Professional plastering in Sutton, Surrey & South West London
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Sutton, Surrey & South West London
A fresh finish coat over sound existing surfaces — the quickest route from tired, marked walls to a smooth, paint-ready room.
Skimming is the application of a thin finish coat of plaster, usually 2–3mm thick, over an existing sound surface or newly fixed plasterboard. It removes texture, minor damage and general roughness, leaving a flat surface ready to decorate. It is the most commonly requested plastering job in homes across Sutton.
The process
We tap and inspect the surface. Skimming only works over something stable — anything hollow or loose is dealt with first.
Dust is removed, joints scrimmed and the surface treated with the appropriate sealer or bonding agent to control suction.
The first coat is laid on and flattened, the second applied straight after to fill and refine the surface.
As the plaster sets it is trowelled several times to close the surface and leave it smooth, flat and free of ridges.
Common problems
Stripping paper often takes surface plaster with it. Skimming covers the whole area rather than leaving patchy filler marks.
Modern matt and eggshell paints highlight every ripple. A skim resets the surface so side light no longer shows old repairs.
New board needs skimming to give a continuous surface without visible joints, screw heads or paper edges.
This is the single most important point. A skim coat is thin and takes its strength from what is behind it. If the existing plaster is blown, damp or crumbling, the new coat will come away with it — often within months.
You can check yourself: tap the wall with your knuckles and listen. A dull, solid sound is good. A hollow sound means the plaster behind has lost its grip and needs cutting out first.
Ceilings are skimmed the same way but are harder work and show imperfections far more, because light travels across them rather than down them. In older properties around Sutton and Wimbledon we often overboard first, then skim the new board — a cleaner and more reliable result than skimming a century-old ceiling directly.
Fresh skim typically dries in around three to seven days depending on ventilation and time of year. Once the surface has gone a consistent pale colour, it takes a thinned mist coat of emulsion, followed by your normal coats.
Do not put a heater against it or seal the room up. Steady airflow and normal warmth give the best result.
Related services
Internal plastering for walls and ceilings, from single rooms to full house renovations, finished flat and ready for decorating.
View servicePatch repairs to cracked, blown or damaged plaster — repairing only what needs repairing rather than replastering an entire room.
View serviceBoarding out stud walls, ceilings and solid walls, taped and skimmed to a smooth finish — ideal for renovations and reconfigured rooms.
View serviceTell us what needs doing and we will give you an honest price. Photographs by WhatsApp are often enough to get started.
