How to Smooth Out Uneven Plaster With a Skim Coat
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- How to Smooth Out Plaster Walls or Ceiling with a Skim Coat
Leah from See Jane Drill demonstrates how to repair unsightly plaster walls with a skim coat. Your plaster wall will be perfectly smooth and ready for new primer and paint in no time!
Get the tools that Leah is using in this video:
Marshalltown Finish Trowel: amzn.to/2pqstTy
Marshalltown Magnesium Hawk: amzn.to/2qsa1bz
Margin Trowel: amzn.to/2qsauL6
Channel
/ seejanedrill
Website:
www.seejanedril...
Facebook
/ seejanedrill
Twitter
/ seejanedrill
Email us: leah@seejanedrill.com
• How to Smooth Out Unev...
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of See Jane Drill, we cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. See Jane Drill assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in these videos. Use this information at your own risk. See Jane Drill recommends safe practices when working with tools seen or implied in our video and written content. Due to factors beyond the control of See Jane Drill, no information contained on this youtube channel, Facebook page, website and Twitter page shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this content is the sole responsibility of the user and not See Jane Drill.
I am currently renovating a 100 y/o home on my own and have watched a ton of mudding videos! Yours, by far is the best I've come across!
I was told by multiple contractors that this would be too hard for me to do on my own and that I should just replace my plaster with drywall, but check me out! They were wrong! I'm doing it with the help of awesome folks like you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
They told me the same because they want all your money. Not here! She's the best
Never did anything like this before. Followed your tutorial exactly and did my WHOLE house! Came out beautifully. I'm so happy with the results.Thank you, Leah!
You, ma'am, are an epic win!
Before we saw this video we were terrified of using the trowel to apply anything, and ended up applying the wrong materials, in tiny little patches at a time, using something like a 5 inch spatula/scraper.
It took us almost a week to do a quarter of the wall! 😱
But we had renewed inspiration after seeing this, and hearing you tell us that:
1) you *are* allowed to have a thick, smoothing coat underneath.
2) the scratch coat *is* allowed to be imperfect .
We went out, got something like your joint compound (different in the county), got over our fear of mass application with the 12 inch trowel, and we scratch coated the entire wall in a few hours.
Our mantra (when our OCD had us obsessing on a little cat face or track) was "It's not the final coat. It's not the final coat." 😂
Thank you so much for this video.
I recently learned that Leah has been doing plastering for at least 20 years. She’s amazing!! And I’m plugging her class she just started this year. Signed up and so happy I did. It’s called Dream Home Accelerator. Best money Ive ever spent.
I literally have never seen a tutorial this good. Out of all the videos I’ve seen, nobody has shown the water on the paintbrush trick.
This lady is wonderful. There are soooo many "experts out there" that are persuasive. And lord have mercy on you if you follow their advice. When I started doing wall repairs around the home about 3 years ago I found this tutorial. Since then, as the size of the repair grew, I returned to this video again and again. Today Im confidently attacking a 30 x 12 ft wall. Thank you Leah!
Way to go, Alex!!
What type of material did you use? I don't know what type to buy.
Leah, I just wanted so say thank you so much for posting this tutorial. I can turn my hands to most things but for me, plastering has always been a big challenge! I've attempted small plastering jobs several times over the years, not full walls but smaller areas and patching and it has always been the cause of much stress and sweat! Now, thanks to your video I think I have finally cracked it. Here in the UK we use bonding coat and then multi finish on brick or block walls by Thistle quite a lot. I've recently plastered up an old fire place and chases after the electrician has put additional cables and power points in and I'm so happy with you job. I've got a nice smooth even polished finish.
You video gave me the information and confidence so that I could keep calm and do a good job. I used to stress about blemishes on the base coat and the first top coat and keep trying to make it perfect when it was too wet. Now I take my time and relax more and think of you talking about the 'cat faces' when they appear it gives me a chuckle and I easily get rid of them. You have a lovely way and a gift with your presenting/teaching and I wish you well. Thanks again. Ian :-)
Going to skim coat my walls this weekend. This is the only video that has me feeling confident enough to tackle it! Thanks for being so detailed & giving extra tips!
I have been watching a lot of plastering videos this week as I learn to patch up a 125-year-old boarding house, and THIS VIDEO has been the most directly helpful information and visuals. Explaining why the different steps work is exactly what I needed to visualize the details behind the actions. THANK YOU, LEAH!
Absolute best tutorial I've found. Hands down.
Great information for beginners. Thank you!
@Ryan p No because it's the best tutorial for getting a smooth wall
@Ryan p I prefer women
I 2nd that
Hands down ...no hats off 😝😝😝
I can't tell you how many times I've watched this incredibly informative video. Thanks to Leah, my plaster technique is steadily improving. I'm about to plaster another room today, so I've come to watch Leah again for a last minute tutorial. Thank you, Leah! You are the best teacher!
This is the first video I have seen that covers in detail the trowel technique. Calm and in control, SeeJaneDrill is the best of all videos with no detail overlooked.
+norman dufort thank you very much!
I’ve taken over the renovation of our office...a house built in 1890. I have watched so many videos on skim coating, but this is the first to 1) really make sense; 2) really make me feel like I can do it; and 3) show me how to get a perfect finish. No other video has suggested two coats, but once you said it, it makes perfect sense: it’s like a crumb coat when you frost a cake!
I’m feeling confident about giving this a go today.
Time and again when searching for how to do things around the house I end up at See Jane Drill...and that's where the searching stops. Thanks so much for sharing not just your knowledge but your confidence.
MANY thanks for all your help ! I was having the worst time getting rid of the indentations and flaws thinking I needed more than 2 coats. I never thought to use water over the 2nd coat before it completely dries with a trowel to smooth out the flaws. You have saved me from screaming hours of obscenities for the rest of my house project. Thank you doesn't seem to say how much I appreciated your video !!
Wow. Just moved into a 100 year old house with some gnarly walls. This tutorial was so pleasant to watch and very informative !
Bonus that it's a wonderful woman who's got these mad skills!
Once again Leah demystifies a DIY job! Love your videos! You’ve saved me thousands of dollars by teaching me how to do small maintenance jobs on my 70 year old house. Thank you 😊
I’ve never left a youtube comment but holy shit this helped so much
Never felt so motivated from watching a tutorial! 👏👏👏 Best one ever! 👌👌👌
i left a few hundred thousand of them
Leah! You are amazing! I had repair my ceiling and I never could have done it without! Truly the best! 👏
What a great teacher. I'm working on a 170 yr old farmhouse with horsehair plaster over lathe. Availability of old school materials is an issue. I found some base coat plaster, and this video has given me the confidence to use what I can readily find, i.e. hot mud, to do my finish coat. Wish me luck!
Leah, you are a rock star. this is the best video I've found on skimming over plaster, and your demoing, pace, tone are all master class worthy.
thanks for the tips and the confidence booster shot.
Absolutely LOVE your videos! They are short, yet detailed. You provide the information I needed without useless and endless dribble! And the video is clear and shows exactly what your talking about! You're awesome! Keep them coming!
thanks, Tim, I will!
Your tutorials are excellent! I am doing a renovation myself, for the first time, and the results are excellent. It is looking really professional, thanks to great videos like this.
How you getting on. My other half decided to pull wall paper off and it took plaster off lol i had to replaster it never done it before i became good . But i gave her some earache about it lol
Leah, you are the nicest instructor and speak a language that I totally understand. I am no longer intimidated to take on this project. Thank you for being you.
Your attitude and personality shon through this video and I highly enjoyed watching and listening. Great teacher Leah!
Hi, Jane great video, I'm a plasterer/painter by trade, I would recommend to anyone who is new at plastering to apply a second scratch coat and repeat the steps shown!
Hi Leah, I was in the troweling trades as a young woman, long ago in the early 80s, tile setter in the shipyards. I haven't used my trowels since, as I am an electrician, so they were only part of a distant memory-but your video helped me remember the proper techniques and encouraged me to try my hand at repairing the plaster walls in my home. It sure feels 'great' to use my trowels again. Maybe when I retire, I'll have a new hobby. Thank you SO much!
This is a great video! You have wonderful teaching instincts. I'm feeling confident to tackle the terribly textured walls in my new house!
I like this lady so much. It takes a really special person to explain things as clearly as she does. A true master at her craft.
thank you, Al 🙂
Thank you Jane for this video. I have repeatedly watched skim coating instructions and until this video, I wasn't successful. Your clear instruction, with each detail helped me more than all the rest. Specifically, your wet brush to blend cat faces. But also the Marshall trowel suggestion along with the method to apply. Seriously, your direction has so far helped me the most. Having only begun a whole house skim coating, after training myself to do it your way, I am seeing results. Thank you.
Leah, you’re incredible, thank you for the wisdom and giving us the confidence to try it out ourselves 🤘🏼
Yes, best plastering tutorial I've come across.
Thank you.
you're welcome!
Leah you should be on the DIY Discovery channel...or better yet have your own show. I would love to hear your story of how you acquired the skills. Maybe post a video.
+crasshh Fern thanks!! I appreciate your comments...:)
You're not kidding
I agree, ice learn a lot watching her videos
Absofreakinglutely. Leah is the best teacher I've found on youtube.
My husband does this as a side gig, and i hv seen him done this so many times but LEAH I learned more from your short video than my husband.
This tutorial saved my sanity. To make a long story short, three years ago I got ripped off by some terrible contractors and here I am finally learning how to do this. You are a wonderful person, seejanedrill !!!!! Thank you!!!
Leah is just pure gold! she explained this like its the easiest thing in the world! but I was already happy with my crappy bumped plaster wall! I'm going to try this as soon as possible!
This demonstration was amazing , makes me wanna tackle these walls and actually made me think it's something I could achieve
Love all the hints and tips
Subscribed
The best video of this genre on youtube- thank you for this! You should do more because you're so natural at explaining and the vids are very easy to understand :)
thanks, we do have lots more videos, so I hope you check them out!
ms
This video was very informative. Thanks for taking the time to make it! Very useful and easy to follow for us DIY plasterers.
Ash Cox You're welcome, Ash. Glad you liked it! :)
Followed this technique today skimming over an old plaster wall. Very pleased with the results, thank you!
I love seeing a woman doing something that a lot of men think only they can do! Bravo! Awesome tutorial!
What a fantastic video! Thank you very much Leah, this helps a LOT!
Ninh Ly You're very welcome, Ninh. I'm glad you liked it!
Great video! I never knew about adding water like that to smooth it. Looks great, thank you for taking the time to make the video!
"heres the thing", lol, your on my must watch list, keep em coming leah
Excellent, excellent, excellent...tools needed, explained quickly and perfectly...how to and why, explained and demonstrated quickly and perfectly...been in the construction business for 30+ years, seen so many BS artists, NOT this lady. Well done Leah!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO. i'm trying to renovate my house which has extremely rough textured walls and i've cried so many times about how to tackle this problem. this is definitely the best video i've seen explaining how to do this! thank you!!!
As always, truly fantastic instructional video. I feel a lot more confident in trying this (with some practice). Thank you very much Leah
you're very welcome.
I was thinking how I'm gonna fix this old walls.. and then I found this video. really is gonna help a lot now it's time to make money
Alexander, Glad you found it helpful
Thanks, Justin!! We just try to help...:)
I must have seen thousands of videos but I never left a comment and this is my first.
This video is awesome and more importantly, its really motivating.
Thanks a lot. God bless.
Sajjan Sawant You're welcome, Sajjan, and thanks so much for the compliment! :)
You wouldn't believe how much help this has been.Total success.Thankyou very much Leah.
I gotta say. This is a BADASS video. To the point and not wasting anyones time.. thanks!!!!
I've been looking at tons of these videos and this by far fills me with the most confidence. Well done its brilliantly explained and so clear. Thank you!
James Ward you're very welcome, James! good luck with your project.
Much appreciated, great video.
Q: how many minutes are required to dry the final coat in order to start curing by water?
Your channel has helped me so much so that now I too doing DIY vids! Thanks!
I just want to say, this was THE BEST tutorial that I have EVER seen. Not just for plastering, I mean for anything. I actually feel like I could go out, buy the supplies I need, and do this project well. You are great. Thank you so much.
wow, that is a very nice compliment, thank you very much!
This video was so helpful! I live in a 93 year old house with old rough plaster walls and this video really explained every step on how to make them beautiful again. I tried it on the living room wall and it looks great! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Awesome tutorial, thanks so much. Harder to do on a ceiling though
Does anyone have any special tips or tricks for getting the smooth glass finish on a ceiling?
this is a really really good video
+880User088 thanks!!
Awesome video! I really like how simple and straightforward you make everything. My only suggestions are a higher resolution camera, better mic and much brighter lighting. I think you are good enough to contend with the pro's on HGTV! Just need that extra step to make it look more professional.
RajaofNYandPGH Hello Raj, Thanks for your honesty. We value your comments and observations. We're very focused on improving our video quality, and better equipment is hopefully in our future, as our budget permits. Thanks for posting, we appreciate it!
You know what? You are freaking awesome at this. You clearly know what you are doing but, to be honest, there are a ton of people on TH-cam that know what they are doing (and even more that don't but act like they do!), where you excel is how you teach that information. I've actually commented before on one of your videos and said the same thing. I hope you are still making videos. I'd rather learn from you than most. Thank you for the great tutorial. I'm working on a house now with horrible plaster walls. Wish me luck!
Super awesome video Leah! So, I've talked to you about the popcorn finish in my moms bathroom. I want to do the skip trial finish using the light version, but the finish on the wall now will not allow that.
Should I do a skim coat first like you show here, then finish with a skip trial? And if so, how long do I let the first skim coat dry using a 90 minute mud?
I absolutely love your videos. Seriously, you have to hear that all the time. You're an awesome teacher.
+ScannerDanner Hi Paul, I just sent you a private message in response to another email you sent me that came up in spam, where you asked about applying the skip trowel directly over the popcorn. Now it seems like you are concerned that perhaps the popcorn will come through. So, it's difficult for me to answer this, because I'm not there. But if you want to send me a picture, you can. My email is available on the seejanedrill website. L
@@seejanedrill I love your videos too! I wish you would've answered here as well. I have a 100 yr old home with popcorn on the walls & ceiling. I'm done getting scraped up everytime I brush by the wall too close. You're a Fabulous teacher!! Love love your videos!!
You are absolutely
amazing! Thank you and please make tons more videos!
Hi leah. Do I need to remove the paint from my walls first before I do this?
No you don't. If the paint is peeling then you need to scrape or sand off the peeling paint and then do your skim coat. I'm sure you already did whatever project you were considering. I'm not sure why I'm even responding lol.
@@suburbanhobbyist2752 Just FYI, I appreciate your response, since I had the same question as Hassan. ;)
@@ThePlockets Oh, well then glad I answered the question! Good luck with your project.
Omg! I love you. In tears after trying to take 4 layers of wallpaper off my 1948 plaster walls only to realize they look like crap. I am trying this tonight!!! Thank you!
you just save me a bunch of time sanding the old wall.
amen!
That and with a house as old as mine I wanted to cover the lead paint and get away from asbestos
@@AngelHoffer97 are you meaning, when you say avoid asbestos, that you can do this over popcorn ceilings?
I must admit
"Your Great!"
Thank you for your videos
Merry Christ-mas and GOD Bless
+SIMPLE OBSERVATION thank you!
This video will help me tremendously on what it is I need to do. Thanks a million Leah for you perfect video. Wish me luck. hehe. :-)
Leah you are a true diamond in the rough of trades! this video was so so helpful. i just completed my first skim coat and was on the verge of giving up. then i saw this, added the 3ed coast. the magic for me was your trick of wetting and scrapping the wall to a glass finish. thanks so much. john - New Zealand
You missed your calling...you are a natural teacher! Thank you!!
Very good articulation. Very helpful!
Great tutorial 😀 one of the best thanks
Hi Leah, I just bought my first house (b. 1927), and the plaster walls are really rough. I started to sand, but it was a horrible mess. So I was thrilled to come across your video. I went out and bought myself a trowel and hawk, and Sheetrock brand Joint Compound Lightweight Setting Type (90). I just looked at the instructions to mix it up, and the first thing the back of the bag says is, "Not for use as skim coat"! (Figures...) Is there a certain type of compound you would recommend using, or can I really use this one?
Cheri Crist thats the same bags i use and it turns out just fine, i apply 2 coats using that and then finish off with a multi purpose pre- made mix.
I really wish I had found your video before I did some amateur repairs on my drywall. It's a lot of extra work when you do it wrong but with your expert advice I should be able to get my imperfections out. Thank you so much posting this video without your help I don't know what I would have done. I found a lot of videos online but none of them were addressing the problem. I'm super grateful.
Just watched this, can't believe it's from 8 years ago, it's great. Really easy to follow what you're saying and I had no idea about smoothing it out by brushing water on it. Struggling a bit with putting a skim coat on my kitchen ceiling, but this will help a lot 🙏
I recently skimmed a wall and was so pleased with how it looked after applying the finishing coat..
However, once the wall had dried I was left with several stubborn spots..
As I too didn't know about the wet brush technique and wish I'd seen this video before I started as well..
I'm about to try again and hopefully il be a but more successful this time and just wanted to wish you good luck too..
@@paulinebladen925 here's something that took me a while to figure out: I was trying to "feather" with the ten inch knife, like I saw on another video, but it didn't work for me. But then I just started doing the edges with my four inch wide knife, and it was so much easier. I used a six inch wide one for most of it. I think because my upper body strength isn't great, using a smaller knife helped a lot. Hope this idea may be helpful to you, wishing you luck also 🙏
I love this lady!
I thought it was a bloke until I saw your comment.
So do I. She’s amazing!
@@ashyclaret Why would you think that, maybe because she is teaching construction or I guess could be the short haircut? She is clearly a woman and a badass at that! I would GLADLY take lessons from her anytime.
Me too !
*Only 18* 👇👇👇
909645.loveisreal.ru
Excellent! Thank you so much! A question, though...I removed wallpaper, which pulled off paint, so the walls are pretty rough. I was thinking of TSP and primer first, so the skim coat will adhere better. What do you think? What other kind of prep would you recommend?
In addition to your surface prep, you may want to practice skimming a closet wall first and become comfortable with the process.
Thank you, Leah, from the opposite side of the planet ... we have uneven walls here too :)
I am so happy that I found this video, just purchased a home and have to do this to a restroom that has a heavy texture on the walls! Your video helped me tremendously. Thank you!
So smart woman congratulations.:) good job
Thank you so much ,i will try to fix my house ,now i know when i hire somebody to do my plaster wall ,he didn`t do it right,
Great instruction video. Thank you.
you're very welcome, and thanks!
I like the fact that you are detailed and emulate well. You are a good teacher. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Leah. My drywall repair gets better everyday thanks to your videos.
love it when people use trowel vs knives, looks more professional with a hawk and trowel vs a knife and pan
yea but when ur up high on stilts or on a ladder u wont look very professional using a hawk and trowel trust me lol
Wow...Thank for your video
So the first layer goes to cover up all imperfections in the wall. How much time before the finish layer goes on?
Why the second layer needed at all? Is it possible to correct / smooth the first layer?
I just wanted to write about your video! It is THE BEST ONE ON HERE! After listening to it and watching it few times I got the tools needed and my work looks amazing! Dealing with old plaster homes this is the game changer l! So so thankful for you and the video you made! ❤
This saved me so much frustration. I really do appreciate learning to do my own repairs and projects from these kind of videos. Thank you
wish I watched this first before I tried to "skim " my crappy wall, back to the drawing board..ugh!
Ditto lol
Thinking about doing stuff and doing stuff aren't the same thing. You have to build muscle memory.
It's definitely an art and takes practice, but you can do it. Just be patient and learn from our videos.
Gotta repaint behind a painter who painted a room a few years ago in our 100+ year old house. Found that he painted over a mess. Best video after going through a dozen, and I had most of the tools and a bunch of 90 in advance. Just need more practice. Thank you very much.
Jane you are the best channel for DIY support on TH-cam. Thank you so much for all your help and advice.
Jane, you are fantastic teacher! You cover all the subtle details that other how-to videos skip.
Leah, you are amazing and inspiring and a wonderful teacher. Whatever you are getting paid, it’s not enough.
Hi Leah, Thank you for your video. Please let me know if i can use same technique for painted concrete wall in my basement?
This is EXACTLY the video I wanted to see. I’m at my sister’s new place in Scotland and the kitchen really needs work. This one wall has this gross unfinished texturing on it, like someone was icing a cake with their hands, going to get this done in the next day or so, thank you!
Thank you for your tutorial I’m a learning diyer. I just skimmed a really large plaster patch up for the first time and I can’t believe it’s so smooth! Thank you! I use to spend hours sanding and it still ended up lumpy. Now it’s silky smooth and ready to paint.
This video deserves a like🤣 extremely useful for someone who wanted to do skim coating but don't know how to start😌
This is the most precise and clear plastering tutorial online!!
WOW. I really spent 3 days doing skim coats and sanding my kitchen ceiling for no reason making a WHOLE MESS. THIS IS INCREDIBLE
Love the way you explain things, and answer the tiny questions most people don't think to ask.