Wall Skimming

Professional Wall Skimming Services for a Flawless, Smooth Finish

At PBF, we provide expert wall skimming services to restore damaged or rough walls to a smooth, high-quality finish. Skimming is essential for walls that have suffered from poor GIB® stopping or where wallpaper has been removed, leaving uneven surfaces. This process creates a clean, seamless look that is ready for painting or further decorating, ensuring your home or commercial space has the professional finish it deserves.

Our Plastering Services

Stopping

Fixing

Fibrous Plastering

The Wall Skimming Process
Wall skimming involves applying thin layers of joint compound to smooth out imperfections, creating a uniform surface. Our team uses a meticulous, multi-step process to ensure an exceptional finish that lasts.

Wallpaper Stripping
If your walls are covered with wallpaper, it’s essential to strip them properly before skimming begins. You can either remove the wallpaper yourself or include it as part of our package. The process includes:

Wetting the wallpaper to soften the adhesive
Using a steamer or sponge to speed up the process
Stripping the paper with a scraper, aiming to remove large sections to save time
For stubborn areas, securely adhered wallpaper can remain, provided the proper preparation is applied before skimming

Preparing Walls for Skimming
Proper preparation is key to a successful wall skimming job. After a light sanding to remove debris, our specialists apply a high-quality oil-based pigmented sealer (OBPS). This sealer stabilises the surface and seals any old adhesives, preventing substances from leaching through once the skim coats are applied. OBPS contains modified oils and has a strong odour, so we recommend avoiding the affected rooms during this stage.

Wall Skimming Application
The skimming process involves several layers to ensure the smoothest possible finish:

First coat: A highly adhesive joint compound is applied as the base layer. This provides a strong, stable foundation for subsequent coats
Second coat: We fill any scratches, nail holes, or tears in the paper, ensuring a smooth, even surface. We also check for pinholes and address them before moving forward
Final coats: The top skim layers are applied using an air-drying compound. These layers cover the entire surface, with additional checks for pinholes using a 500W halogen light to highlight any imperfections

Once sanding is complete, the surface is checked again for pinholes, which are sealed to prevent future defects. The goal is a flawless surface ready for decorating.

Steel Slimlines for External Corners
For external corners, we use steel slimlines, metal trims designed to create sharp, square corners. These trims provide a more modern, high-quality finish compared to traditional rounded corners or timber beads.

Reinforcing and Protecting Joins
To prevent long-term cracking, we use paper-based, perforated reinforcing tape on all joins. This type of tape, applied with highly adhesive plaster, ensures a strong, lasting bond. We advise against using fibre reinforcing tape, as it is inferior and not compliant with New Zealand standards.

For internal corners, we often use paper tape to create a defined line and reinforce the corner, adding both strength and a visually appealing finish. In some older homes, we may also need to straighten misaligned corners to improve the overall appearance.

Preparing for GIB® Stopping
To ensure a smooth and efficient process, we ask clients to prepare the room by:

Removing electronic equipment and small items to prevent dust damage
Placing large furniture in the centre of the room and covering it with sheets
Allowing full access to the work area at once, as breaking the job into sections can significantly increase labour time

Timeframes for Wall Skimming
Wall skimming is a time-intensive process. It can take three to four times longer to skim a wall than to complete stopping from new. The timeframe depends on the size of the project:

One room: Typically takes around one week
Half a house: For a team of two, the timeframe extends to about one-and-a-half weeks

These estimates allow for the necessary drying time between layers.

Wall Straightness Considerations
In older homes, framing deviations may cause walls to be uneven. While skimming creates a smooth surface in terms of texture, it does not straighten walls. However, we can address specific curves or irregularities, feathering them out to minimise their appearance, particularly if they are near straight objects.

Contact Us
For more information on our wall skimming services or to discuss your specific project, please contact PBF:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 09 5206616
Or complete the short contact form on our website, and we will be in touch.

At PBF, we are committed to delivering the highest quality stopping services, ensuring a flawless, long-lasting finish for your home or business.

VIEW OUR PROJECTS GALLERY