What Is Roughcasting, and How Is It Different From Harling or
Four words, two methods, and a lot of confusion when you are getting quotes. Here is what each one actually me
Read thisWhat skimming actually is
Skimming is a thin finish coat, two or three millimetres, over something that is already there and already sound. It makes a wall flat and ready for paint. It does not fix a wall that has failed.
Replastering means taking the old plaster off back to the brick or block and building it back up: a backing coat to level it, then the finish.
How we tell which you need
We tap the wall. Plaster that is still bonded sounds solid; plaster that has blown sounds hollow, and it is usually in the bottom metre of an outside wall where damp has been getting in.
The important part is that this is not visible. A wall can look perfect and be hollow behind. Skimming over blown plaster is the single most common way to waste a job, because the new coat is only as well stuck as the old one under it.
Which is cheaper, honestly
Skimming, clearly, and by a long way: less labour, less material, no waste to take away and far less disruption. That is why it is worth finding out properly whether your walls will take it.
But cheaper is only cheaper if it lasts. On a wall that has blown, the cheap option is the expensive one, because it is paid for twice.
What each one means for your week
A skim is usually a day a room plus drying. Furniture to the middle, floors covered, and the room is usable again once it is dry.
Hacking off is dusty and loud and the waste has to go somewhere. It is worth doing with the room empty and worth combining with anything else that disturbs the walls, like rewiring.
Want somebody to look at yours? Ring 07501 844432, or send a photograph of the wall on WhatsApp. If it is not a job for us we will say so.
Straight answers
Questions on this
Can you skim over wallpaper?
No. It has to come off. Paper under a skim is a bond you cannot control, and it will lift.
Can you skim over artex?
Yes, once it is prepared and treated, or we overboard it. We do not scrape it.
How do I know if my plaster has blown?
Tap it with your knuckles across the wall, especially low down on outside walls. A hollow note where the rest sounds solid is the sign.
How long before I can paint new plaster?
Until it is an even pale pink all over rather than patchy dark brown. Then a mist coat first.
More guides
Other things worth knowing
What Changes the Cost of Roughcasting a House in Scotland
Why no honest tradesman can put a figure on this page, and the things that actually decide what yours comes to
Read thisIs It Worth Removing an Artex Ceiling?
Usually yes, and almost never by scraping it. Here is how the decision actually goes.
Read thisGet in touch
Tell us about the wall
Tell us what the wall or the room looks like now and we will come back to you with a price and a straight answer about what it needs.
Call us for your instant, no obligation quote
07501 844432. Or send a photo of the wall on WhatsApp.