Balancing time against money is always a factor when deciding whether to do something yourself or hire a professional. If you’ve been following my home remodels, you know I do a lot of skim coating. Smoothing wall texture can be a time consuming task. You can hire a professional to retexture walls for you. OR you can learn how to remove wall texture yourself. One will cost you cash. The other will cost you time. In this post I’m showing you how to skim coat over wall texture to create a smooth finish. For those of you that decide to DIY it!
Uneven wall texture patterns
The walls in this house are worse than any other home I’ve remodeled. The heavy knock down texture was not applied unevenly throughout the house. In some areas there are just a few random blobs. Other areas REALLY got splattered but never got “knocked down”.
In order to achieve uniformity, one person needs to texture entire walls and rooms. If possible the entire house. If that’s not possible, everyone doing the texturing needs to use the same technique.
It would be difficult for a single person to texture a 6000 sq/ft house. So either more than one person did the job. OR one person did do the job and got sick of it halfway through and just started slopping joint compound on the walls!
Either way, now I have to fix it. I need all the walls in my house to have a uniform quality of workmanship. Some people might not care about that. Wha? I do!
Retexturing vs smooth finish
In order to retexture the walls and create uniformity, I’d have to smooth the existing texture first. Then I could pour some ready mix joint compound into a hopper, spray it on and knock it down. I’m not even a fan of heavy texture patterns so I’m going to skip all the parts I said after, “smooth the existing texture”!
Yep, all the texture is going, going… I’d love to say, “Gone” but I still have about 4000 sq/ft left to skim coat! But I’m getting there. Slowly and surely.
DIY or hire a Pro? (Time vs Money)
I like a smooth finish on walls and ceilings. It definitely requires more finesse to create a smooth, flat finish than it does to apply texture. It’s something most people can tackle if they have the patience to practice and really master the technique. If not, I suggest hiring it out.
Drywall work can get really messy. Professionals know to cover the floors, mask everything off and contain the dust! Most DIYers just want to jump in and get it done. So they end up cleaning drywall dust out of every nook and cranny of their house for a few months.
Professional tapers spend thousands of dollars on equipment. It makes sense for them to invest that kind of money. Taping, mudding and texturing is what they do, day in and day out. Expensive tools let them do a better job in a shorter amount of time.
If skim coating is a “once in a blue moon” sort of task, you don’t need to spend a lot of money buying fancy tools to do it. It will take you longer and it probably won’t look quite as good as what a seasoned pro could do. But you can get a nice smooth finish with minimal tools.
Balancing time against money is always a factor when deciding whether to do something yourself or hire a professional.
Gather your supplies
If you’re still reading, you’ve decided to tackle this job yourself. Way to go! You’ll need to gather a few supplies:
Equipment
- all purpose joint compound
- Paint tray or 5 gallon bucket
- mixing attachment for your drill
- thick nap paint roller
- spray bottle with water to thin you joint compound
- wet rag
- Magic Trowel
- drop cloth (cover your floors)
- drywall sander
If you’re doing a small room where you’ll only need one bucket, I’d choose a ready mix joint compound. It costs about $15 for a 5 gallon bucket. So for $15 you get the mud and a bucket.
Dry joint compound is much cheaper. You can get about 4 times the coverage with dry mix mud. If you’re doing a LOT of skim coating, dry is probably a cost effective option. You still need the 5 gallon bucket which runs about $4-5.
Skim Coating
Skim coating means applying a thin layer of joint compound or plaster to your walls. There are lots of different tools you can use to skim coat. In this post I’m showing you how to use the Magic Trowel. It is available in several sizes. I like the 18″ or 22″. Too big is hard to manage and too small takes forever to make any progress.
You’re going to be applying the joint compound (mud)to the walls using a thick nap paint roller. You can use a paint tray or dip the roller right into the 5 gallon bucket of mud.
Prepare the joint compound
Use a a mixing attachment for your drill to mix the joint compound to the consistency of thick pancake batter. It’s got to be thin enough for you to smooth it on the wall but not so thin that it just drips and dribbles down the wall. You may have to play around with it until you get the “just right” consistency.
If you’re using ready mix mud, add a little water at a time so you don’t end up making it too runny. This is where dry mix can be beneficial. If it does end up too runny, add more dry mix.
Mixing skim coat compound reminds me of making powdered sugar frosting. I always end up having to add more milk and then more sugar at least 3 times each!
Apply joint compound to wall
Using a thick nap paint roller, apply a generous amount of mud to the wall. Using a roller allows you to get more compound on the wall faster than if you were scooping it out with a taping knife. You can pour joint compound into a roller tray or dip the roller directly into the 5 gallon bucket.
I generally prefer the bucket method because it’s faster. However, it is also messier. So–choose your poison.
Only apply mud to a small section of wall at a time. Otherwise, the joint compound will start to dry before you get a chance to smooth it all out. I work in 4’x4′ sections.
Create a smooth finish
After rolling the mud onto your first section, use the magic trowel to smooth it out. The first coat won’t be perfectly smooth. The compound is filling the voids that around the raised surfaces in the existing texture. If you have a really heavy texture, you’ll need more layers of joint compound. It’s a process.
- Each coat of mud should be smoothed in the same direction as it was applied onto the wall with the roller.
- Alternate directions of each consecutive coat.
- If you rolled the mud onto the wall vertically on the first coat, switch to horizontal application for the next coat.
After smoothing out your first section of wall, you’re ready to roll another section with joint compound.
- Make sure to keep a wet edge. That’s where the spray bottle full of water comes in handy. Before you start rolling compound onto your second section, lightly mist the edge of the area you just smoothed.
- Slightly overlap the first section as you roll the second section.
Using the Magic Trowel
The Magic Trowel is like a squeegee. It’s a rubber blade on a handle. It does come with a cover over the blade. Make sure to remove the blade cover!
- Use your damp rag or spray bottle to wet the blade before use.
- Pull the Magic Trowel over the compound, smoothing it out.
- Squeegee the mud in the same direction that you applied it with the paint roller.
If you have really heavily texture patterns, the first coat will not produce perfectly smooth walls. The Magic Trowel may create new lines. Don’t freak out. The next coat will fix that.
Light your work surface
Shining a light at an angle on the wall you’re working on. The angle is important because it allows you to see more imperfections than you see with down lighting. This is true when painting as well. When you think you’re done, move the light so it’s shining from a different angle. You’ll be surprised to see how many areas you missed. The below picture demonstrates a wall I thought was finished until I moved the light and illuminated my wall from a different angle.
Sanding Drywall
You can lightly sand in between coats but it’s not necessary. Each consecutive coat with the Magic Trowel will make the wall more and more smooth. If anything, you may have lines created by the excess mud sliding off the edge of the trowel as you skimmed over the wall. These lines are very easy to get rid of with a quick sanding.
Drywall sanding can be VERY dusty. You shouldn’t have much to sand after skim coating. Just a gentle sanding over the whole surface with a very light grit sandpaper. Sanding without a vacuum attachment will make a BIG MESS everywhere in your house. You have 3 options:
- Use a regular pole sander and worry about cleaning up the dust later. Make sure you wear a dust mask or respirator.
- Wet sand. Use a slightly damp tiling sponge to gently rub away lines and imperfections.
- Use a dust free drywall sander (This is definitely worth the $30 price tag.)
You can also use a box fan to reduce dust when sanding drywall.
I’ll be frank with you, skim coating is messy. It takes some practice to learn the skill. It’s hard work. It’s tiring and can be frustrating. But smooth walls are worth the effort!
Right?
It’s definitely a personal thing. Some people like orange peel and other textured finishes. Give me a crisp, clean, smooth wall any day of the week! So what do you think? Now that you know how to skim coat, are you going to give it a try? Just remember to protect your floors. Unless you’re working in a room where you’re going to remove the carpet. If that’s the case, go ahead and use that carpet as your drop cloth and don’t worry if you drop blobs of joint compound. Just don’t step in them and track it all over the house. Ehem…lesson learned!
Laura says
Love your drywall sanding choices!
1) Pole Sander
2) Wes sand
3) Dust free sander.
If I were you I’d choose #2 ~ Get Wes to sand the walls 🙂
Sandra says
lol Thanks for catching my typo. I think that’s a good idea though!
Laura says
I know you have a wicked sense of humour…I kinda thought you slipped that one in to see if anyone would notice 😉
Rachel Lynn says
Perfect. I needed a DIY on this for my remodeling/home improvement board on Pinterest and I didn’t have any walls to fix myself. lol Scheduled it to go out!
Sandra says
Thanks so much for sharing!
Mariele says
Wowza!! I did this myself in my bedroom using a regular trowel to apply and smooth with, and a sanding sponge… took me a week to do. If only I’d known about this method! 🙂 Bookmarked for future reference. Thank you so much for the guide!
Sandra says
Believe me, I’ve done it many different ways too. I love finding new ways to do things faster and better!
Heather says
Can you do this on a textured ceiling? Thanks!
Sophia says
Question, so my house has a high gloss paint with a horrible what looks like tossed oatmeal texture in random locations– would i be able to skim coat over that? Or would you recommend sanding first? I really want a smooth surface!!
Steve Long says
Use TSP to clean the surface. Its strong enough to cut the gloss and soften the paint just a little then I would prime before mudding
Andrea says
Have you ever used a damp sanding sponge to sand the walls at the end? I guess it would probably work better on a small area since they are tiny but I tried that method on a patch I did and it worked great for me with no dust at all. You do have to continuously rinse and squeeze out though. I’m assuming it is similar to the damp sponge method but the grit probably helps to move along the process a bit.
Ricky hess says
Can I do the skim coating over walls that have been painted with sand in the paint?
Erika M says
I have an older home (built in 1985) and the walls and ceiling are very bumpy. I despise it and want to get rid of it all. Is this the best method for my walls and ceiling as well? Its small home 1,000 sq ft.
Kim says
can you hang pictures, art work etc normally over skimmed walls? doe it require any special hardware and what are the chances of it flaking?
Sophia says
Do you know whether asbestos should be a concern with this type of project? Asbestos is likely in the drywall for many homes built before 1980…im wondering (and I could be totally wrong) if sanding down the drywall could potentially release some asbestos. Maybe not because it seems like you’re really just removing the joint compound…but thought I would ask.
Sandra says
Yes it absolutely is a concern. We tested everything before we began demo.
Anne says
Can you do this on the ceiling? I have a bad patch job and we have stomped ceilings. What is the best way to remedy this? I don’t really care if it’s smooth or re-stomped, but I just hate where it is right now
Moo Kahn says
This is exactly how the ‘pros’ do a level 5 drywall finish… roll on, trowel off. I’ve lost track of how many 100,000 SF of skimming old walls I’ve done this way. I’m helping my daughter and husband reno a fixer-upper and was looking for this exact tutorial. I’ve always used a flexible blue steel “wiping” trowel – but I ordered the Bon squeegee trowels (18 and 22 – no doubt one will do better than the other and we’ll wind up with a preference we don’t have currently LOL). One tip for everyone – I’ve found it helpful to do all the edges first one coat in a separate operation. It establishes a “ground” to wipe against for your “field” coat, and it allows you to not have to roll so tightly into the corners. You will have a visible “coat line” between the corner coat and the first coat in the field of the wall or ceiling – but a damp sponge or 220 drywall sandpaper will easily get rid of that. Tip #2 – I put a 4′ handle on my roller and wiping trowel – it allows me to never need any kind of ladder or scaffolding.
Lise says
Do you need to sand or prep the walls in any way before applying the first skim coat? Thanks 🙂
Sandra says
If the walls are glossy you can sand them a little. If it’s flat paint I don’t sand. I’d personally test out a spot of the wall to see if the mud will stick to the walls before deciding if I need to add another step to the process.
Cole says
What do you do after the skim coat is complete? Do you just prime and paint?
Sandra says
Once you’re happy with the finish of the wall, prime and paint.
CEDRA D RUBIN says
Hello
I’m looking to see if sanding is needed for a ceiling that has a popcorn surface and paint on it?
JodI says
Once you have your flat walls, what do you recommend roller and paint sheen wise to achieve the cleanest look and not apply texture again.
Sandra says
On flat walls I use a roller with a small nap. The sheen you choose is completely up to you and generally depends on the room. Bathrooms, some people like to use a higher sheen. I personally like flat or satin on walls because I don’t like shiny walls.
Dimitri says
Great read. Well done. An alternative method (but equally laborious) is to sand the walls down using a finishing sander. It takes out all the plaster pimples and creates a very smooth finish. The new paint then does the same job of filling as the process you have just described. I did this to my last home and was immensely proud. Most people never noticed the amount of work that goes into creating brilliant walls, but it makes a huge difference. Well done to you and keep up the great work.
Jane says
Can surfaces be too heavily textured to skim coat? We recently purchased a house with a very thick texture on the living room walls and ceilings. It appears to have several coats of high gloss paint over the top and the paint doesn’t reach all the way into the “valleys” of the texture. It’s just so heavy and so thick and so spiky, I’m not convinced it can be skim coated effectively without adding a lot of weight to the plaster walls underneath. I think covering it with drywall will save time and sanity but my husband is convinced we can skim coat it. Neither of us have hung drywall or skim coated before. I worry scraping will be too difficult due to the amount of texturization. It’s not orange peel. More like mountain ranges. I think it was rolled on with a sponge painting roller or something similar. Truly awful.
Sandra says
If you have it in the budget, it might be worth buying a heavy duty, power drywall sander. I have a Festool but there are a lot of other brands at lots of different prices. They get heavy but man do they sand fast! You can use a really course grit sandpaper to take off that heavy texture.
Candy Vivier says
Can I add plaster of paris to pre mixed drywall mud to make “hot mud? ” I have read that it makes the finish stronger and more plaster like. Would it be harder to keep it wet enough to magic trowel? Or to sand? The previous reno people did the same thing yours did, knock down and didn’t knock it down. I SWEAR they added paster of paris because it’s hard and pokey and will NOT sand down and no amount of water will soften it up to scrape.
Sandra says
I’m guessing they actually used actual plaster. I haven’t ever used it and don’t have any tips about using it. I don’t think adding plaster of paris to premixed mud sounds like a good idea though. Maybe you could ask a mudding expert.
Pam Ledbetter says
Thank you for the information! I’m going to do a small nook area that I want to wallpaper .
Scarlet Aaron says
Thank you for posting. Texturing walls is a time-honored method of adding character to a wall or covering such imperfections as drywall taping inconsistencies but not everyone loves the ridges and swirls of knock-down or the soft ripples of orange peel.
florence hampl says
can this be done on basement cinder block walls? thanks!
Sandra says
No idea. If you try it, I’d love to know how it worked out for you.
Jenn says
Hi Sandra,
Just found your site through a search for how to skim coat and love it! Just started on my office this week and it is so satisfying! I am wondering if you do your ceilings as well? I think I would faint from the dizziness and wondered if it would be strange just to leave them and try not to look? Haha!
THANK YOU!
Jenn
Sandra says
No I haven’t. That would be such a chore. In a lot of rooms, I covered the ceiling with V-groove planking but some I just left the texture. I don’t mind when it’s just the ceiling.
Adriana says
Hi! Thanks for this great article!
I only need to smooth out the top third of my bathroom walls (for wallpaper). Would you recommend skim coating the entire wall if I’m covering the bottom portion with bead board?
Sandra says
I can’t see any point of skim coating the portion of wall that will be covered. If you ever remove the beadboard, then that portion of wall would require attention. 🙂
Mike says
Is there a dry compound you recommend? The selection at our local home improvement store is dizzying. There are so many different types, and drying times. We are looking to skim coat textured drywall in our entire house. So, I would prefer to use the dry compound mix. I’m just not sure what to buy and keep receiving conflicting advice from the staff there.
Sandra says
I know professional mudders use different materials for different coats. When I’m skim coating, I just use the general purpose. You don’t want a fast drying time because you’re going to work it a bit.
Watson Childs says
I have removed pre-pasted wall paper that was applied with paste activator and scrubbed down walls twice to remove residual paste. In another area removal of different paper (applied earlier) pulled part of the paint (primer?) from the drywall and that area was also scrubbed. Can I skim coat both areas without additional treatment first?
Sandra says
I have no idea. Maybe test each area.
Emily says
Did you remove the baseboard and trim before skim coating?
Sandra says
Yes, it makes it so much easier to not have to navigate around those.