Skimming or re-plastering: which do I need?
How to tell whether your walls just need a skim, or whether the old plaster has to come off.
Both give you smooth walls, but they’re very different jobs, and very different prices.
Skimming
A thin finish coat, about 2 to 3 mm, over walls that are basically sound. It hides hairline cracks, old filler and uneven paint. It’s quick, usually a day a room, and ready to paint within a week.
Re-plastering
The old plaster comes off back to the brick, then a backing coat goes on before the finish. It’s needed when plaster is:
- Hollow: tap it, and if it sounds drummy, it has come away from the wall.
- Crumbling or powdery, often after damp.
- Badly cracked, with cracks that keep coming back.
Not sure? Send us a photo, or we’ll come and tap the walls for you. It costs nothing to find out.