Trying to DIY a home renovation project can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging and overwhelming at times. A friend of Paint Denver, Delaney, recently attempted a skim coat DIY and can give a little insight. Delaney can tell you firsthand that it’s not always as easy as it looks. In fact, after struggling for days to get it right, she ended up hiring our team to take over.

What is Skim Coating?

First, let’s start with the basics. A skim coat is a thin layer of plaster or joint compound that is applied over a rough surface to smooth it out. It’s a common technique used in home renovations to prepare walls for painting or wallpapering. Delaney’s house was built in 1971 and has rough, textured, plaster walls. During the renovation process, new drywall will be going up. Since this drywall will be smooth, and the existing walls are textured, she needed to skim coat the walls to match. While it may seem simple enough, applying a skim coat requires a certain level of skill and experience.

DIY Feedback from Delaney

“I decided to try my hand at skim coating my living room walls after watching a few tutorial videos online. I purchased all the necessary materials, including joint compound, a trowel, and sandpaper. I was confident that I could do it myself and save some money in the process.”

However, as Delaney quickly realized, there’s an art to skim coating walls. “I quickly realized that skim coating is not so easy. It requires a lot of patience, precision, and attention to detail. After quite a few attempts at applying the joint compound, letting it dry, sanding, and starting again, the walls still had visible bumps and imperfections. I couldn’t seem to get it right.”

Delaney says, “I really want these walls to match. I feel like the renovation drywall will stick out like a sore thumb if I don’t. I finally decided to hire a team of professionals to take over.”

Skim Coating with Paint Denver

Worry not, Paint Denver has the tools, skills, and experience needed to get the job done right. It’s no doubt that bringing in the pros can be more pricey than tackling it as a DIY, but the results are worth it. There’s nothing worse that spending hours and hours then realized it was all for nothing!

The Lesson

Here’s what we can gather from the experience:

  1. Skim coating requires skill and experience. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this task. It’s really an art form!
  2. Quality materials and tools are essential for a smooth finish. Don’t skimp on these.
  3. Patience is key. Skim coating takes time and requires multiple coats.
  4. It’s okay to admit defeat and hire a professional. Sometimes it’s better to leave it to the experts.

In the end, Delaney was glad she tried to DIY my skim coat project. However, there’s no shame in admitting defeat and hiring a team of professionals to take over. The end result was a smooth and flawless finish that’ll last forever.