How to get the best finish on newly-skimmed walls

glitch · 28 Jun 2018 at 20:30

I'm currently in the process of having every wall and ceiling in my house skimmed and want to know how to get the best finish possible throughout. A lot of money is being thrown at this place and I do not want to scrimp on the bits you can actually see!

Having read a few threads on here, I am leaning towards using No Nonsense Bare Plaster Paint instead of a mist coat, as a few people have mentioned that for a little extra cost it can be a significant saving in terms of time and mess.

Any reason not to use that?

And regardless of what I use to go over the fresh plaster, what equipment do I need to do it? I have always borrowed whatever was in my old man's garage but it's high time I got new stuff.

Final question for now... I have discovered a previously hidden single socket in a wall that I could use (electric already running to it) but it is crazily deep in the wall... having pulled it out, I need to fill some of that hole in order to mount a backbox at a usable depth.

What should I use to fill said hole, that will allow me to screw a backbox into it? Something like this?

bremen1874 · 28 Jun 2018 at 20:36

Replace the socket with a double.

A double backing box will overhang both sides of the existing hole for fixing.

rexehuk · 28 Jun 2018 at 21:09

Armstead Trade Matt.
Water it down 50/50.

Use a heavy roller for the initial coat, use medium pile for 2nd/3rd coats. You could finish with a short pile, but I don't notice much different on white.

Buy a set of hamilton rollers from Screwfix.

On the filler, that will be fine for the walls, bit expensive but less annoying than buying a bag of cement and sand. Given you're fixing to it... probably better than expanding foam.

Adam · 29 Jun 2018 at 07:57

If you have a lot of rooms to paint then I'd go to Johnstone's trade and buy a huge tub of contract emulsion and mix it 50/50 with water. Just make sure you roll out any runs and be aware it soaks in to the plaster very quickly.

As for the filler, that stuff looks a bit extreme but it depends how big the hole is. You may also find it hard to sand.

If it's a large hole then you'll probably want some bonding first and then finish with some easifill which is a doddle to sand smooth and get a good finish.

rexehuk · 29 Jun 2018 at 08:53

Adam said:
As for the filler, that stuff looks a bit extreme but it depends how big the hole is. You may also find it hard to sand.

If it's a large hole then you'll probably want some bonding first and then finish with some easifill which is a doddle to sand smooth and get a good finish.

My understanding is the back box is sunk too deep in the wall, so he's looking to fill it out to make the backbox flush with wall.

So mortar is best here, and will give a good fixing point. I would put mortar in and use the backbox as a mould to ensure a flush fit, pushing it into the mortar and letting it dry.

ahar · 29 Jun 2018 at 10:33

Don't forget decorators caulk for the corners and edges. It takes a coat of paint so goes on before painting. You don't need any fancy applicator to smooth it down, I've found my thumb the perfect size to run along a corner to get it just right. Just buy one of these and a sealant gun

https://www.screwfix.com/c/sealants-adhesives/decorators-caulk/cat850098

Never used the bare plaster paint so can't comment. I've always used a trade matt white and mixed 50/50.

Agree with rexehuk on mortar to fill behind the back box

Jez · 29 Jun 2018 at 10:49

I dont really find it worth watering the paint down, just buy cheap white matt and it ends up being very thin stuff anyway.

glitch · 29 Jun 2018 at 11:16

rexehuk said:
My understanding is the back box is sunk too deep in the wall, so he's looking to fill it out to make the backbox flush with wall.

So mortar is best here, and will give a good fixing point. I would put mortar in and use the backbox as a mould to ensure a flush fit, pushing it into the mortar and letting it dry.

Bang on.

Would this be sufficient? Saves me a drive to go to to B&Q for this.

ahar said:
Don't forget decorators caulk for the corners and edges. It takes a coat of paint so goes on before painting. You don't need any fancy applicator to smooth it down, I've found my thumb the perfect size to run along a corner to get it just right. Just buy one of these and a sealant gun

https://www.screwfix.com/c/sealants-adhesives/decorators-caulk/cat850098

Is that just used for filling gaps between sills, frames, etc? Wasn't sure what you meant by corners and edges.

ahar · 29 Jun 2018 at 14:32

glitch said:
Is that just used for filling gaps between sills, frames, etc? Wasn't sure what you meant by corners and edges.

Along the edge between the walls and the ceiling and then in the gap between the skirting board and the wall. It's flexible so as the room heats and cools it moves as the surfaces heat and expand, as well as the slight ceiling movement you get on the ground floor as people walk around upstairs. If you just have plaster walls butting up against the ceiling directly you'll notice a small crack or gap over time. Nothing serious, but a bit annoying. See what the guy is doing in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e6Ky26D8Qw

Same with skirting movement as people walk by - it gives a nice finish that can be painted to the same colour as the wall and skirting board.

Don't use bathroom or kitchen sealant as that is water resistant and won't take a coat of paint. Caulk has a different mixture that will.

paintguy · 29 Jun 2018 at 17:16

We've just had a 36 sqM extension built and had other rooms re-plastered, so I'm in a similar position. I can't recommend Dulux Supermatt highly enough though!

I looked through all the options, and nearly went for the bare plaster paint you link to, but I'm really impressed with the supermatt.

One coat thinned 3:1 and the plaster colour is virtually blotted out. For the ceilings I've put on a second coat (thinned 5:1 as recommended) and they're done. The walls are going straight to colour, even the bright yellow we've used, which is notoriously transparent, has covered easily over the single thinned coat of supermatt.

I used a 2" brush to cut in the edges then a 9" roller for the rest.

Not the best picture but here's what you get after one thinned coat on bare plaster:

rexehuk · 29 Jun 2018 at 17:34

glitch said:
Bang on.

Would this be sufficient? Saves me a drive to go to to B&Q for this.

Is that just used for filling gaps between sills, frames, etc? Wasn't sure what you meant by corners and edges.

Yeah that's fine, funnily enough exactly what I used to do a few repairs. It's an expensive way to do mortaring but convenient.

Luckily my driveway people left a big bag of sand and cement from doing my steps that I used for most!

a1ex2001 · 30 Jun 2018 at 06:04

paintguy said:
We've just had a 36 sqM extension built and had other rooms re-plastered, so I'm in a similar position. I can't recommend Dulux Supermatt highly enough though!

I looked through all the options, and nearly went for the bare plaster paint you link to, but I'm really impressed with the supermatt.

One coat thinned 3:1 and the plaster colour is virtually blotted out. For the ceilings I've put on a second coat (thinned 5:1 as recommended) and they're done. The walls are going straight to colour, even the bright yellow we've used, which is notoriously transparent, has covered easily over the single thinned coat of supermatt.

I used a 2" brush to cut in the edges then a 9" roller for the rest.

Not the best picture but here's what you get after one thinned coat on bare plaster:

That's become my white paint of choice as well we've had loads of work done in the last four years and all mist coats and ceilings have been done with delux trade super Matt it's a great paint to work with and leaves a lovely finish!

glitch · 30 Jun 2018 at 11:18

Supermatt looks like it is a pretty decent option and a tad cheaper than the Bare Plaster stuff. At £38 for 10l that works out a little under £13 for 10l once thinned.

@paintguy - you did 3:1 on your walls and ceilings and then another 5:1 on the ceilings? When you say 'they're done' do you mean that is it, no more paint going on at all?

The_One · 30 Jun 2018 at 15:19

This is what you need its flexible so doesn't crack

https://www.diy.com/departments/red-devil-filler-1l/564999_BQ.prd

glitch · 30 Jun 2018 at 15:46

rexehuk said:
Use a heavy roller for the initial coat, use medium pile for 2nd/3rd coats. You could finish with a short pile, but I don't notice much different on white.

Buy a set of hamilton rollers from Screwfix.

Hamilton stuff seems a bugger to get hold of - anywhere I should be looking, outside of places like Screwfix, etc?

rexehuk · 30 Jun 2018 at 17:25

Supermatt is great, but expensive. I used 20l for initial front room and it's really.good. however followed the water down instructions and still.got flaking paint so I would water it down a bit more.

My neighbor is a decorator and noticed I had supermatt, told me to grab Amstead Trade as it's cheaper (50% less) and not looked back. Just done whole of kitchen (walls/ceiling) stairwells and upstairs with just over 1 tub.

glitch said:
Hamilton stuff seems a bugger to get hold of - anywhere I should be looking, outside of places like Screwfix, etc?

Find a local dulux decorator centre - https://www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk/

paintguy · 30 Jun 2018 at 20:53

glitch said:
Supermatt looks like it is a pretty decent option and a tad cheaper than the Bare Plaster stuff. At £38 for 10l that works out a little under £13 for 10l once thinned.

@paintguy - you did 3:1 on your walls and ceilings and then another 5:1 on the ceilings? When you say 'they're done' do you mean that is it, no more paint going on at all?

Yes and yes.

3 paint:1 water as a first coat on all the bare plaster, then the ceilings got a 2nd coat of 5 paint:1 water and that's all they'll be getting. I did try an extra coat on the utility room ceiling but it made no difference. It isn't the brightest, most brilliant white. You could almost call it a warm white, but I'm perfectly happy with it.

Haven't has any flaking issues myself, and that includes using regular masking tape on some areas while I was tiling/grouting/silicone-ing, but the plaster had been left a few weeks before painting if that makes a difference.

glitch · 30 Jun 2018 at 21:04

Jesus wept... my maths was not on point earlier!

Tinders · 30 Jun 2018 at 22:50

Ive got a load of painting to do later this summer, previously ive used Johnstones Cova Plus, which was nice t work with for a novice like me. Might try the Supermatt aswell, to see the difference.

paintguy · 1 Jul 2018 at 05:23

glitch said:
Jesus wept... my maths was not on point earlier!

I figured you'd got the ratios the wrong way around, which is why I clarified

Yes it isn't cheap, and there may well be something that's better VFM, but as someone that paints cars for a living I know the importance of getting the base layer right. It will probably be on there for as long as the house stands, when I'm long dead, just getting painted over every now and again as we change colour scheme, so didn't mind investing a bit of money in it at this stage.