Here's the entire TH-cam Playlist: Never seen before super double dog secret diy skim coating tips and tricks! th-cam.com/play/PL7Ww-LhWbB0EeAJDmzncGCX0N4CrEF7pG.html Below in my Drywall and Painting Shop are all of the tools and products used in this Skim coating walls for beginners tutorial: ▶ www.amazon.com/shop/paulpeck
Buil Dinit and, often you find defects you didnt mark. On bigger jobs I sometimes put a bright light shining down the wall and just walk around and touch them up as I go. Other times I mark it out with the pencil so the blue mud makes it much easier to find these parts you need to sand after the blue mud dries.
The heck with smooth walls, I'll just 1970's texture it and like it. It's a nightmare, bought a handyman special with so many problems this house just may kill me. From lead to asbestos to leaking retaining walls. I've done so much work I'm now a master mason. Next up drywall. Painting I learned in a snap doing lead abatement. Oh fun. Oh, a fireball came out of an exterior electrical socket last week when I unplugged the Christmas lights. Kept smelling sulfur in the garage, yeah that's burning wires. Who knew? I'm 63 and this joint won't cut me a break. I sit and wait for something to go wrong and it does, right on cue. Happy DIYing. Ugh.
Great video Paul. A good trick to keep the little chunks from getting in your mud is to cover the mud with about 1/2 inch of water before you seal the bucket each time. When you open it tomorrow all the mud will be under the water, no dried pieces to mess up your skims. Dump the water and start working.
Right on Danny! Great tip!👍🏻 Yes, take a wet sponge to wipe the inside of the bucket edges and add a 1/2” of water over the remaining joint compound!💥 Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend!😎 -Paul
Hello Paul I'm a DIYer myself. I've poured the foundation and framed a 4000sqft home. I just recently finished the drywall which took me a little over a year to do, with working a regular job. I just finished taping and mudding the first room thanks to your very good instructions. I'm about to tackle the skin coat next week and will be watching every video you have on skim coating. Thank you for giving back the knowledge you have obtained of the years. People like you inspired me to build my new home from basically TH-cam videos. I will post videos so you can see my progress. God bless you!
That's so awesome man!👍 Thank you so much for letting me know that my videos are helping you! It truly inspires me to keep making these videos to help others. Let me know how your skim coating project turns out or if you run into any questions along the way. Thanks again!🙏 -Paul
Hey, another great video. You know the funny thing is, that’s almost exactly the way I do it. But I do break out a bright light and sidelight it as it does bring out the defects better. Had planned on doing a smooth finish video one of these days so it will look like I copied you, LOL.Cool video, thanks.
My house has plaster walls and the texture is in a seashell shaped pattern. Your skim coating technique looks like it's going to be a lifesaver when we go to smooth out our walls!
I’m patching seven various sized holes in my home left from a plumbing repair job-four foot by one foot for the biggest and down to an 8” by 10” hole. I saved the pieces they cut out and re-installed them to fill the holes. This is a little challenging taping and mudding over all these holes due to the orange peel texture causing the knife to chatter quite a bit. I’m also a first timer using hot mud. I used USG 45 going over the repair areas, which I taped with fiberglass mesh tape. I got my patches fairly smooth on the first few, but I had way too may bumps and blemishes on a couple patches. I got advice on wet-sanding/ragging hot mud instead of sanding from another pro and that saved me-I was able to smooth out everything and make a much better feathered edge using the wet sand methods. I also mixed the 45 mud a little loose. Thank you so much for your tutorials-you are a solid professional, and I really appreciate you guys who are willing to share your knowledge to help folks out.
Awesome vid Paul, I have been a drywall contractor for over 20 years most your tricks are common practice in the drywall field. When doing big projects a pencil is a must as there is usually more than one worker and is usually done on final touch up as well as the blue chalk. Perfect vid for diy people.
A quik way to mix up your mud is with an old cake mixing paddle in your cordless drill. I have been using one for quite some time. Works great! Good video by the way.
My husband and I are remodeling our house and this playlist has taught us so much! Thank you for uploading these! Quick question. Where is the video that follows this one? This video is the 5th and last one of the playlist. Not sure what to do after applying the blue mud. Thanks!
These tips are amazing! I hate to think of how many days of work these would have saved me over the years doing DIY projects. This series should be a mandatory course in high schools. Everybody at some time has to repaint a wall whether they own or are renting. Thank you for sharing your skills.
I've been a painting contractor for about 11 years now I appreciate your tips , I'm dealing with a wall from 1978 right now that I had to skim smooth over super thick texture
Love that trick! I'm putting you right up there with Chris, the Idaho Painter! I'll share some of mine with you - I learned to hook a shop vac up to a palm sander. It sands so fast, you have to keep it moving or it can burn the tape! Very little effort too. End of the day, I "park" my mud by scraping the bucket walls with a 6" knife so I have all the mud neatly flat with nothing to dry out and fall into it, making streakers. Then I use my thumb/forefinger web or a rag to go around the rim, and also check the lid. Even a year later this mud is still good to go!
I hear priming before touching up makes it easier to see the imperfections and you don't end up with different density of mud in touch up areas vs the surrounding areas, which can make sanding touch ups result in unevenness. What's your take?
Hi Paul...first thanks for your videos big help to me! Have a question for you...I removed baseboards that was caulked at the top and cut into vinyl wall paper? We’ll when I pulled the baseboards off the wall the vinyl came with it, now I need to mud to adjust for the removed vinyl...drywall paper teared as well. How would you repair and avoid bubbles in the tape? Thank you 🙏 for your help!
Hi Robert, I’m glad you’re enjoying my videos!👍🏻 Here’s a video that should cover your situation: th-cam.com/video/ihv9XajjPFs/w-d-xo.html Not sure if you even need to add tape for this repair... Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend!😎 -Paul
If you shine the light down the wall the long way it shows every little bump and divot by making them cast a shadow. It was the best trick I ever learned by far
Hey Paul, I was always told with touchups to not do that on sanded drywall - I was told that it would leave ridges. For touchups, I was told to do it after priming. Am I OK to do touchups on sanded drywall do you think? Any thoughts on that?
DIY'er here. We've been trying to save a step by buying paint with primer already in it but I'm getting the impression that this is not ideal....correct? Also, have never added water to the mud and end up with lots and lots of mud on walls and thus, never-ending sanding...thx for your help!!
Hello Paul! I am looking for the last video on sanding, priming, products used to have that smooth finish that you referenced in the last 30 seconds. Please provide link. Thank you.
Legend. Thanks for the tips, these are gold as they are what save you time, effort and money on jobs. Thanks for sharing and I will have a look at your other videos when I get a moment. Cheers
i am learning how to do home repairs on a budget as I am a single income mom. Looking for some advise on how to fix cracks in the drywall above door frames without cutting out sheetrock. Tips?
Great idea using dye in the mix to aid visibility! Any tips or can you make a video to show easiest way to fix old and "peaked" drywall seams? Do I have to slice into the seam or can just feather out to hide the shallow areas?
Not sure if he mentioned it,,, but if you are applying touch ups, you should prime first or apply the touch ups before sanding. Adding the touch ups puts a thin layer of mud on but it will be hard to sand it perfectly if it was already sanded. The primer will help create a barrier so you can sand the touch ups and then spot prime the touchup areas to get a smooth finish.
Blue mud-thats brillent. I am doing a bedroom, and it is turning out beautiful. I did get some joint compound on the popcorn ceiling. Any suggestions to remove it?
I see your using All purpose for skim coating but I use Ultralight which has less Adhesive and easier to sand for skim coating. My current project involves repairing, skim coating and painting my garage walls.
Thank you for the video series, really great info. We are fixing older skim coated walls and adding new skim coated walls. Curious how to fix nail heads that have pushed through older skim coated walls and cracks in skim coated walls. Could you give some direction or reference a video that might show that? Thank you. Immensely helpful videos.
Hi Alisha, yes I would do a quick fill coat on the nails before doing your first skim coat.👍🏻 I hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! -Paul
Hi Paul I am a dyi guy just starting out. I have popcorn ceilings in my house and they are looking pretty bad. I am skim coating over them. The wall I am doing now has first coat on. But is pretty rough. Do I need too sand it first and then apply second coat? Or scrape it and then apply. Mixed mud half bucket mud and added half cup water too it. Des final coat need too be thinner than first coat?
Awesome trick! I do a similar technique when doing body work. Question for ya... I have my parents bathroom that has alot of blistered areas on the ceiling, especially over the shower. They never had a ceiling fan, so im guessing the hot showers over 20 some yrs has caused this issue... How would i go about repairing it? Should i sand the entire ceiling with a 100 or 120 grit, clean off the dust, then start skimming just the problem areas? Or should i try and skim coat the entire ceiling at once? I was worried about it shrinking back after its dry and still being able to see all the marks. Thank you!
@JD I just finished a job and used UL on the both coats. There were some bubbles coming up on the first coat because of the painted surface had a sheen. other than that, it worked out great, I think he just like to use All Purpose for EVERYTHING! lol
Paul, adding the chalk to the joint compound with the water is a great idea. Sometimes, it is very hard to know where extra joint compound is applied the the walls with an extra application. I will certainly try this in my painting business!
Paul I’m a painting contractor in swfl. Recently removed a popcorn ceiling and applied a knockdown texture throughout the home. On the ceilings, I kept running into uneven areas that flattened out the texture when I was knocking it down. How do I fix it? Thanks!
I’ve been painting for 25 years, and also own my own business. I also use the pencil trick for my touch ups as well. I’ve never seen the chalk line chalk added to the joint compound. I don’t understand the purpose if it’s already penciled to know where the areas are to be sanded. To me the pencil works great as is. Is there another purpose behind the chalk?
christopher iorio , I’ve seen people with pencils marking walls , sometimes they would have to patch whatever they circled and the circle they marked on the wall. I know it sounds simple enough to circle a scratch or ding with a pencil on new drywall but people are usually in a hurry and don’t take time to do it right. I usually ask the drywall guy to add chalk when patching, especially when using white primer, makes them real easy to find.
Hey, so I removed 4 layers of wallpaper and the last layer ripped off a bunch of the top layer of Sheetrock. I sanded the entire room with 120 grit, then put one coat of Pro-999/rx-35 on top. My questions are : 1. should I put another coat of the sealer before skimming the wall? 2. should I sand the sealer before skimming? 3. Is a roller with joint compound a better option for large areas? Thank you, I really enjoyed your videos.
ROLLER IS A GREAT IDEA BUT IT IS A PRACTICED ART. BE PREPARED. MAYBE NEXT TIME JUST RIP OFF OLD ROCK WITH 4 LAYERS OF PAPER AND PUT NEW. TOO MUCH TIME WASTED
Hi Paul, Can you tell me why the mud bubbles after you applied it to wall, After a couple of passes with the blade they are gone but sometimes they slowly reappear after a a few minutes and you have to give it another pass.. I suspect this has something to do with adding water to the mix to make a smoother mix. Is there anyway to stop the bubbles from happening in the first place as I only like give it a minimal pass with the knife for a skim coat.
The ceiling was bulging down in an area. On further inspection, there was evidence of moisture damage. As I chipped away uncovering fluffy, crumbly sheetrock with a light glaze of black mildew between the sheetrock and the skim coat. Should I cut the skim coat with a craft knife to the area that is mostly damaged? Or should I take the whole skim coat down as far as it has separated from the sheetrock above? That could be the whole room! I am pretty good at patching large and small holes in sheetrock walls, but have never before done a ceiling. I feel I reasonably understand how to cut out the bad sheetrock, add furring strips, and patch with a new piece, tape and mud. My main concern is whether to remove an entire room worth of skim coat from the ceiling and then spray with bleach to kill the mildew? Or should I attempt to limit the area of skim coat removal even though I can see it slightly bulging away from the ceiling?
Wow Robin!😳 That’s a tough one... My first question would be, Where is the moisture coming from? Have you figured that out yet? Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend!🙏 -Paul
My contractor left ugly marks and I leveled parts to my bathroom wall above a mirror that can not be moved. I only have a 6x12 area to work on but the space is tight and the mirror cost $6k. I’ve taped and covered the mirror and light figure and don’t know where to start. I’m new to this and its in such a tight work space. Any tips? My contractor is long gone!!
I have extremely thick drop down texture. It looks like it was sprayed and actually never "knocked down". Giant raised, bubble, bumps. Should I sand it a bit first before skim coating?
Yes. It’ll make your life much easier. If you can do it, utilize an actual sander that hooks up to a shopvac/dust collector so you don’t have crap tons of fine dry wall dust everywhere. If you can’t get an electric sander then really make sure to use the proper PPE (respirator mask, eye protection etc) as well as taping plastic barriers as you’ll have a massive load of super fine thick dust going everywhere. I learned my lesson the first time I hand sanded a wall that the prior owner did some cuckoo texturing on, ever since I’ve been much more conscientious. There’s a lot of videos about how to hook up a sander to a vacuum for easier cleanup. Well worth it. Your sinuses and body will thank you.
Thank you for your video series on skim coating! I am preparing to smooth out two orange peel texture walls in a game room to paint a chalk board finish. I have a question: since we intend on writing on the walls with chalk, is the usg all purpose mud going to provide a hard enough surface? Have you done this kind of work before? Thank you again for the great tutorials!
I skim coated a wall after repairing an area of drywall I had to open for light fixtures. When I was applying paint after letting the final coat of mud dry over night. Part of the skin coat would peel as I run the paint roller over it
True level 5 is primed at level 4 then touch up is done and DON'T ROLL TO MUCH. If you get the mud too wet it will become workable again. Thus your situation.
Hi Paul. Thanks for the video. Off the wall question. ...see what i did there. :) Im a flooring guy. Im great with a trowel as thats what we use to patch , etc. I've never done texturing on drywall . On the floor your always thinking about moving in the horizontal plane with the trowel.. For the most part. I Always have one hand down on the floor and one on the trowel. Its what i know and have muscle memory as you do with a knife. Because I'm only doing one job.(my house) . Im thinking i may have better luck with a trowel.??? ( skim coat ) If you had to patch 1 floor. Just once, would you use you drywall knife to do it because its what you know? Assuming you have never picked up a finishing trowel??
After apply my mud on the ceiling I get 1” bubbles in certain areas. I can push them flat but I’m not sure if it’s going to flack off in a year. What’s going on ?
Old school baby. I don’t need no stinking topping mud! Haha...😂 Naw, topping compound is a special order thing in these parts.👍🏻 Thanks for watching and subscribing! -Paul
Looking for your thoughts. I was leveling poorly finished walls joints. Using All purpose compound. I had a bad case of blistering after the second or third coat. Why? And, what can be done to resolve this issue? Also, I noticed other blisters after priming with PVC. Sure would appreciate some advice.Thanks for your time.
The second and third coat was of all purpose compound. It blistered after applying for prior coat of all purpose compound. After it was sanded, and PVC primer was applied it also blistered.
This is priceless. Goes to show you experience is nothing if you dont know what your doing to begin with. Spend some time working with other tradesman and you'll learn a lot. Remember that a person who "knows everything" will be unteachable and therefore wont progress.
After 40 years in the business it's a rare occasion I come across a new trick or a better way. As for progress? I still work on efficiency... just for the fun of it.
I am slowly working on remodeling a rec room that has a brick fireplace. The brick work runs up the wall. The walls had paneling that was glued and nailed on. When removing the old paneling it pulled off the paper on the drywall and it looks real bad. There is also a lot of nail hole in the wall. I will need to put new sheet rock on the ceiling as well. I am a DIYer and I have little to no experience in this. Would like to know how to mud around the brick work and inside corners. Really enjoy your videos. Thanks for all your doing. MH Tacoma, Washington
You don't necessarily have to re-drywall. Chip or scrape the high adhesives off. Where paper has peeled, coat and wait for the bubbles in the paper to show. Cut them out and keep on doing that over and over till you've gotten rid of all the bubbles. Now skim, preferably w/ +/3 mud. After some time and work, lots of sanding if you're a novice, you'll have the finished product you want. You go DIY'er!!
Yes but you’ll need to prime and paint the repaired areas only before repainting the whole wall again. Otherwise those areas will flash.👍🏻 I hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! -Paul
Hey Paul thanks! Just found your channel and it's been a big help. I started a painting business and I'm painting a bedroom but I've had to take wallpaper off first. So THANKS
I have all materials ready to go for skim coating my drywall, but I'm nervous to take that first step because the drywall boards are vinyl covered. If I skim coat in drywall compound to smooth out texturing can I prime and paint as usual after that? I keep seeing people using primer and paint and their walls dissolving. I cant afford that to happen. If it does I'm screwed. The skim coat should act as a protective layer over that stupid vinyl....right?
Hi Paul.. your videos are really awesome!! I would like to ask some advice from you. We painted rough wall with enamel type of paint. What type of skim coat or i mean mixture should we use for that? Thank you very much..
Hi Paul, Can you show how to repair a wall with alligator cracking. I have an old house and the plaster in one room has alligator cracking on all four walls. Thanks
Hi there Paul great video learning and tips to get a neater flat finish with drywall. Thanks for sharing your techniques. Do you mind if I ask you a question as I am asked all the time. For making textured finishes, which kind of texture compound would you recommend which is available in the States. A compound that does not dry fast is ideal. Thank you for your help. Have a great day
Can you use the same process on old mason outside walls that have been textured (ugly YIKES!). The inside walls are plaster textured (ugly YIKES!). Trying to restore an old American Foursquare.
Do you know what causes the skim coat to bubble after it’s dried? When I apply the final skim coat, the previous coat will bubble and lift off. I’ve tried using primer to lock it down, but I still get bubbles even after letting it dry for a week.
I found that lack of mixing thoroughly leaves bubbles, and you can also 'work' a knifeload of mud against the pan wall, squishing the bubbles out, and if you do spread some bubbles on the wall, try a steep angle on the last stroke.
Lay on the mud, in a moment or so you'll see bubbles begin to appear. The thicker the mud the bigger the bubbles. Anyway, let your coat sit a few minutes, the bubbles will surface then you can wipe them off as you skim. Bubbles are caused when the surface is sealed & the air has no where to go but to surface. Thats one cause, there are a few, tho none have anything to do with too much moisture in the mud or air, on the contrary. Mixing can also contribute to bubbles. Believe it or Not, using "Lemon Joy" dish soap is a good fix, doesn't knock them all out but 90%. Trust me on this, I'm 40 years in it and there isn't much I haven't seen... or fixed. Remember, Lemon Joy, no other brand and I have no idea why only Joy works but its the one.
We mix a little pigment in a full bucket of mud when we do touch ups so you can find all your touch ups .. I have to prime as well and this insure you not to get hot spot from patches not primed Since all the walls are primed ,colored mud does not hurt a thing actually USG used to make a pigment mud a few years back we use yellow pigment so did USG
For touch ups after the wall is smooth, I'd actually do those after vacuuming and priming the walls so I lock in the skim coat. This way I don't risk over sanding the existing skim during the sanding of the touch up. Also, it is much easier to see imperfections such us bubbles etc.
Yes Manny!👍🏻 Food coloring will definitely work too. I wouldn’t use red though. Because it has potential for bleed through. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing man!😎 -Paul
My walls and ceiling are the worst! With a teacher's salary, I need to DIY what I can. I'm trying to get the courage to do my walls myself. These videos make me think I can!
Here's the entire TH-cam Playlist: Never seen before super double dog secret diy skim coating tips and tricks! th-cam.com/play/PL7Ww-LhWbB0EeAJDmzncGCX0N4CrEF7pG.html
Below in my Drywall and Painting Shop are all of the tools and products used in this Skim coating walls for beginners tutorial: ▶ www.amazon.com/shop/paulpeck
You KNOW it's gotta be good when it's 'double dog'...!
GOOD TIP BUT DOESNT PENCIL SHOW WHERE TO SAND????
@@buildinit6523 not after you skim it.
Buil Dinit and, often you find defects you didnt mark. On bigger jobs I sometimes put a bright light shining down the wall and just walk around and touch them up as I go. Other times I mark it out with the pencil so the blue mud makes it much easier to find these parts you need to sand after the blue mud dries.
The penciling was the easiest part for me. 'just made a large circle around the perimeter of every wall.
LOL so relatable right now 😣
The heck with smooth walls, I'll just 1970's texture it and like it. It's a nightmare, bought a handyman special with so many problems this house just may kill me. From lead to asbestos to leaking retaining walls. I've done so much work I'm now a master mason. Next up drywall. Painting I learned in a snap doing lead abatement. Oh fun. Oh, a fireball came out of an exterior electrical socket last week when I unplugged the Christmas lights. Kept smelling sulfur in the garage, yeah that's burning wires. Who knew? I'm 63 and this joint won't cut me a break. I sit and wait for something to go wrong and it does, right on cue. Happy DIYing. Ugh.
🤣🤣🤣
😂🤣
Great video Paul. A good trick to keep the little chunks from getting in your mud is to cover the mud with about 1/2 inch of water before you seal the bucket each time. When you open it tomorrow all the mud will be under the water, no dried pieces to mess up your skims. Dump the water and start working.
Right on Danny! Great tip!👍🏻 Yes, take a wet sponge to wipe the inside of the bucket edges and add a 1/2” of water over the remaining joint compound!💥 Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend!😎 -Paul
why do you need the blue stuff when you still can see the pencil marks through it all?
That's what my handyman does
Hello Paul I'm a DIYer myself. I've poured the foundation and framed a 4000sqft home. I just recently finished the drywall which took me a little over a year to do, with working a regular job. I just finished taping and mudding the first room thanks to your very good instructions. I'm about to tackle the skin coat next week and will be watching every video you have on skim coating. Thank you for giving back the knowledge you have obtained of the years. People like you inspired me to build my new home from basically TH-cam videos. I will post videos so you can see my progress. God bless you!
That's so awesome man!👍 Thank you so much for letting me know that my videos are helping you! It truly inspires me to keep making these videos to help others. Let me know how your skim coating project turns out or if you run into any questions along the way. Thanks again!🙏 -Paul
U selling this house?
Hey, another great video. You know the funny thing is, that’s almost exactly the way I do it. But I do break out a bright light and sidelight it as it does bring out the defects better. Had planned on doing a smooth finish video one of these days so it will look like I copied you, LOL.Cool video, thanks.
My house has plaster walls and the texture is in a seashell shaped pattern. Your skim coating technique looks like it's going to be a lifesaver when we go to smooth out our walls!
God bless TH-cam. How did people own houses before TH-cam tutorials? Thank you for this. Very informative and helpful or this first time homeowner.
Indeed
TH-cam University
For real!
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Great videos Paul, I spent many years working high-end projects on Manhattan, New York and I'll say your tutorials are excellent.
This was helpful. I am a new painter and walked into a botched drywall job and the painted over it with primer. Now I can do this skim coat. Thank you
I’m patching seven various sized holes in my home left from a plumbing repair job-four foot by one foot for the biggest and down to an 8” by 10” hole. I saved the pieces they cut out and re-installed them to fill the holes. This is a little challenging taping and mudding over all these holes due to the orange peel texture causing the knife to chatter quite a bit. I’m also a first timer using hot mud. I used USG 45 going over the repair areas, which I taped with fiberglass mesh tape. I got my patches fairly smooth on the first few, but I had way too may bumps and blemishes on a couple patches. I got advice on wet-sanding/ragging hot mud instead of sanding from another pro and that saved me-I was able to smooth out everything and make a much better feathered edge using the wet sand methods. I also mixed the 45 mud a little loose. Thank you so much for your tutorials-you are a solid professional, and I really appreciate you guys who are willing to share your knowledge to help folks out.
Awesome vid Paul, I have been a drywall contractor for over 20 years most your tricks are common practice in the drywall field. When doing big projects a pencil is a must as there is usually more than one worker and is usually done on final touch up as well as the blue chalk. Perfect vid for diy people.
These videos have been very helpful! Would a finishing trowel be just as effective as a taping knife or why do you prefer one over the other? Thanks!
A quik way to mix up your mud is with an old cake mixing paddle in your cordless drill. I have been using one for quite some time. Works great! Good video by the way.
My husband and I are remodeling our house and this playlist has taught us so much! Thank you for uploading these! Quick question. Where is the video that follows this one? This video is the 5th and last one of the playlist. Not sure what to do after applying the blue mud. Thanks!
Always glad to see a painter/drywall worker wearing the correct uniform. It just looks professional. Gotta wear your whites. ♥️
These tips are amazing! I hate to think of how many days of work these would have saved me over the years doing DIY projects. This series should be a mandatory course in high schools. Everybody at some time has to repaint a wall whether they own or are renting. Thank you for sharing your skills.
I've been a painting contractor for about 11 years now I appreciate your tips , I'm dealing with a wall from 1978 right now that I had to skim smooth over super thick texture
Love that trick! I'm putting you right up there with Chris, the Idaho Painter!
I'll share some of mine with you - I learned to hook a shop vac up to a palm sander. It sands so fast, you have to keep it moving or it can burn the tape! Very little effort too.
End of the day, I "park" my mud by scraping the bucket walls with a 6" knife so I have all the mud neatly flat with nothing to dry out and fall into it, making streakers. Then I use my thumb/forefinger web or a rag to go around the rim, and also check the lid. Even a year later this mud is still good to go!
A small dish sponge works well too.
Thank you sir, I actually had bubbles on my wall today, I'm a handyman by trade, also do plastering so your video is fantastic 👍
I hear priming before touching up makes it easier to see the imperfections and you don't end up with different density of mud in touch up areas vs the surrounding areas, which can make sanding touch ups result in unevenness. What's your take?
Thanks for the Great trick with the blue chaulk
I’ve been in drywall for 23 years in New England and have never seen this before
Hi Paul...first thanks for your videos big help to me! Have a question for you...I removed baseboards that was caulked at the top and cut into vinyl wall paper? We’ll when I pulled the baseboards off the wall the vinyl came with it, now I need to mud to adjust for the removed vinyl...drywall paper teared as well. How would you repair and avoid bubbles in the tape? Thank you 🙏 for your help!
Hi Robert, I’m glad you’re enjoying my videos!👍🏻 Here’s a video that should cover your situation: th-cam.com/video/ihv9XajjPFs/w-d-xo.html Not sure if you even need to add tape for this repair... Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend!😎 -Paul
If you shine the light down the wall the long way it shows every little bump and divot by making them cast a shadow. It was the best trick I ever learned by far
Hey Paul, I was always told with touchups to not do that on sanded drywall - I was told that it would leave ridges. For touchups, I was told to do it after priming. Am I OK to do touchups on sanded drywall do you think? Any thoughts on that?
DIY'er here. We've been trying to save a step by buying paint with primer already in it but I'm getting the impression that this is not ideal....correct? Also, have never added water to the mud and end up with lots and lots of mud on walls and thus, never-ending sanding...thx for your help!!
Can you skim coat over 50+ year old wall paper? Should I paint first with the Kilz oil based primer as suggested by an article I read?
Hello Paul! I am looking for the last video on sanding, priming, products used to have that smooth finish that you referenced in the last 30 seconds. Please provide link. Thank you.
Yes please
Legend. Thanks for the tips, these are gold as they are what save you time, effort and money on jobs. Thanks for sharing and I will have a look at your other videos when I get a moment. Cheers
i am learning how to do home repairs on a budget as I am a single income mom. Looking for some advise on how to fix cracks in the drywall above door frames without cutting out sheetrock. Tips?
Almost done skimming all the walls in an older building due to rough paint build up. What kind of primer should I use?
Great idea using dye in the mix to aid visibility! Any tips or can you make a video to show easiest way to fix old and "peaked" drywall seams? Do I have to slice into the seam or can just feather out to hide the shallow areas?
Not sure if he mentioned it,,, but if you are applying touch ups, you should prime first or apply the touch ups before sanding. Adding the touch ups puts a thin layer of mud on but it will be hard to sand it perfectly if it was already sanded. The primer will help create a barrier so you can sand the touch ups and then spot prime the touchup areas to get a smooth finish.
Blue mud-thats brillent. I am doing a bedroom, and it is turning out beautiful. I did get some joint compound on the popcorn ceiling. Any suggestions to remove it?
I see your using All purpose for skim coating but I use Ultralight which has less Adhesive and easier to sand for skim coating. My current project involves repairing, skim coating and painting my garage walls.
Thank you for the video series, really great info. We are fixing older skim coated walls and adding new skim coated walls. Curious how to fix nail heads that have pushed through older skim coated walls and cracks in skim coated walls. Could you give some direction or reference a video that might show that? Thank you. Immensely helpful videos.
Hello Mr. Paul thank you so much for the videos I was wondering if I should be sanding and filling in my nails holes before I do my first skim coat?
Hi Alisha, yes I would do a quick fill coat on the nails before doing your first skim coat.👍🏻 I hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! -Paul
Should you prime first to avoid sanding through the base layer??
I like to watch all your videos on skim coating, nice job.
That’s awesome Mr. Big!👍🏻 Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend! -Paul
What is the link to the video that came after this one? You mentioned sanding and adding a primer...
Is the next video up? I looked through your channel, but I can't find part 6. Thank you!
Hi Paul I am a dyi guy just starting out. I have popcorn ceilings in my house and they are looking pretty bad. I am skim coating over them. The wall I am doing now has first coat on. But is pretty rough. Do I need too sand it first and then apply second coat? Or scrape it and then apply. Mixed mud half bucket mud and added half cup water too it. Des final coat need too be thinner than first coat?
Awesome trick! I do a similar technique when doing body work.
Question for ya...
I have my parents bathroom that has alot of blistered areas on the ceiling, especially over the shower. They never had a ceiling fan, so im guessing the hot showers over 20 some yrs has caused this issue...
How would i go about repairing it?
Should i sand the entire ceiling with a 100 or 120 grit, clean off the dust, then start skimming just the problem areas? Or should i try and skim coat the entire ceiling at once? I was worried about it shrinking back after its dry and still being able to see all the marks.
Thank you!
splash skim with usg all purpose. Cut out any blisters with a utility knife. Touch up blister area. Sand surface. TEXTURE OR PAINT
OLD SCHOOL
Awesome! Thanks for the reply
Careful, oils accumulate on bath lids... clean thoroughly with TSP first, cut out bubbles, tape if necessary, skim until the cows come home.
Hey Paul. Great videos, but why not Ultra light for skim? does it not work as well? or was the all purpose just a personal choice?
@JD I just finished a job and used UL on the both coats. There were some bubbles coming up on the first coat because of the painted surface had a sheen. other than that, it worked out great, I think he just like to use All Purpose for EVERYTHING! lol
@JD lookup Vancouver Carpenter channel. that guy has a great video on skim coating a ceilings
Paul, adding the chalk to the joint compound with the water is a great idea. Sometimes, it is very hard to know where extra joint compound is applied the the walls with an extra application. I will certainly try this in my painting business!
Paul I’m a painting contractor in swfl. Recently removed a popcorn ceiling and applied a knockdown texture throughout the home. On the ceilings, I kept running into uneven areas that flattened out the texture when I was knocking it down. How do I fix it? Thanks!
Wavy ceiling drywall is common in high humidity areas You should have allowed the mud to dry longer before knocking it down.
I’ve been painting for 25 years, and also own my own business. I also use the pencil trick for my touch ups as well. I’ve never seen the chalk line chalk added to the joint compound. I don’t understand the purpose if it’s already penciled to know where the areas are to be sanded. To me the pencil works great as is. Is there another purpose behind the chalk?
christopher iorio , I’ve seen people with pencils marking walls , sometimes they would have to patch whatever they circled and the circle they marked on the wall. I know it sounds simple enough to circle a scratch or ding with a pencil on new drywall but people are usually in a hurry and don’t take time to do it right. I usually ask the drywall guy to add chalk when patching, especially when using white primer, makes them real easy to find.
Paul!!! What’s the next step after this? I can’t find the video??
Hey, so I removed 4 layers of wallpaper and the last layer ripped off a bunch of the top layer of Sheetrock. I sanded the entire room with 120 grit, then put one coat of Pro-999/rx-35 on top. My questions are : 1. should I put another coat of the sealer before skimming the wall? 2. should I sand the sealer before skimming? 3. Is a roller with joint compound a better option for large areas? Thank you, I really enjoyed your videos.
ROLLER IS A GREAT IDEA BUT IT IS A PRACTICED ART. BE PREPARED. MAYBE NEXT TIME JUST RIP OFF OLD ROCK WITH 4 LAYERS OF PAPER AND PUT NEW. TOO MUCH TIME WASTED
@@buildinit6523 Or apply 3/8" glue and screw,
Thank you for making these videos. Teaching your skills has real value that is often taken for granted these days. I subbed.
Hi Paul, Can you tell me why the mud bubbles after you applied it to wall, After a couple of passes with the blade they are gone but sometimes they slowly reappear after a a few minutes and you have to give it another pass.. I suspect this has something to do with adding water to the mix to make a smoother mix. Is there anyway to stop the bubbles from happening in the first place as I only like give it a minimal pass with the knife for a skim coat.
The ceiling was bulging down in an area. On further inspection, there was evidence of moisture damage. As I chipped away uncovering fluffy, crumbly sheetrock with a light glaze of black mildew between the sheetrock and the skim coat. Should I cut the skim coat with a craft knife to the area that is mostly damaged? Or should I take the whole skim coat down as far as it has separated from the sheetrock above? That could be the whole room!
I am pretty good at patching large and small holes in sheetrock walls, but have never before done a ceiling. I feel I reasonably understand how to cut out the bad sheetrock, add furring strips, and patch with a new piece, tape and mud. My main concern is whether to remove an entire room worth of skim coat from the ceiling and then spray with bleach to kill the mildew? Or should I attempt to limit the area of skim coat removal even though I can see it slightly bulging away from the ceiling?
Wow Robin!😳 That’s a tough one... My first question would be, Where is the moisture coming from? Have you figured that out yet? Thanks so much for watching and subscribing my friend!🙏 -Paul
My contractor left ugly marks and I leveled parts to my bathroom wall above a mirror that can not be moved. I only have a 6x12 area to work on but the space is tight and the mirror cost $6k. I’ve taped and covered the mirror and light figure and don’t know where to start. I’m new to this and its in such a tight work space. Any tips? My contractor is long gone!!
Great idea!
Whats the advantage to using all purpose for skimming? I was trained to use the much softer Plus-3.
I have extremely thick drop down texture. It looks like it was sprayed and actually never "knocked down". Giant raised, bubble, bumps. Should I sand it a bit first before skim coating?
Yes. It’ll make your life much easier. If you can do it, utilize an actual sander that hooks up to a shopvac/dust collector so you don’t have crap tons of fine dry wall dust everywhere. If you can’t get an electric sander then really make sure to use the proper PPE (respirator mask, eye protection etc) as well as taping plastic barriers as you’ll have a massive load of super fine thick dust going everywhere. I learned my lesson the first time I hand sanded a wall that the prior owner did some cuckoo texturing on, ever since I’ve been much more conscientious. There’s a lot of videos about how to hook up a sander to a vacuum for easier cleanup. Well worth it. Your sinuses and body will thank you.
Thank you for your video series on skim coating! I am preparing to smooth out two orange peel texture walls in a game room to paint a chalk board finish. I have a question: since we intend on writing on the walls with chalk, is the usg all purpose mud going to provide a hard enough surface? Have you done this kind of work before? Thank you again for the great tutorials!
You hearted his comment but didn't Nswer the question. Best of luck David
No way
Hey thanks Paul I like the chalk idea.
I skim coated a wall after repairing an area of drywall I had to open for light fixtures. When I was applying paint after letting the final coat of mud dry over night. Part of the skin coat would peel as I run the paint roller over it
True level 5 is primed at level 4 then touch up is done and DON'T ROLL TO MUCH. If you get the mud too wet it will become workable again. Thus your situation.
Hi Paul. Thanks for the video.
Off the wall question. ...see what i did there. :)
Im a flooring guy. Im great with a trowel as thats what we use to patch , etc.
I've never done texturing on drywall . On the floor your always thinking about moving in the horizontal plane with the trowel.. For the most part.
I Always have one hand down on the floor and one on the trowel. Its what i know and have muscle memory as you do with a knife.
Because I'm only doing one job.(my house) . Im thinking i may have better luck with a trowel.??? ( skim coat )
If you had to patch 1 floor. Just once, would you use you drywall knife to do it because its what you know?
Assuming you have never picked up a finishing trowel??
Can this be done on a plaster wall with teal bad peeling paint
After apply my mud on the ceiling I get 1” bubbles in certain areas. I can push them flat but I’m not sure if it’s going to flack off in a year. What’s going on ?
Blue water trick, excellent idea
Appreciate that Chris!👍 Thanks so much for watching! -Paul
Simple tip. Plan to use it within the next 30 days! Thanks Paul
Awesome D!👍 Let me know how it turns out. Take care, -Paul
I saw the same bubbles I’m dealing with in this video. Is it because my mud is too runny?
for this final coat, any reason why you are using all purpose instead of topping compound?
Old school baby. I don’t need no stinking topping mud! Haha...😂 Naw, topping compound is a special order thing in these parts.👍🏻 Thanks for watching and subscribing! -Paul
@@PaulPeck , WHAT!? No topping in your area? You must live in 1920.
Looking for your thoughts. I was leveling poorly finished walls joints. Using All purpose compound. I had a bad case of blistering after the second or third coat. Why? And, what can be done to resolve this issue? Also, I noticed other blisters after priming with PVC. Sure would appreciate some advice.Thanks for your time.
Bat, Did you sand the wall? What was your prep before paint? -Paul
Yeah what he said you either have bad adhesion or there's moisture in the wall
The second and third coat was of all purpose compound. It blistered after applying for prior coat of all purpose compound. After it was sanded, and PVC primer was applied it also blistered.
@@battime5418 , Are you talking "blisters" or "bubbles"? There is a difference. And a specific way to handle each.
I use the same process using food coloring, worked great.
Right on Tim!👍🏻 Thanks so much for watching and subscribing!😎 -Paul
This is priceless. Goes to show you experience is nothing if you dont know what your doing to begin with. Spend some time working with other tradesman and you'll learn a lot. Remember that a person who "knows everything" will be unteachable and therefore wont progress.
Always learning Andrew!👍🏻 Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! -Paul
After 40 years in the business it's a rare occasion I come across a new trick or a better way. As for progress? I still work on efficiency... just for the fun of it.
Hey Paul...blue chalk --- brilliant! Thanks!
I appreciate that Michael!👍🏻 Thanks so much for watching. -Paul
Is there a video after this 5th one? Can't seem to find it
thoughts on Ultra lightweight joint compound for skim coating ? thanks
I am slowly working on remodeling a rec room that has a brick fireplace. The brick work runs up the wall. The walls had paneling that was glued and nailed on. When removing the old paneling it pulled off the paper on the drywall and it looks real bad. There is also a lot of nail hole in the wall. I will need to put new sheet rock on the ceiling as well. I am a DIYer and I have little to no experience in this. Would like to know how to mud around the brick work and inside corners. Really enjoy your videos. Thanks for all your doing. MH Tacoma, Washington
You don't necessarily have to re-drywall. Chip or scrape the high adhesives off. Where paper has peeled, coat and wait for the bubbles in the paper to show. Cut them out and keep on doing that over and over till you've gotten rid of all the bubbles. Now skim, preferably w/ +/3 mud. After some time and work, lots of sanding if you're a novice, you'll have the finished product you want. You go DIY'er!!
How best to handle right spaces like over Windows, doors or around lighting? Places where even a 6" knife won't fit?
Nice trick. Thanks for sharing.
sometimes its hard to notice imperfection in the skim coat until after painting. Can you use compound over those painted area's?
Yes but you’ll need to prime and paint the repaired areas only before repainting the whole wall again. Otherwise those areas will flash.👍🏻 I hope this helps. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! -Paul
Thanks. Great video.
Thank you!👊🏻😎
Hey Paul thanks! Just found your channel and it's been a big help. I started a painting business and I'm painting a bedroom but I've had to take wallpaper off first. So THANKS
I have all materials ready to go for skim coating my drywall, but I'm nervous to take that first step because the drywall boards are vinyl covered. If I skim coat in drywall compound to smooth out texturing can I prime and paint as usual after that? I keep seeing people using primer and paint and their walls dissolving. I cant afford that to happen. If it does I'm screwed. The skim coat should act as a protective layer over that stupid vinyl....right?
Please what chemicals can i mix with to make my skimming coat smooth after finishing
Hi Paul.. your videos are really awesome!! I would like to ask some advice from you. We painted rough wall with enamel type of paint. What type of skim coat or i mean mixture should we use for that? Thank you very much..
I would keep the joint compound a little thicker when going over a heavy texture d surface. I hope this helps!👍🏻 -Paul
Hi Paul, Can you show how to repair a wall with alligator cracking. I have an old house and the plaster in one room has alligator cracking on all four walls.
Thanks
What is my approach with areas that are protuding outward?
You’re right, this worked GREAT! You can also use a little food coloring in your pan just as long as it’s not red lol.
Darn it I was thinking to use som red sauce ,habanero🔥🔥 to be more specific 😂😂
Hi there Paul great video learning and tips to get a neater flat finish with drywall. Thanks for sharing your techniques. Do you mind if I ask you a question as I am asked all the time. For making textured finishes, which kind of texture compound would you recommend which is available in the States. A compound that does not dry fast is ideal. Thank you for your help. Have a great day
SPANTEX SPRAY
Hey there Del, thanks for your reply. The texture compound I mean are for making comb textures, to roll the mud onto the ceiling or wall
Can you use the same process on old mason outside walls that have been textured (ugly YIKES!). The inside walls are plaster textured (ugly YIKES!). Trying to restore an old American Foursquare.
Great coloring idea! Thanks! What causes those irritating bubbles that sometimes pop up in skim coats?
Amy LeMaster dust
Do you know what causes the skim coat to bubble after it’s dried? When I apply the final skim coat, the previous coat will bubble and lift off. I’ve tried using primer to lock it down, but I still get bubbles even after letting it dry for a week.
Hi Mike, that’s a bummer. Maybe we can figure out the problem.👍🏻 Did you sand after doing the first skim coat? -Paul
Paul Peck
Lightly sanded, removed dust with damp rag and applied an additional skim coat.
Paul Peck
Wanted to mention that I was skim coating over painted knockdown texture vs bare drywall.
I found that lack of mixing thoroughly leaves bubbles, and you can also 'work' a knifeload of mud against the pan wall, squishing the bubbles out, and if you do spread some bubbles on the wall, try a steep angle on the last stroke.
Lay on the mud, in a moment or so you'll see bubbles begin to appear. The thicker the mud the bigger the bubbles. Anyway, let your coat sit a few minutes, the bubbles will surface then you can wipe them off as you skim. Bubbles are caused when the surface is sealed & the air has no where to go but to surface. Thats one cause, there are a few, tho none have anything to do with too much moisture in the mud or air, on the contrary. Mixing can also contribute to bubbles. Believe it or Not, using "Lemon Joy" dish soap is a good fix, doesn't knock them all out but 90%. Trust me on this, I'm 40 years in it and there isn't much I haven't seen... or fixed. Remember, Lemon Joy, no other brand and I have no idea why only Joy works but its the one.
I like the chalk idea. Especially if some else will be Sanding it out.
We mix a little pigment in a full bucket of mud when we do touch ups so you can find all your touch ups .. I have to prime as well and this insure you not to get hot spot from patches not primed
Since all the walls are primed ,colored mud does not hurt a thing actually USG used to make a pigment mud a few years back we use yellow pigment so did USG
USG still makes tinted +/3. Ironically, I find it Home Depot or Lowes, the supply houses it's just stark white... yuck!
For touch ups after the wall is smooth, I'd actually do those after vacuuming and priming the walls so I lock in the skim coat. This way I don't risk over sanding the existing skim during the sanding of the touch up. Also, it is much easier to see imperfections such us bubbles etc.
Food coloring is also good to tint mud to distinguish. Chalk is better by convenience because we're most likely to have it on hand.
Yes Manny!👍🏻 Food coloring will definitely work too. I wouldn’t use red though. Because it has potential for bleed through. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing man!😎 -Paul
What causes the bubbles? Nice vid sir..Thank you...
Surfacing air.
Friend: “Why does the PowerAid taste so chalky?”
Neat trick Paul, I’m gonna try this on the walls I’m finishing up.
Sounds like a plan Jenny!👍🏻 Let know how it it turns out! Take care, -Paul
This worked AWESOME. Thanks Paul. I’m getting a LITTLE older (lol) and my eyes aren’t what they used to be so this did the trick. U rock buddy
Going at it for the first time. Thanks for the tips.
those bubbles are unstoppable.
Hi Paul really helpful videos and great tip re the blue chalk. Many thanks from New Zealand!
My walls and ceiling are the worst! With a teacher's salary, I need to DIY what I can. I'm trying to get the courage to do my walls myself. These videos make me think I can!
How did it turn out?
Always learn Awsome tricks here bro Thanks Paul ✌👊🏻💥
Looking good Paul.
Regards.
Wigwam.
U.K.
Loved it! You must be one with the divots! Take Mr. Miagi 30 years to skim walls, mud-on...mud-off Daniel son!