"If you press too hard and you're doing a ceiling, you may wind up with a face full of mud. I've had that happen. Super awesome." Your dry humor cracks me up. I'm vastly appreciative of you taking the time to make these videos for us. I understand they are a lot work as well. They are supremely educational, well constructed, communicated and entertaining as a bonus. Thank you so much. (And, don't take this the wrong way, you're nice to look at).
just a tip from a german dude on the internet, get your roller prewet and drain like 90% of it before the first saturation process, makes it way easier
I also pre-wet my paper tape before bedding it. Don’t see that taught or done on any video’s though. Does anybody else pull their drywall paper tape (especially for the corners) through a bucket of water quickly before applying it & bedding it?.
@@Casmige I believe Vancouver does have a video on that. He says it's not what the pros do, but there's nothing wrong with it. I believe he says a person shouldn't do on inside corners though.
The most I could do was hang a picture on the wall, but now I do skim coats apparently. I did this method and followed up with a stencil design. Everyone thinks it’s professionally done wallpaper. Currently doing an entire water closet, plus the ceiling. Thank you for this video!
I find using a spray bottle of water to keep the knife blade wet really makes a huge improvement to the finish. A mist of water on the knife blade makes for a very slick surface. A quick sand and your done.
Just started doing this too. Basically keeping a big bucket of water and storing my tools in it while I roll the mud on. Also, cleaning the blades real quick just before starting to cut and keeping it wet on the finishing cuts. Works like a charm, even tho I'm a noob.
This does work pretty well for a DIY situation. Working with mud is alot easier than most think. Just use regular mud, thin to about a pancake/ cake mix and have fun with it! Take your time, don't expect it to be perfect with your first coat. You can always back fill holes with more mud later.. if it looks like crap Mist it liberally with water or a super wet sponge(let it soak in) scrape it all off and try it again. As long as it's not painted yet mud cleans up super easy with water. Sometimes it's easier to clean everything up with a wet rag than it is to mask everything off. Drywall repairs aren't cheap to have done so this is a worthwhile skill to learn!
This video just saved my life…rather my wall from being totally destroyed lol 😂 I was about to demo it with a sledgehammer because for the last three days I’ve been trying to skim coat it. It just kept getting bumpier and more wavy looking as I moved along. I sanded down all the mud I previously applied and copied this technique and it’s working perfectly! Just one coat and so far it’s amazing! Thank you so much!!!!
Thanks so much for this video! My husband and I knocked out our second coat on our ceiling within a few hours using this method. I rolled and my husband smoothed it out with the knife. We initially used the hawk and trowel for the first coat, and that took 3 painful days. This technique is so much faster and less painful. A world of a difference! Thank you Vancouver Carpenter!
Thank you so much for showing the close up! I am doing skim coat job right now, and I was stressing out about leaving some lift offs and small lines on my finish before sanding, thinking I was doing something wrong. Seeing the close up and what finished skim coat realistically looks like, makes me extremely relieved and I will be worrying less with my next skim coat!
Nice video. I like to wet the roller, then dip it into the mud in order that the roller doesn’t take so long to “accept” the mud. Wetting the roller enables us to quickly load the roller. A dry roller takes time to load up since the mud isn’t so wet nor is the roller and therefore the mud is inclined to “resist” adhering to the dry fibers of the roller. Not soaking wet....just moist.
Thanks to you, I started using a hawk and trowel to smooth-coat my knockdown textured walls (I’m doing the ceilings and walls for my whole house @ 3000 sq ft). It sucked at first, but I noticed my trowel was a piece of crap. So after I bent it into shape, it has now cut my time by close to 2/3 of the time it took me using a pan and knife. I was going to try this method, but I’m liking the hawk over the pan, because you can load it quickly using a bucket scraper and then clean the hawk easier and faster than a pan. The trowel being double sided is almost like using two 11” knives at the same time, and I don’t have to keep cleaning the trowel in the pan like you do with a knife and pan. It’s just sooo much faster!!! Like you said though, some jobs require a pan and knife.
My first try at skim coating went well but Scott, I used a trowel and hawk. I impressed myself as a first timer. I was looking at different ways to fix a bad paint job (deep deep deep brush marks) and walls where wallpaper was removed. Some people said try thick paint (took too many coats of paint) or paintable wall paper (did not try, I was afraid of seams opening). Skim coating was not that hard and I like how it turned out, a smooth wall.
@c Adamants your comment has given me some confidence ....i'm about to attempt the same after removing wallpaper from a wall half of the plaster on the wall also came off...i thought a thick wallpaper would cover it up but once i put up once piece of wallpaper i could still see the crack under the wallpaper.. so now going to attempt a skim coat using this method ...wish me luck!
@@coachBux Good luck. As Scott says, don't try for perfection on the first try. You'll be surprised with the right tools you'll get the technique down in no time.
THANK YOU! I'm repairing my 1920's plaster walls - first time DIY because nobody around does plaster that I could find. Learned A LOT from your videos. Almost ready to skim. This is VERY helpful. THANKS!!!
lsabik88 as he said, plaster does not always do like that, but, apply a product such as bondcrete to the plaster, then you should get a decent flat finish with this technique bu a true plaster would be a better product sometimes. A trick I use on plaster is to use mesh tape, not paper tape, on corners and around outlets... just take your time. And keep the sections small as you work.
Here's what you bring to the table: You take the fear out of skim coating. I was able to remove wall paper DRY with just a drywall knife and pulling off large sheets of the paper. Wife soaked and scraped the glue off. No damage from us, just something screwy with the paneling that went half way up the wall. Like there was a brown sheet glued to the drywall under the paneling. Also some of the wallpaper removed the drywall top layer of paper in large sections. SO wasn't looking forward to the skim coat until I saw this video. Thanks for the hard work conveying your knowledge. I appreciate you.
@@Taha-ne9cd Ok the skim coat: thicker is ok, it just means you get more to sand (ugh). Your shop vac needs a drywall dust bag or filter. Buy extras of both. Leaving the line is ok, it sands easily. Sheetrock brand Green top All purpose is harder to sand than the Plus3 dark blue top. You'll need to thin it a bit. I used a 12 inch blade. Technique is slight pressure consistently on one side of knife. The joint compound WILL LIFT the other side of knife automatically. Amount of pressure is determined by thickness of joint compound. Crumbs SUCK! but you'll get them no matter what. Don't sweat them. Divots and depressions after sanding will be filled, individually after sanding and wiping with damp sponge/cloth, let dry. ALL errors can be fixed after sanding. Don't sweat it. Took me three walls and the fourth was really good (not perfect). GOOD ENOUGH rules the day when you're not a professional. I am now fixing divots/depressions today and will sand tomorrow, prime the next day, paint the day after. . . boom done. BOOYAH!
After doing a very light knockdown texture in my bathroom, I have so much respect for you. My back hurts so much today. I still have to paint. Oh my gosh I started getting so upset over little bits of stuff making lines in my wall. I was also tired and again hurting. I am DIYing the bathroom remodel after work. So there's that. I want to thank you for these videos. This has been my first go at drywall repair and covering. Your videos made it less daunting. Now I will likely use this method in the other bathroom as I do not want texture there.
The thing I got the most out of in this video was the very subtle angle changes of the scraper that changed the process from building up to smoothing off. It’s the little things the make the biggest difference to overall finish quality. Thank you
Excellent tip! I’m a carpenter and definitely not a Sheetrock guy. I botched patching a wall after I installed the brackets (14 total) for 4 floating shelves. I used this technique to skim the wall sections and it came out wonderfully! Thank you so much!!
As time passes while you’re doing a wall, the mud in the bucket tends to start to dry. I suggest anybody watching this video keep handy a bottle of water with which to spritz the compound in the bucket so that it doesn’t start getting very hard and heavy for you to work with it.
A small plastic cup with just enough water to cover the surface works well also. I use this method when storing mud also. The bucket sides above the mud need to be clean. I mix in water to a little thinner than what he used in the video. Then i pour in just enough water cover the surface about 1/8th inch deep. Snap the lid on tight and the mud will keep for a long time. Store in a shady cool place. Well at least shady.
Thank you for mixing mud video, your skim coat video, your taping and finishing videos, and your painting video. I just finished a remodel of a bathroom after watching your videos and you've been a very instrumental and making it a very successful project. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for this video, I had to do it on all walls and ceiling in a room where the previous owner thought that the texture he applied looked good but was definitely an eyesore. I never did this before and a painter slammed me with a $2500 estimate to do it. I went to the big box and bought some materials and tools instead and wow, amazingly easy. I struggled the most around a big window due to the intricate trim but man, I am happy after the first coat… now… second coat 😅
Thank you so much for this video. Just purchased a 100+ year old home with plaster walls that I'm going to remove nasty wallpaper from and the walls underneath are horrible. This was exactly what I needed in order to be able to paint them and have them look nice. Couldn't have asked for a better video :)
Thank you for this. The house flippers from whom I bought this house did exactly what you said - gouged the walls when removing old wallpaper. I'll try this soon.
Last year I had to get my mom's house ready for sale. One of the projects was doing a skim coat and using this very method. Years ago, when we were kids, my sister thought it would be a good idea to cover two walls with cork. Onto plaster walls. The cork board was hung to the wall using liquid nail... A lot of liquid nail OMG I removed the cork. The liquid nail was like they were drawing and zigzagging with the caulking gun. All I could do was grind down the liquid nail. Get it close to something that resembled flat and then do exactly what the video shows. I was amazed at how well this works. Believe me when I say the 2 walls were F*****up. First time ever trying this. The finished walls with primer then paint was perfect. So follow directions you'll get there.
Tho I've done a few, a roller will be my next. One thing tho, I always put a little "hood" of 2" tape over the devices, or for longer duration, full cover them. Its nice that you can still push a plug in and use them and they'll still be clean at the end of the job. The time it takes to cover a roomful equals time it takes to clean up one receptacle!
I skim coated 3 walls with the roller method ... small sections then knife smoothed them...I had 'washboard' as you called it and didn't know why - thanks. Position of knife when pulling the mud...who'd a thunk it !!
Thank you all the way from Germany! these German painter charge me an arm and a leg for smooth walls (most people here like wood chip wallpaper which gives a knockdown finish). To get smooth walls first they sand the raw walls, then they skim coat, then they sand the skim coat, then they wallpaper with what they call painter's fleece (like a glass woven cloudy and thin white fabric) and paint 2 times over that with dispersion paint.. it's nuts. I bought a premade mud (knauf super finish) and skim coated my wall, then I'll sand it, and then I'll paint with a 2in1 paint + primer.. done!
@Vancouver Carpenter, this info/demonstration is excellent. I'm doing a 15 x 15 room and am skim coating. I've only done this once before in a very small bathroom. I have watched this vid at least 10 times and get something out of it each time. Thanks for posting !!!! Now...back to the walls 😄
The light was a good idea. Just wanna say thanks too! I had a washer-dryer area and using all your tips and techniques, it came out looking amazing. Walls were wallpaper removal damaged and painted over, mudding hadn't been sanded but yet, painted over, tape missing, rotted walls from water leaks, you name it, I had it. Now, they look like all brand new walls. One thing; I didn't have a lot of strength so I used a wetted rubber blade for final smoothing and it resulted in a huge reduction in sanding. The other, when I encountered a lot of bubbles. I put the mud on, took it off and reapplied it immediately, (4-7' wall). Not sure my arm could have taken it if the wall was any bigger. Not sure what it did but no more bubbles. Again, thanks!
I wish i saw this a month ago when i had to repair a wall at the rental when they left decals all over the wall that peeled the paint off...this would have been soooo much easier..thanks for the video's, love them!!
I helped my uncle do this same thing in the 1970's as a gangly 12 year old.....I made $1.00 an hour that summer......I was the richest kid in the neighborhood
same here except I was with my father, I made five dollars for each house I cleaned up. Removing the debris from his cuttings of drywall. Then I got five a house for scraping all the mud off the floors and sweeping it all out. Made a good bit of coin for a 7-year-old. Now 52, I am using the lessons I learned to rebuild my own place. Kids today won't even attempt to do what we did as kids.
Eddie & Cara White dude the cops Child protective services and fucking CNN would be knocking on your door hell the most I could do legally at that age and not get my parents in shit is play games go to school and homework it’s fucking stupid had to wait till I was 13 before I could grab a shovel and dig some dirt legally it’s not that we don’t want too it’s that are parents will get in shit
The big disadvantage to the paint roller method is a lot of times depending on your porosity of the wall, if you're going over bare drywall or flat paint, the joint compound actually dries before you can knock it down. So it's a good trick in the bag, but sometimes just using an actual plaster trowel and hawk is better. Another thing too is just using Easy Sand to level out a wall, and just doing a final very light skim coat with All Purpose to give an easier to sand base coat.
I’d like to keep a spray bottle set to mist to resolve my mud and sometimes even paint from drying faster than I’d like. And I’d probably pre-mist bare drywall if I was going over that.
This is great! Now I can get the same results with a cheap paint roller and 15 years of experience! Seriously, these are great tips and I will use them as best as I can, but this guy has really good knife skills that don't come overnight.
Thanks for posting this. I've been skim coating the walls of my apartment for the last week. I tried this roller method and ended up with mud flying off the roller and making a mess. Now I'm wondering if if the mud was too thin. After that I skimmed most the walls by applying the mud with the knife. For a novice it was a lot work, and as you pointed out in an earlier video, an inexperienced worker doesn't have the strength in their hands of an experienced dry waller. Hand very sore. I have one more room to go, and I'm going to try the roller application again. Hopefully I picked up some new information from this video. Your posts are incredible. I have to tape an area of drywall and unfinished wood, and thanks to you I learned about the tear off bead in another post. I was pondering how I was going to manage that situation. You've given me confidence to preserve with this project. Thank you.
You should mark your knives so you know what side you have facing the wall without looking. I took a half round file and put a finger groove on the back side of all my handles.
@rumpleforeskin73 first off, great name. Second, it sounds like the reason I don't let others "play" with my calligraphy pens. The nibs will bend to the consistent use of their owner over time and then someone *reshapes* them for you. Rrrgh.
@@helpmetoreach1ksubcribers233 Very nice work, I would hire you in a heartbeat to fix up my home. That plaster is so much better than the drywall everyone uses here.
I did the roller texture on walls in a 400sqft room - I think it turned out pretty good looking. I was initially going for smooth, but there were so many patches from rewiring and plumbing, and the old material wasn't nailed up all the great so a bunch of nail pops, wavyness, and random damage - so essentially just got frustrated and was like F it, I'm just going to roll the whole room. Prob should have watched some more of these videos first, but thankfully turned out pretty nice just taping the joints and then rolling the whole wall
I found that if you use a textured roller its much easier to skim coat. Plus you can easily wash it and re use it. I learned that technique a few years ago from my co-workers. Definitely much better if you team up.
I've been painting for going on 12 years now. Mud work has always been My kryptonite since day one. I've watched countless videos on how to skimcoat. Yours is the first to use a roller to apply the mud. I'm currently repainting master bathroom that has textured wall paper. (Nightmare). I'm gonna apply your method and see what happens. Thank you for your video I believe it's going to help me a lot. I do a follow-up once I get it completed.
I've been drywalling for years, not as a professional, but as part of my building career. You'd think I would know it all by now. But here I am, still learning new tricks from this young guy. Great series of videos, Vancouver Carpenter! I'm about 500 km east of you in central British Columbia.
doubt you are 500km East and still in central BC. I guess North East since you say central BC. Williams lake is about that. Hah, just threw me off when you said East and somehow central.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise here. Going to use this technique on my walls before applying wallpaper. Really appreciate your friendly Canadian tone 🇨🇦
I think it will help if you wet your roller before dipping it into the mud. Reason? The mud water will more easily attach to the roller if the roller fibres have water on them. Ever try to push a brand new mop into a bucket of water? What happens? Mop pops out of the bucket. Same idea here. Thanks for all your help!!!!
Great video!! We were quoted something like $5K to have just one area of our small house retextured and painted. Yeah, no. But we had no clue how to do it ourselves. Thanks for explaining it so clearly!
you’ve just saved me so much heartache. it took me a few hours to do a super crappy job on a 12 foot or so section of wall and i was so discouraged but i feel way better about this
Great video! I have an old house and the hallway is a mess. Appreciate the courage! Just a tip- I like to use a shower squeegee on the finish coat when I’m working on repairs at my rentals. It never drags any dried bits across the finish and sanding is cut down to a minimum. I use for small areas. Don’t think it would work with such a large area but it really reduces the sanding and gives a perfect finish.
This method of applying mud to drywall is very effective as I tried it once. The tricky part is feathering the edges if you haven't had a lot of experience with a hawk and trowel. The next time I do this, I will take Ben's advice and use the 10" knife instead of the trowel.
Excellent video. I am about to redo a 13x14 room where someone painted several times over wallpaper and I was very concerned with what I was going to do with the walls after I peeled it all off. Thank you.
I have a bedroom that it looks like they gave up once they rolled it on. It looks drippy and completely uneven. Cleaning it has been a nightmare. So thank you for this, I'm going to skim coat it and make it cleanable.
If there are imperfections in a skim coat and you're trying to go for a smooth finish, is it possible to fill things like scratches, pocks, and rougher areas without those areas flashing after priming and painting? Or do you literally have to re-skim the whole wall to get a uniform finish? That seems like it would be an endless quest... Oddly enough, I haven't found many videos from *anyone* on how to properly touch up a skim coat (if that's even possible). I've watched Vancouver Carpenter's video on what *not* to do when touching up a skim coat (i.e. touch up after priming, don't touch up sanded mud, etc.). But I can't find a video on how to properly touch up a skim coat without having splotches and flashing all over the place. I mean, I know ideally a skim coat should be perfect after applying it, with no tool marks etc., but let's be real, there's always going to be something that gets through, whether it's an occasional hitchhiker scratch or an accidental ding in the wall from a stray tool. But surely re-skimming the whole wall isn't the only solution in all these cases?
I used this method on walls that a previous owner had applied what can only be described as a sponge swirl affect with peaks!! Think of a merange pie 🥧 ! Yeah it was that bad. Lol! Anyways I sanded the peaks down and then I simply applied the mud with a 3/4 inch roller and smoothed it out with a 10 inch knife. When we first saw the house we thought we would just replace the drywall as it was that bad. But we saved a a lot of money by simply doing this. It came out really nice. You can't tell its not just regular untextured sheetrock now.
I tried another method to get the first coat on and was totally frustrated, and then tried this method today. I used an old half roller since the room is tiny (it is a toilet separate from the rest of the bathroom) and I only had a gallon bucket of compound where a full roller wouldn't fit. I rolled onto the first wall above a window and took the knife and voila, done and smooth. I did the side wall, really only half a wall because tile goes halfway up, and it came out much better. Easy almost. It'll need some touch-up, but I took the advice to touch up later rather than muck up now.
Ive never skim coated an entire wall. I am applying this method to my entire living room because it had an ugly texture. It’s looking great so far! Thank you!
Thanks great demonstration, I never would’ve thought of applying skim coat with a roller. Also, probably most important is your demonstration of the proper consistency for the mud.
Hey, Vancouver Carpenter. I watched your video yesterday and today I skim coated my bathroom after removing wallpaper and priming with Gardz. Your rolling method of applying the mud worked GREAT, much faster than using a drywall pan. Where I live all drywall also is textured, so that will be my next step on my bathroom project. I am glad for the texture step as I think that will hide my lack of skill. Thanks for your helpful video!!!
"When working on the ceiling you may have a roller fall on your face... It's super awesome." LOL 😆😅 I love your videos man! Thank you for taking the time to make them.
This is one of the best videos on how to skim coat a wall that I've ever come across on TH-cam!!!! And, you said that you can do this on a ceiling too? Great !!! I, unfortunately, had several leaks in my roof last winter and it ruined the ceiling in my living room. And the old paint bubbled and peeled in many places and has left huge spaces on the ceiling where the paint peeled off. I honestly didn't know how to fix it until I saw your video. I haven't tried it yet, but I think it will work! Thank you so much for making this video !!
Greetings from Chicago. Find it therpudic to watch your videos. Not in the trades but my father, carpenter by trade. Back when I was a kid , he would have bathroom or kitchen remodeling jobs...I recall fondly washing the tools, mixing...iam still able to mix up a pan and must say pretty snappy at it. But from watching and doing a bit....iam able to tape, slow but I can get it done. Few times I've mixed up ....say 45 or 90 topping.....just before it sets.....I hit it with a sponge....just to be playing with it. I've had great results and than sand....
Awesome tip for spreading out the mud. I have some drywall that was over sanded years ago when the house was built and have never repainted it. Will skim coat it now.
Don't know if you have that in Canada. Polimer based ready mixes dedicated for a roller. They dry long (48h +/- before sanding), but you can apply a whole wall before it starts drying out. like LSR from Fluegger.
If you add a quarter cup or even less of liquid laundry detergent it will absolutely eliminate ALL air bubbles/pockets. The first time I tried it I was in shock/amazed. Use any time you mix mud, not just skim coat.
My man. Thank you so much for this video. I only know enough to be dangerous for drywall and I learned some really great tips here - especially for recovering from a monster wallpaper deconstruction.
I'm embarrassed to say how long it took to skim coat my living room. 2 months to get it ready for paint. In I week of about 1.5 to 2 hours a day I'm going to have a large bedroom ready for paint. Would have taken me 6 weeks. This is arguably the most useful home DIY video I've ever found. Thanks a million!
Thanks Ben I do every type of construction in eglin airforce base and been having trouble hawk and troweling for first time gonna try this an see if I can't cover my joints better
I really like this tip I do a lot of remodeling and I typically just skim the wall freehand I love the way that this puts an even flow on there thanks a lot buddy
I love your videos but I have a few questions. I like your roller method of All-Purpose Lite (similar to USG Plus 3), but are these plaster walls or drywall? -- I'm repairing old plaster and lath walls after wallpaper removal and plan to do a skim coat to smooth it all out at the end. 1. Which joint compound is best to repair the small dings and holes in the plaster in first coat? 2. Which joint compound is best for first coat skim? Durabond 90? EasySand 90? All Purpose (green lid) or Plus3 (blue lid)? Other? (I know these are the US versions) 3. Which joint compound is the best for the final skim coat? Thank you and thanks again for all your awesome videos! I've learned a ton!
Definitely helps, especially since as an American I can use the tools I already have. Before this I was all set to but a trowel and hawk. Probably still will do just for the fun of it.
Since every wall and mud is white and this is what you must work with - maybe you should try some colored lights to bring the contrast and detail out for video purposes :)
We use strong LEDs white light pointed sideways or up at wall no notice all the detects not always do it so seriously though really depends on the project
Thanks! I will be trying this on some of the road weary walls in my apartments that have battle scars from nails, hole repairs, etc. The close ups were awesome, much appreciated, and it was great hearing you call out the spots where a novice will need more patience (like around the outlets). Awesome video!
VC, thanks very much for your advice. The most valuable content from earlier videos was how you loaded your knife for the corners and how to thin the standard compound for pro results. I recently finished a bunch of 12 foot joints on a ceiling right in front of huge windows (i.e. major lighting was right across the seams) and the result is golden. Very proud of the result and I have to give props to you. Next up, I have to skim coat a 100 year old plaster hallway. Looking forward to using your advice again.
Great content as always! I just had usg all purpose completely eat kilz 2 primer and the paint underneath it skimming the shoddy seam at the wall to ceiling joint that I decided to fix after priming ( you wouldn’t believe what happened the first time around with this primer ) It sloughed off like I’ve never seen before or thought could happen. How does everyone get else away with it? Lol I want to skim this wall but I’m afraid to now. I was thinking of priming it with oil based primer just to lock it all down and be sure I don’t have a problem again🤷🏻♂️ This project is knocking years off my life already, everything has been an uphill battle. Like climbing Mt Everest with one leg, sliding down on my face, and doing it again lol You’re using usg all purpose here?
@Vancouver Carpenter Man, I love your videos - so helpful, I have watched tons of them. I'm watching from the UK, and I wondered, what difference does it make if you were doing this over an old Victorian plaster wall, as opposed to drywall? I have a spare bedroom that I want to do, and having stripped the walls, some is bare (and fairly rough) plaster which I have stabilised with 1:5 PVA, but another wall was actually painted with a satin paint direct on to the plaster which has come off in little patches but is mostly very well attached to the wall, and would be just a pain to remove. Do you think I could use this technique on this room? You mention at the beginning that drywall is a whole different ball game to plaster, but I'm not clear why?
I use a sharpie to mark the side of the knife where the tips point out so I can tell at a glance which side not to use. I put arrows pointing up to the corners on the thicker part of the blade near the handle.
Fantastic video. You mentioned something along the line of applying the same method to textured ceilings. I just want to confirm if skimming is indeed a doable method for textured (not popcorn) ceilings. Thanks
"If you press too hard and you're doing a ceiling, you may wind up with a face full of mud. I've had that happen. Super awesome." Your dry humor cracks me up. I'm vastly appreciative of you taking the time to make these videos for us. I understand they are a lot work as well. They are supremely educational, well constructed, communicated and entertaining as a bonus. Thank you so much. (And, don't take this the wrong way, you're nice to look at).
just a tip from a german dude on the internet, get your roller prewet and drain like 90% of it before the first saturation process, makes it way easier
I also pre-wet my paper tape before bedding it.
Don’t see that taught or done on any video’s though.
Does anybody else pull their drywall paper tape (especially for the corners) through a bucket of water quickly before applying it & bedding it?.
@@Casmige My coworker was talking about doing this. So I know a few people at my work that do it this way. I think I will try it on my next project.
@@Casmige I do. It smooths out easier but I don’t do corners with wet tape
Thanks, German dude.
@@Casmige I believe Vancouver does have a video on that. He says it's not what the pros do, but there's nothing wrong with it. I believe he says a person shouldn't do on inside corners though.
The most I could do was hang a picture on the wall, but now I do skim coats apparently. I did this method and followed up with a stencil design. Everyone thinks it’s professionally done wallpaper. Currently doing an entire water closet, plus the ceiling. Thank you for this video!
Very cool, Lexi!
is premixed mud as good as mixing ur own?
I find using a spray bottle of water to keep the knife blade wet really makes a huge improvement to the finish. A mist of water on the knife blade makes for a very slick surface. A quick sand and your done.
Just started doing this too. Basically keeping a big bucket of water and storing my tools in it while I roll the mud on. Also, cleaning the blades real quick just before starting to cut and keeping it wet on the finishing cuts. Works like a charm, even tho I'm a noob.
If you have or will post your process, let me know
This does work pretty well for a DIY situation. Working with mud is alot easier than most think. Just use regular mud, thin to about a pancake/ cake mix and have fun with it! Take your time, don't expect it to be perfect with your first coat. You can always back fill holes with more mud later.. if it looks like crap Mist it liberally with water or a super wet sponge(let it soak in) scrape it all off and try it again. As long as it's not painted yet mud cleans up super easy with water. Sometimes it's easier to clean everything up with a wet rag than it is to mask everything off. Drywall repairs aren't cheap to have done so this is a worthwhile skill to learn!
Thanks!
You are the Bob Ross of drywall.
Bob Ross is not a worker, what an insult.. Bob Ross doesnt know jack shit
My favorite thing about Vancouver Carpenter is how he makes his mistakes sound amazingly fun. "It fell all over my face. It was super awesome!".
He may have neglected to mention how good it tastes.
This video just saved my life…rather my wall from being totally destroyed lol 😂 I was about to demo it with a sledgehammer because for the last three days I’ve been trying to skim coat it. It just kept getting bumpier and more wavy looking as I moved along. I sanded down all the mud I previously applied and copied this technique and it’s working perfectly! Just one coat and so far it’s amazing! Thank you so much!!!!
Thanks so much for this video! My husband and I knocked out our second coat on our ceiling within a few hours using this method. I rolled and my husband smoothed it out with the knife. We initially used the hawk and trowel for the first coat, and that took 3 painful days. This technique is so much faster and less painful. A world of a difference! Thank you Vancouver Carpenter!
A wife who can drywall: life just doesn't get better than this!
Thank you so much for showing the close up! I am doing skim coat job right now, and I was stressing out about leaving some lift offs and small lines on my finish before sanding, thinking I was doing something wrong. Seeing the close up and what finished skim coat realistically looks like, makes me extremely relieved and I will be worrying less with my next skim coat!
Nice video. I like to wet the roller, then dip it into the mud in order that the roller doesn’t take so long to “accept” the mud. Wetting the roller enables us to quickly load the roller. A dry roller takes time to load up since the mud isn’t so wet nor is the roller and therefore the mud is inclined to “resist” adhering to the dry fibers of the roller. Not soaking wet....just moist.
Thanks to you, I started using a hawk and trowel to smooth-coat my knockdown textured walls (I’m doing the ceilings and walls for my whole house @ 3000 sq ft). It sucked at first, but I noticed my trowel was a piece of crap. So after I bent it into shape, it has now cut my time by close to 2/3 of the time it took me using a pan and knife. I was going to try this method, but I’m liking the hawk over the pan, because you can load it quickly using a bucket scraper and then clean the hawk easier and faster than a pan. The trowel being double sided is almost like using two 11” knives at the same time, and I don’t have to keep cleaning the trowel in the pan like you do with a knife and pan. It’s just sooo much faster!!! Like you said though, some jobs require a pan and knife.
My first try at skim coating went well but Scott, I used a trowel and hawk. I impressed myself as a first timer. I was looking at different ways to fix a bad paint job (deep deep deep brush marks) and walls where wallpaper was removed. Some people said try thick paint (took too many coats of paint) or paintable wall paper (did not try, I was afraid of seams opening). Skim coating was not that hard and I like how it turned out, a smooth wall.
@c Adamants your comment has given me some confidence ....i'm about to attempt the same after removing wallpaper from a wall half of the plaster on the wall also came off...i thought a thick wallpaper would cover it up but once i put up once piece of wallpaper i could still see the crack under the wallpaper.. so now going to attempt a skim coat using this method ...wish me luck!
@@coachBux Good luck. As Scott says, don't try for perfection on the first try. You'll be surprised with the right tools you'll get the technique down in no time.
THANK YOU! I'm repairing my 1920's plaster walls - first time DIY because nobody around does plaster that I could find. Learned A LOT from your videos. Almost ready to skim. This is VERY helpful. THANKS!!!
lsabik88 as he said, plaster does not always do like that, but, apply a product such as bondcrete to the plaster, then you should get a decent flat finish with this technique bu a true plaster would be a better product sometimes. A trick I use on plaster is to use mesh tape, not paper tape, on corners and around outlets... just take your time. And keep the sections small as you work.
@@brotheradam Agree. I skim with All Purpose -- over repairs on plaster wall. This video helped a lot.
Here's what you bring to the table: You take the fear out of skim coating.
I was able to remove wall paper DRY with just a drywall knife and pulling off large sheets of the paper. Wife soaked and scraped the glue off. No damage from us, just something screwy with the paneling that went half way up the wall. Like there was a brown sheet glued to the drywall under the paneling. Also some of the wallpaper removed the drywall top layer of paper in large sections. SO wasn't looking forward to the skim coat until I saw this video. Thanks for the hard work conveying your knowledge. I appreciate you.
Hey man I'm going through the exact same thing right now, let me know how it goes for you
@@Taha-ne9cd Ok the skim coat: thicker is ok, it just means you get more to sand (ugh). Your shop vac needs a drywall dust bag or filter. Buy extras of both.
Leaving the line is ok, it sands easily.
Sheetrock brand Green top All purpose is harder to sand than the Plus3 dark blue top.
You'll need to thin it a bit.
I used a 12 inch blade.
Technique is slight pressure consistently on one side of knife. The joint compound WILL LIFT the other side of knife automatically. Amount of pressure is determined by thickness of joint compound.
Crumbs SUCK! but you'll get them no matter what. Don't sweat them.
Divots and depressions after sanding will be filled, individually after sanding and wiping with damp sponge/cloth, let dry.
ALL errors can be fixed after sanding. Don't sweat it.
Took me three walls and the fourth was really good (not perfect).
GOOD ENOUGH rules the day when you're not a professional.
I am now fixing divots/depressions today and will sand tomorrow, prime the next day, paint the day after. . . boom done. BOOYAH!
After doing a very light knockdown texture in my bathroom, I have so much respect for you. My back hurts so much today. I still have to paint. Oh my gosh I started getting so upset over little bits of stuff making lines in my wall. I was also tired and again hurting. I am DIYing the bathroom remodel after work. So there's that. I want to thank you for these videos. This has been my first go at drywall repair and covering. Your videos made it less daunting. Now I will likely use this method in the other bathroom as I do not want texture there.
Skim coating is certainly not for the faint hearted. I'll keep improving on my knife and roller application.
Great skim coating tips.
The thing I got the most out of in this video was the very subtle angle changes of the scraper that changed the process from building up to smoothing off. It’s the little things the make the biggest difference to overall finish quality. Thank you
Excellent tip! I’m a carpenter and definitely not a Sheetrock guy. I botched patching a wall after I installed the brackets (14 total) for 4 floating shelves. I used this technique to skim the wall sections and it came out wonderfully!
Thank you so much!!
As time passes while you’re doing a wall, the mud in the bucket tends to start to dry. I suggest anybody watching this video keep handy a bottle of water with which to spritz the compound in the bucket so that it doesn’t start getting very hard and heavy for you to work with it.
A small plastic cup with just enough water to cover the surface works well also.
I use this method when storing mud also.
The bucket sides above the mud need to be clean.
I mix in water to a little thinner than what he used in the video.
Then i pour in just enough water cover the surface about 1/8th inch deep.
Snap the lid on tight and the mud will keep for a long time.
Store in a shady cool place. Well at least shady.
@@shawnr771 Also, cover the surface of the mud with plastic wrap to stop evaporation and hardening of the material.
Thank you for mixing mud video, your skim coat video, your taping and finishing videos, and your painting video. I just finished a remodel of a bathroom after watching your videos and you've been a very instrumental and making it a very successful project. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for this video, I had to do it on all walls and ceiling in a room where the previous owner thought that the texture he applied looked good but was definitely an eyesore. I never did this before and a painter slammed me with a $2500 estimate to do it. I went to the big box and bought some materials and tools instead and wow, amazingly easy. I struggled the most around a big window due to the intricate trim but man, I am happy after the first coat… now… second coat 😅
I have watched a zillion different videos. Vancouver Carpenter is by far the easiest to follow and learn from. Thanks!!!!
Lynn, I echo your thoughts as well! Ben is very clear, cut and straight to the point.
I just skimmed 2 classrooms the old way 🤮 the next one will definitely be with a roller 👍 thank you for helping me work smarter.
Lol I don't even know the old way, just copied this. It's just lovely
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Thank you so much for this video. Just purchased a 100+ year old home with plaster walls that I'm going to remove nasty wallpaper from and the walls underneath are horrible. This was exactly what I needed in order to be able to paint them and have them look nice. Couldn't have asked for a better video :)
I've skim coated old plaster wall and it looks beautiful. Like new.
Hello. Can I use this paint roller technique to skim coat a plastered wall ??
Thank you for this. The house flippers from whom I bought this house did exactly what you said - gouged the walls when removing old wallpaper. I'll try this soon.
Last year I had to get my mom's house ready for sale. One of the projects was doing a skim coat and using this very method. Years ago, when we were kids, my sister thought it would be a good idea to cover two walls with cork. Onto plaster walls. The cork board was hung to the wall using liquid nail... A lot of liquid nail OMG
I removed the cork. The liquid nail was like they were drawing and zigzagging with the caulking gun. All I could do was grind down the liquid nail. Get it close to something that resembled flat and then do exactly what the video shows. I was amazed at how well this works. Believe me when I say the 2 walls were F*****up. First time ever trying this. The finished walls with primer then paint was perfect. So follow directions you'll get there.
Tho I've done a few, a roller will be my next. One thing tho, I always put a little "hood" of 2" tape over the devices, or for longer duration, full cover them. Its nice that you can still push a plug in and use them and they'll still be clean at the end of the job. The time it takes to cover a roomful equals time it takes to clean up one receptacle!
Great tip, thank you!
I skim coated 3 walls with the roller method ... small sections then knife smoothed them...I had 'washboard' as you called it and didn't know why - thanks. Position of knife when pulling the mud...who'd a thunk it !!
Thank you all the way from Germany! these German painter charge me an arm and a leg for smooth walls (most people here like wood chip wallpaper which gives a knockdown finish). To get smooth walls first they sand the raw walls, then they skim coat, then they sand the skim coat, then they wallpaper with what they call painter's fleece (like a glass woven cloudy and thin white fabric) and paint 2 times over that with dispersion paint.. it's nuts. I bought a premade mud (knauf super finish) and skim coated my wall, then I'll sand it, and then I'll paint with a 2in1 paint + primer.. done!
Hello. Was the was a plastered wall ??
Can I use this technique to skim coat a plastered wall??
@Vancouver Carpenter, this info/demonstration is excellent. I'm doing a 15 x 15 room and am skim coating. I've only done this once before in a very small bathroom. I have watched this vid at least 10 times and get something out of it each time. Thanks for posting !!!! Now...back to the walls 😄
The light was a good idea. Just wanna say thanks too! I had a washer-dryer area and using all your tips and techniques, it came out looking amazing. Walls were wallpaper removal damaged and painted over, mudding hadn't been sanded but yet, painted over, tape missing, rotted walls from water leaks, you name it, I had it. Now, they look like all brand new walls. One thing; I didn't have a lot of strength so I used a wetted rubber blade for final smoothing and it resulted in a huge reduction in sanding. The other, when I encountered a lot of bubbles. I put the mud on, took it off and reapplied it immediately, (4-7' wall). Not sure my arm could have taken it if the wall was any bigger. Not sure what it did but no more bubbles. Again, thanks!
I wish i saw this a month ago when i had to repair a wall at the rental when they left decals all over the wall that peeled the paint off...this would have been soooo much easier..thanks for the video's, love them!!
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I helped my uncle do this same thing in the 1970's as a gangly 12 year old.....I made $1.00 an hour that summer......I was the richest kid in the neighborhood
same here except I was with my father, I made five dollars for each house I cleaned up. Removing the debris from his cuttings of drywall. Then I got five a house for scraping all the mud off the floors and sweeping it all out. Made a good bit of coin for a 7-year-old. Now 52, I am using the lessons I learned to rebuild my own place. Kids today won't even attempt to do what we did as kids.
U sir have motivated me to keep working for what I want in life and not just complain about what I don't have.. Thank u sir
Probably made thousands drywall takes so damn long when you don't know what your doing
Eddie & Cara White dude the cops Child protective services and fucking CNN would be knocking on your door hell the most I could do legally at that age and not get my parents in shit is play games go to school and homework it’s fucking stupid had to wait till I was 13 before I could grab a shovel and dig some dirt legally it’s not that we don’t want too it’s that are parents will get in shit
Cool! 👍😎
The big disadvantage to the paint roller method is a lot of times depending on your porosity of the wall, if you're going over bare drywall or flat paint, the joint compound actually dries before you can knock it down. So it's a good trick in the bag, but sometimes just using an actual plaster trowel and hawk is better. Another thing too is just using Easy Sand to level out a wall, and just doing a final very light skim coat with All Purpose to give an easier to sand base coat.
I’d like to keep a spray bottle set to mist to resolve my mud and sometimes even paint from drying faster than I’d like. And I’d probably pre-mist bare drywall if I was going over that.
This is great! Now I can get the same results with a cheap paint roller and 15 years of experience! Seriously, these are great tips and I will use them as best as I can, but this guy has really good knife skills that don't come overnight.
Thanks for posting this. I've been skim coating the walls of my apartment for the last week. I tried this roller method and ended up with mud flying off the roller and making a mess. Now I'm wondering if if the mud was too thin. After that I skimmed most the walls by applying the mud with the knife. For a novice it was a lot work, and as you pointed out in an earlier video, an inexperienced worker doesn't have the strength in their hands of an experienced dry waller. Hand very sore. I have one more room to go, and I'm going to try the roller application again. Hopefully I picked up some new information from this video. Your posts are incredible. I have to tape an area of drywall and unfinished wood, and thanks to you I learned about the tear off bead in another post. I was pondering how I was going to manage that situation. You've given me confidence to preserve with this project. Thank you.
Rolling fast will also cause mud to go airborne
@@samo4648 Thank you . I have one more room to go and I will take your advice into consideration.
You should mark your knives so you know what side you have facing the wall without looking. I took a half round file and put a finger groove on the back side of all my handles.
Good idea!
are all blades curved? Mine don't look like they are
I've got a big red 'NO!' written in sharpie on one side of them, mostly for the sake of others.. :-)
@@Cam-wi3tp I think the stamped ones are (with the aluminum bar)
@rumpleforeskin73 first off, great name. Second, it sounds like the reason I don't let others "play" with my calligraphy pens. The nibs will bend to the consistent use of their owner over time and then someone *reshapes* them for you. Rrrgh.
I love the roller texture. Even the plasterwork on ceilings is great. It really shows of skill. I hope it comes back in style.
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@@helpmetoreach1ksubcribers233 Very nice work, I would hire you in a heartbeat to fix up my home. That plaster is so much better than the drywall everyone uses here.
I did the roller texture on walls in a 400sqft room - I think it turned out pretty good looking.
I was initially going for smooth, but there were so many patches from rewiring and plumbing, and the old material wasn't nailed up all the great so a bunch of nail pops, wavyness, and random damage - so essentially just got frustrated and was like F it, I'm just going to roll the whole room.
Prob should have watched some more of these videos first, but thankfully turned out pretty nice just taping the joints and then rolling the whole wall
I found that if you use a textured roller its much easier to skim coat. Plus you can easily wash it and re use it. I learned that technique a few years ago from my co-workers. Definitely much better if you team up.
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@@helpmetoreach1ksubcribers233 I haven't seen many people work like that. That's some skills.
This answered my question about whether a coat needed to go over all the drywall before painting.
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I think Im going to try this method again, I tried once before but I think I had the mud a bit too thin! Thanks for posting!
I've been painting for going on 12 years now. Mud work has always been My kryptonite since day one. I've watched countless videos on how to skimcoat. Yours is the first to use a roller to apply the mud. I'm currently repainting master bathroom that has textured wall paper. (Nightmare). I'm gonna apply your method and see what happens. Thank you for your video I believe it's going to help me a lot. I do a follow-up once I get it completed.
I've been drywalling for years, not as a professional, but as part of my building career. You'd think I would know it all by now. But here I am, still learning new tricks from this young guy. Great series of videos, Vancouver Carpenter! I'm about 500 km east of you in central British Columbia.
doubt you are 500km East and still in central BC. I guess North East since you say central BC. Williams lake is about that. Hah, just threw me off when you said East and somehow central.
What's a good grit sand paper to use after doing this stage
yes, as an a-merikan I’m glad to know that pan and knife reigns supreme for this. Many thanks for this video, you’ve got me primed to skim.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise here. Going to use this technique on my walls before applying wallpaper. Really appreciate your friendly Canadian tone 🇨🇦
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I think it will help if you wet your roller before dipping it into the mud. Reason? The mud water will more easily attach to the roller if the roller fibres have water on them. Ever try to push a brand new mop into a bucket of water?
What happens? Mop pops out of the bucket. Same idea here. Thanks for all your help!!!!
I have used his tip to skim coat a whole room out and it works...thanks for the vid!!!!
Great video!! We were quoted something like $5K to have just one area of our small house retextured and painted. Yeah, no. But we had no clue how to do it ourselves. Thanks for explaining it so clearly!
Adding a little dish soap to the mud will help eliminate pinholes. Break down the surface tension. Or so my drywall person in Seattle has said.
WeRemodel.com, llc only a little not very much...
you’ve just saved me so much heartache. it took me a few hours to do a super crappy job on a 12 foot or so section of wall and i was so discouraged but i feel way better about this
Great video! I have an old house and the hallway is a mess. Appreciate the courage!
Just a tip- I like to use a shower squeegee on the finish coat when I’m working on repairs at my rentals. It never drags any dried bits across the finish and sanding is cut down to a minimum. I use for small areas. Don’t think it would work with such a large area but it really reduces the sanding and gives a perfect finish.
This method of applying mud to drywall is very effective as I tried it once. The tricky part is feathering the edges if you haven't had a lot of experience with a hawk and trowel. The next time I do this, I will take Ben's advice and use the 10" knife instead of the trowel.
Excellent video. I am about to redo a 13x14 room where someone painted several times over wallpaper and I was very concerned with what I was going to do with the walls after I peeled it all off. Thank you.
I have a bedroom that it looks like they gave up once they rolled it on. It looks drippy and completely uneven. Cleaning it has been a nightmare. So thank you for this, I'm going to skim coat it and make it cleanable.
If there are imperfections in a skim coat and you're trying to go for a smooth finish, is it possible to fill things like scratches, pocks, and rougher areas without those areas flashing after priming and painting? Or do you literally have to re-skim the whole wall to get a uniform finish? That seems like it would be an endless quest...
Oddly enough, I haven't found many videos from *anyone* on how to properly touch up a skim coat (if that's even possible). I've watched Vancouver Carpenter's video on what *not* to do when touching up a skim coat (i.e. touch up after priming, don't touch up sanded mud, etc.). But I can't find a video on how to properly touch up a skim coat without having splotches and flashing all over the place.
I mean, I know ideally a skim coat should be perfect after applying it, with no tool marks etc., but let's be real, there's always going to be something that gets through, whether it's an occasional hitchhiker scratch or an accidental ding in the wall from a stray tool. But surely re-skimming the whole wall isn't the only solution in all these cases?
I used this method on walls that a previous owner had applied what can only be described as a sponge swirl affect with peaks!! Think of a merange pie 🥧 ! Yeah it was that bad. Lol! Anyways I sanded the peaks down and then I simply applied the mud with a 3/4 inch roller and smoothed it out with a 10 inch knife. When we first saw the house we thought we would just replace the drywall as it was that bad. But we saved a a lot of money by simply doing this. It came out really nice. You can't tell its not just regular untextured sheetrock now.
I tried another method to get the first coat on and was totally frustrated, and then tried this method today. I used an old half roller since the room is tiny (it is a toilet separate from the rest of the bathroom) and I only had a gallon bucket of compound where a full roller wouldn't fit. I rolled onto the first wall above a window and took the knife and voila, done and smooth. I did the side wall, really only half a wall because tile goes halfway up, and it came out much better. Easy almost. It'll need some touch-up, but I took the advice to touch up later rather than muck up now.
Another great video by Mr. Vancouver Carpenter! Thank you.
Awesome video. I'm remodeling a small bathroom and was fretting on how to skim coat the ceiling. Now I know exactly what to do. Thanks!
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Ive never skim coated an entire wall. I am applying this method to my entire living room because it had an ugly texture. It’s looking great so far! Thank you!
Thanks great demonstration, I never would’ve thought of applying skim coat with a roller. Also, probably most important is your demonstration of the proper consistency for the mud.
Hey, Vancouver Carpenter. I watched your video yesterday and today I skim coated my bathroom after removing wallpaper and priming with Gardz. Your rolling method of applying the mud worked GREAT, much faster than using a drywall pan. Where I live all drywall also is textured, so that will be my next step on my bathroom project. I am glad for the texture step as I think that will hide my lack of skill. Thanks for your helpful video!!!
"When working on the ceiling you may have a roller fall on your face... It's super awesome." LOL 😆😅 I love your videos man! Thank you for taking the time to make them.
Didn't know John Mulaney also did remodels, great video!
"I'm sooooorrryyy"
Yes, best comment!
Literally just finished listening to new in town while putting drywall up
Ha I thought I recognized him!
This is one of the best videos on how to skim coat a wall that I've ever come across on TH-cam!!!! And, you said that you can do this on a ceiling too? Great !!! I, unfortunately, had several leaks in my roof last winter and it ruined the ceiling in my living room. And the old paint bubbled and peeled in many places and has left huge spaces on the ceiling where the paint peeled off.
I honestly didn't know how to fix it until I saw your video. I haven't tried it yet, but I think it will work!
Thank you so much for making this video !!
I think you are a good teacher. Nice job. Great video. Respect
Greetings from Chicago. Find it therpudic to watch your videos. Not in the trades but my father, carpenter by trade. Back when I was a kid , he would have bathroom or kitchen remodeling jobs...I recall fondly washing the tools, mixing...iam still able to mix up a pan and must say pretty snappy at it. But from watching and doing a bit....iam able to tape, slow but I can get it done. Few times I've mixed up ....say 45 or 90 topping.....just before it sets.....I hit it with a sponge....just to be playing with it. I've had great results and than sand....
Awesome! Seems easy enough for a novice like me. Thanks for the tutorial!
I learn something new everytime I watch your videos. Very informative!👍👍👍
I have a wall that I did a brown paper bag texture..I glued paper bags to wall. Can I use this method to cover it up?
Awesome tip for spreading out the mud. I have some drywall that was over sanded years ago when the house was built and have never repainted it. Will skim coat it now.
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Don't know if you have that in Canada. Polimer based ready mixes dedicated for a roller. They dry long (48h +/- before sanding), but you can apply a whole wall before it starts drying out.
like LSR from Fluegger.
If you add a quarter cup or even less of liquid laundry detergent it will absolutely eliminate ALL air bubbles/pockets. The first time I tried it I was in shock/amazed. Use any time you mix mud, not just skim coat.
My man. Thank you so much for this video. I only know enough to be dangerous for drywall and I learned some really great tips here - especially for recovering from a monster wallpaper deconstruction.
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I'm embarrassed to say how long it took to skim coat my living room. 2 months to get it ready for paint. In I week of about 1.5 to 2 hours a day I'm going to have a large bedroom ready for paint. Would have taken me 6 weeks. This is arguably the most useful home DIY video I've ever found. Thanks a million!
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Thanks. After watching 4 or 5 other vids, You covered what I ( drywall newbie) needed to know to git r done fast n easy with great results.
Thanks Ben I do every type of construction in eglin airforce base and been having trouble hawk and troweling for first time gonna try this an see if I can't cover my joints better
I really like this tip I do a lot of remodeling and I typically just skim the wall freehand I love the way that this puts an even flow on there thanks a lot buddy
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Trying this tomorrow, but I will start with the closet. Merci !
Really good this. Ratio workshop to talk very high/optimised. I'm gonna pack in my small knives, and use the rollers. Many thanks.
Using the roller to apply the mud is an excellent tip! Also, starting in the middle. Thanks for all the quality videos - I always learn something new.
I love your videos but I have a few questions. I like your roller method of All-Purpose Lite (similar to USG Plus 3), but are these plaster walls or drywall? -- I'm repairing old plaster and lath walls after wallpaper removal and plan to do a skim coat to smooth it all out at the end.
1. Which joint compound is best to repair the small dings and holes in the plaster in first coat?
2. Which joint compound is best for first coat skim? Durabond 90? EasySand 90? All Purpose (green lid) or Plus3 (blue lid)? Other? (I know these are the US versions)
3. Which joint compound is the best for the final skim coat?
Thank you and thanks again for all your awesome videos! I've learned a ton!
You’re a good teacher
So much useful information in this video. Thank you for providing it for free so I can learn and have a nicer house ♥
Definitely helps, especially since as an American I can use the tools I already have. Before this I was all set to but a trowel and hawk. Probably still will do just for the fun of it.
Since every wall and mud is white and this is what you must work with - maybe you should try some colored lights to bring the contrast and detail out for video purposes :)
Not how that works but ok.
Leois12 Sure it is. Lighting is everything. A different light, at a different angle would definitely differentiate the new mud on the old wall.
We use strong LEDs white light pointed sideways or up at wall no notice all the detects not always do it so seriously though really depends on the project
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I wish these videos had been available in the eighties!
I’m currently trying to fix all the mistakes I made in the 80s, latex over oil.....
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Thanks! I will be trying this on some of the road weary walls in my apartments that have battle scars from nails, hole repairs, etc.
The close ups were awesome, much appreciated, and it was great hearing you call out the spots where a novice will need more patience (like around the outlets).
Awesome video!
VC, thanks very much for your advice. The most valuable content from earlier videos was how you loaded your knife for the corners and how to thin the standard compound for pro results. I recently finished a bunch of 12 foot joints on a ceiling right in front of huge windows (i.e. major lighting was right across the seams) and the result is golden. Very proud of the result and I have to give props to you. Next up, I have to skim coat a 100 year old plaster hallway. Looking forward to using your advice again.
Great demonstration 👍
I always apply a coat of primer on all surfaces for a bond coat prior to any mud application...I'm an overkill guy 😂
Great content as always!
I just had usg all purpose completely eat kilz 2 primer and the paint underneath it skimming the shoddy seam at the wall to ceiling joint that I decided to fix after priming ( you wouldn’t believe what happened the first time around with this primer ) It sloughed off like I’ve never seen before or thought could happen. How does everyone get else away with it? Lol
I want to skim this wall but I’m afraid to now. I was thinking of priming it with oil based primer just to lock it all down and be sure I don’t have a problem again🤷🏻♂️
This project is knocking years off my life already, everything has been an uphill battle. Like climbing Mt Everest with one leg, sliding down on my face, and doing it again lol
You’re using usg all purpose here?
Thank you! This is the last step we need in our bathroom and I've been really intimidated, but this looks manageable. Thank you so much!
I really love your dry humor!!! 😆 🤣 thank you for the help
@Vancouver Carpenter Man, I love your videos - so helpful, I have watched tons of them. I'm watching from the UK, and I wondered, what difference does it make if you were doing this over an old Victorian plaster wall, as opposed to drywall? I have a spare bedroom that I want to do, and having stripped the walls, some is bare (and fairly rough) plaster which I have stabilised with 1:5 PVA, but another wall was actually painted with a satin paint direct on to the plaster which has come off in little patches but is mostly very well attached to the wall, and would be just a pain to remove. Do you think I could use this technique on this room? You mention at the beginning that drywall is a whole different ball game to plaster, but I'm not clear why?
I use a sharpie to mark the side of the knife where the tips point out so I can tell at a glance which side not to use. I put arrows pointing up to the corners on the thicker part of the blade near the handle.
I think you need first prepare walls with PVA or in case if there was a gloss paint under wall paper everything will come off.
Is there a process to skim over painted walls to ensure it does not separate over time? Thanks
Fantastic video. You mentioned something along the line of applying the same method to textured ceilings. I just want to confirm if skimming is indeed a doable method for textured (not popcorn) ceilings. Thanks
I have done it. It's a pain but the results are worth it.