# Skim coat?



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Need more information. What are you mudding? Is this new drywall and tape or an existing room that had wallpaper, paneling or needed repairs of some kind?


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## CNM Design (May 5, 2009)

New bathroom. New drywall. Room is 5'x8' x 7' tall. All mudding is in the corners and nail holes.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

Coat the seams, inside and outside corners and the nails (screws). No need to skim coat the entire wall/ceiling areas.

Examples:


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## CNM Design (May 5, 2009)

Thanks

I know there is no need. But, do you think it will turn out better if I did a good job?


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

CNM Design said:


> Thanks
> 
> I know there is no need. But, do you think it will turn out better if I did a good job?


There is no need to. Skim coating is an art. It took me over 1 year of full time drywalling to learn how to do it properly.

The only time we do it, is if we are trying to smooth out a textured surface. Other than that, it serves no purpose to attempt to do it with new sheetrock. 

No one ever skim coats new sheetrock = Seriously No one.


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## davedeuschle (Mar 9, 2010)

Well some people do... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ4pxtkcmNU&feature=related

It's called a level 5 finish.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

davedeuschle said:


> Well some people do...
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ4pxtkcmNU&feature=related
> 
> It's called a level 5 finish.


Ahh.....you are correct!

However, in all my years of work (25+) as a company that does both GC-ing (me) and Drywall/Plaster contracting(my Partner), I have only seen it called for on one project. And it was a multi million dollar project, in a public building with large, well lit, cathedral ceilings. 

Other than that, I have never seen it called for in standard additions and remodels that we do, even some that are created by designers and architects. Nor have we been asked to perform it. 

It is completely unnessecary for a typical residence. Not to mention, impossible for a DIYer with little, or no experience in applying skim coats.

Example: In the past, we would get overloaded with Drywall work, and we would sub-out some it, to certain Drywall Contractors. There was one with 11 years of full time drywall taping experience. Even with that, he couldn't skim coat. He only knew how to tape seams, corners, etc. 
In 11 years of doing commercial, residential, and industrial drywall, he, and his crew, had never worked on any jobs requiring level 5 (extremely rare).


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

CNM Design said:


> It look easy.



Looks can be, and in this case are, very deceiving.

there is a great amount of skill in mudding well.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

And nothing makes a room look nastier, faster, than a botched skim coat or final plaster coat job! The paint finish coat will highlight all the surface imperfections. The higher the gloss, the worse they will show.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

I wouldn't worry with it unless you're using a gloss paint, as stated above, If you end up doing it, you'll want to thin your mud, apply a thin coat, and wipe it back off. You're just trying to leave a thin glaze of mud. Lightly sand the entire surface and you're good to go.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

If you are dead-set on trying this, may I suggest that you arm yourself with a spray bottle of water in one hand, and the knife in the other. I get calls for about one or two rooms a year with L-5 finishes and playing with a wet surface makes a big difference.


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## cellophane (Sep 29, 2009)

davedeuschle said:


> Well some people do...
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ4pxtkcmNU&feature=related
> 
> It's called a level 5 finish.


holy crap!

when would something like that be called for?


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## Paulie (Nov 26, 2009)

CNM Design said:


> Since this is my first time mudding, should I skim coat the whole room?
> Or is this to advanced?
> It look easy.


Dear poster, there are many DIY projects that can be done by an enthusiastic homeowner and turn out just fine. Drywall finishing can be one of them but it will be lots of work sanding high spots and mistakes. Drywall finishing is an art. Good finishers can make it look easy. I would like you to post your experience after the project is done. I am by no means discouraging you but after 15 years of messing around with finishing drywall I still make mistakes and always find spots where I could have done better. :furious: And thats doing a standard job of coating corners, tapered seams, butt joints and screw heads.

If there is one area of home improvement that IMO that is worth paying someone to do the job it's finishing drywall.


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## Kevin M. (Nov 26, 2009)

cellophane said:


> holy crap!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you have quite a few repairs on a particular wall, this method will blend everything together, eliminating random wall discrepancies. We call it the "roll coat." I do it quite often on repair work. 

The young guy on the video did mention the application was intended primarily for situations where a high sheen paint would be applied in a bright light area. This method has been around quite awhile. It's a great application for the right situation. 

Kevin


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

man, if that video isn't a perfect sales tool for a plaster finish wall, I don't know what is. If they level 5 everything, why don't they just go to a skim coat plaster.

With the level 5, you still have sanding, not with plaster.


then, as a bonus with plaster, you don't even have to paint if you don't want to. You can use colored plaster and be done with the application of the plaster.


It is really kind of funny that the more people try to make drywall look good, the closer they get to the product it was created to replace and actually end up spending more money than the product it is used to replace.


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## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

nap said:


> Looks can be, and in this case are, very deceiving.
> 
> there is a great amount of skill in mudding well.


Very true. As picky as I am with most things, mudding is one thing I have to let go with minor imperfections.


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