails only

JonE | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 29, 2004 06:47am

On some jobs I’ve seen only the joints and screws mudded, and the wallboard between them left alone.  The subsequent paint job looks horrible – the unmudded board soaks up the paint, and the mudded areas telegraph through or have a different texture.

Why would you NOT put a skim coat of mud over an entire wall or ceiling surface?  Time, money, difficulty, laziness?  Or is it an end result of the painting process and not the taping job?

Reason I’m asking is, most of my new house will be painted with dark-toned eggshell paints (probably Sherwin-Williams) and I want to make sure it looks good (i.e. consistent).  I am going to be doing most of the taping and drywall work myself, something I have very little experience with.

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  1. MikeSmith | Dec 29, 2004 06:54pm | #1

    it's not a taping problem.. it's a priming problem

    if you want to skim-caot everything... you should switch to skim-coat plaster

    Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
    1. gdavis62 | Dec 29, 2004 10:42pm | #6

      He can't, Mike.  He lives in Vermont.  Blueboard and skimcoat will cost him a fortune.  You're lucky to live in the only little pocket of the entire USA where skimcoat is priced competitively to a good gypboard and mud job.

      Good primers like USGs First Coat or SWs Builders Solution will solve his problem, though.  You be right about that.

  2. DanH | Dec 29, 2004 08:51pm | #2

    Time is money. Using the right primer is a lot cheaper than skim coating.

  3. maverick | Dec 29, 2004 09:08pm | #3

    If you have the time then do it. It does make a difference. Dont expect a contract taper to do it without an upcharge.

    The higher the gloss in the paint the more you will see a difference. Dont kill yourself trying to skimcoat the whole house when no one will see a difference on areas that will not reflect much light

     I've heard of people thinning compound to a paint consistency and rolling it on.

    While you are are at it paint the walls with a brush. It looks better than with a roller. Sometimes I roll then go over it with a wide brush. Its easier than trying to load the paint on the brush.

  4. User avater
    james | Dec 29, 2004 09:09pm | #4

    JON

     

    looks like another job for a leveler / primer ( tuff hide ), gets rid of that photographing.

     

    james

  5. timkline | Dec 29, 2004 10:16pm | #5

    to answer your question, time and money.

    difficulty or laziness  ?  no, we'll do anything, you just have to be willing to pay for it.

    Coating the entire wall with joint compound is what our finishers describe as a Level 5 finish.  Standard tape and finish is a Level 4.

    Skimcoat plaster, as Mike mentioned is fantastic. Unfortunately, it is beyond the skill level of the average Joe.  In his area it is reasonably priced. Here in PA, it is almost double the cost of taping and finishing.

    my house will be painted with dark-toned eggshell paints.

    I am going to be doing most of the taping and drywall work myself, something I have very little experience with.

    These two sentences should never go together.  Would you hire a flat novice to tape and finish your house just because you got a great price ?  Your walls are the most visible part of the home. 

    I've been doing this for 20 years and I wouldn't think of taping my own home.  And definitely not hanging the board either.

     

    carpenter in transition

    1. JonE | Dec 30, 2004 02:28am | #7

      I don't want to try skimcoat plaster - standard drywall and mud will be fine.  As I have read, I guess it's in the primer.

      As for doing it myself - I have done a single room before.  I took my time, read the books, watched the experts, yada yada.  It turned out very well.    I have the time to do it, but not the cash to pay someone to do it.   The money will go toward things I can't or won't do myself, such as roofing, siding and plumbing.

      Unless someone's willing to come up here and do the drywall work for 40 cents a square foot, installed and taped?  I didn't think so.

  6. rasconc | Dec 30, 2004 04:40am | #8

    I had very satisfactory results with pva drywall sealer primer.  There are others out there that some of the other guys like.  When I first tried the PVA you could get it for about $22 for a 5 gal can.  I have heard others happy with mixing mud in with primer. 

    As others said, it's all in the priming.  I have skim coated large areas because of repairing some old plaster.  I would rather prime any day.

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