Easy product to skim walls?

[davek0974]

Without offending the plastering trades, is there a recommended ready mix (possibly) product that will do a fine skim on walls for painting?

I'm stripping 45 years of paint and woodchip off my partners bedroom so we can make a new room for ourselves, luckily the plaster is solid but the walls have the tell-tale signs of life and also some minor damages from heavy-duty stripping going on.

I can fill the deep holes from rawl-plugs etc but i feel a very light skim with some sort of wide trowel applied goop would be useful here.

I can't plaster and we can't afford to engage a tradesman to skim-coat, plus it's a council house and we will only be living here for a couple of years now.

Any recommendations :)

Thanks in advance

[dewaltdisney]

I used Easifill in a similar situation. Wet the wall so it does not suck the mix dry. You have to mix it but it is easy enough to do. You used to be able to get 1kg bags so try a test area, you will need a plasterers trowel and a hawk.

DWD

[davek0974]

Thanks for that, looks like what i wanted.

I've just seen a product called Knauf Pro Roll Light which appears good but is pretty expensive and only stocked in Wickes, when they have it. The roller application for thsi stuff is very appealing though.

[dewaltdisney]

I can see that a roller application makes it look easier but if you want a sharp flat finish a trowel is best. With Easlfill it is easy to sand flat if needed.

DWD

[davek0974]

Thanks, i'll go with the easy-fill, much better price too :)

[dewaltdisney]

You can find 1kg bags on eBay. Do practice first on a small area to get the feel.

DWD

[Rorschach]

I generally use easifill. It spreads quite well and sands very easily.

[davek0974]

Couple of pictures, one wall is pretty bad, the rest seem ok. I've washed the wallpaper glue off and run over with a scraper again.

I'm thinking the ok ones might respond with just filler and sanding where needed, the bad one may need a bit more treatment but luckily will be mostly covered by wardrobes when done.

We are not looking for perfection as the rest of the place would then need work i think, just a nice acceptable result will do for this, cost is important here as well as we'll likely be moving out in a couple of years.

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[dewaltdisney]

Still use the Easifill as a simple filler. A wide thin blade filling knife would be good, they look like a squeegee.

DWD

[Rorschach]

Yep, as DWD says. Nice wide filling knife, you will be best doing multiple thin layers (it will shrink back a bit) followed by some sanding. Then get a coat of paint on it and do some spot filling of the bits you inevitably missed.

[davek0974]

Thanks,

is there any treatment needed before application - i've washed the walls but they still feel sticky from paste?

Similarly what to seal with after - i've read bad things about diluted emulsion as a sealer, seems its all vinyl now and that can peel or bubble even when diluted?

[davek0974]

Nice wide filling knife

I've got a plasterers trowel - will that do, even got a hawk somewhere from way back ;)

[dewaltdisney]

Residual wallpaper paste can be a pain when paint reactivates it, and it can cause blisters. White vinegar sprayed on will loosen the paste for scraping, but it is a tedious process with no guarantee that you will not miss a bit. The safest way is Zinsser Gardz (not cheap), which, when applied, will seal the surface for new paint application. It is the quickest way to go. So I would Gardz, filler, sand, and paint.

DWD

[Rorschach]

Nice wide filling knife

I've got a plasterers trowel - will that do, even got a hawk somewhere from way back ;)

For bulk filling that will be fine, as long as it has a nice straight edge so you can bridge over the dips and holes.

As DWD has mentioned, if you have wallpaper residue then gardz it as well, will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

[davek0974]

Usual three big stores and no luck with Gardz - is there an easier alternative?