How To Skim Coat Drywall

Knowing how to skim coat drywall can save you lots of time and expense when doing the repairs yourself. It's particularly ideal for repairing rough, uneven, or scratched-up wall surfaces due to removal projects such as stripping wallpaper.

This usually happens when trying to remove old wallpaper where the wall itself wasn't properly prepared for the application of the paper. You scrape and scratch the wall to the point of damaging the surface.

It's easy to learn though, and something you can learn in a relatively short time. And what's really nice is that you don't need any drywall finishing experience whatsoever.

If you have ever tried to remove old, sticky wall paper down off the walls, you know what we're talking about. You know, the stuff that just does not want to come off. And in your frustration, you end up gouging out about a half the wall anyway. This is when knowing how to skim coat drywall can be very useful.

What To Do

Use a 6", 8" or 12" drywall knife to apply some joint compound (drywall mud) to a rough patch of wall space. Lightly smooth it out till all intended areas are satisfactorily covered with a thin film of mud.

I prefer to use a lightweight, all-purpose type of drywall compound. Something that isn't too hard to sand off as some other multi-purpose types can be.

Please do the following:

1. Your first coat should be applied lightly. You don't want to cake it on too much. Just apply a thin, filmy coat to begin with
2. Let completely dry
3. Lightly sand with light (fine grit - #220) sandpaper
4. Reapply another coat if needed, otherwise, prime and paint. The main thing you want to do is eliminate any trace of scratches, dents, cracks, tears, etc.

Usually one coat will do the job. You might, on occasion, have to to apply and finish two coats, but generally speaking one should be enough. It really depends on how rough or scratched-up the walls are to begin with.

When you're done with the final sanding step, you'll add the primer and finish coat of paint.

You'll achieve the results you want of a smooth finish, with no hint of scratches or abrasions anywhere (pictured).