If you want to see some a video version of all of these steps, I saved a highlight on my Instagram page called “Skim Coating”.Whether you are taping drywall seams or patching a hole in the wall, most homeowners are inevitably faced with a choice between joint compound and plaster. As a general rule, joint compound should always be coated with primer before painting. Magical.Īfter smoothing down your entire wall, make sure and use a good primer before painting or installing wallpaper. This is the area that I smoothed down with a sponge.

The result should be just enough to smooth out any rough edges and give you a nice smooth wall… with no dust! Notice the streak in the middle of the photo below. If you are actually removing the joint compound, then it’s too wet. I used a tiling sponge that was only slightly damp (you should not be able to wring water out of it) and “sanded” the wall. If you are willing to put in a little extra elbow grease, I recommend trying to smooth down any imperfections with a damp sponge. Drywall dust is dirty, dusty, messy, and literally will cover your entire house in a thin layer of lingering snow in a matter of minutes. If you’ve ever sanded down drywall, you know that it IS NOT FUN. It could be dry in as little as 4 hours, but I like to let mind dry overnight. You will want to let the compound dry completely. I worked with it and got the result I wanted, but it will be much easier if don’t give yourself this problem. That is from small pieces of dried joint compound. Notice the small drag marks in the picture below. You will know pretty quickly after starting if this applies to you. If you have very heavy texture, you might need to let the first coat dry and repeat the process. This will help keep the results clean and smooth. Also, make sure that you wipe the trowel clean before each pass. You can fix any lines or uneven spots after it dries. Overlap the next section by 3-4″ until you’ve smoothed the entire section that you are working with. The compound should magically fill in the gaps and give you a pretty even surface. Starting at the top of the section, drag the trowel down with gentle pressure to smooth the mixture flat to the wall. This is where the magic happens! The magic trowel basically does all the work for you. STEP 4: // SKIM SECTIONS WITH MAGIC TROWEL If the edges dry too quickly (they tend to be a thinner layer), take your spray bottle and gently spray the edges before using your trowel. You will want to work in small 2-3′ sections, as the compound will start to dry quickly. I don’t have a picture of this because I didn’t need to, but your wall might need this.īelow is a close up of what the layer of joint compound should look like (on the left). Then make sure and wipe down the wall so you are starting with a clean wall, no dirt. Note: If you have any large bumps or areas that are much higher than the wall, it would be good to take a 5″ putty knive and scrape the wall down before starting. You want to make sure you have a consistent enough coverage to fill in any texture. Make sure that the layer is heavy enough where you can’t see the wall. Using a heavy nap roller (3/4″) apply the mixture to the wall in a thick layer. Even a tiny bit of dried up compound in your tub will ruin your results. Note: DO NOT use old joint compound… only use fresh, never opened. You will want to add small amount of water and mix using a drill and attachment until you reach the consistency of thick pancake batter… or whip cream. Joint compound out of the tub will be the consistency of thick peanut butter. For reference, I will use 2 large tubs for an average size room. The 4.5 gallon size will run you around $10-$12. If you’re doing a large wall, you will want to buy the large size of joint compound as you will go through it quickly. drill & mixer attachment or this smaller one.2nd option for trowel (I haven’t used this but it looks the same).magic trowel (MUST HAVE for this process).After testing out a few processes, this is my tried and true method that I’ve used several times with excellent results! STEP 1: // Gather the right materials. If you’ve ever tried your hand at skim coating or layering on joint compound, you probably know that it takes a little finesse and can be a lot frustrating to get that super smooth finish. You can use this process to smooth a textured wall, taper out tape seams after fresh drywall, or repair a damaged wall from ripping off wallpaper. Today I’m sharing my easy “skim coat like a pro” process to get a super smooth wall with minimal fuss. – GUEST BEDROOM: NEW WINDOW TRIM & WALLPAPER

Best compound for skim coating