How to skim a wall: a beginner’s guide

16 January 2025 – 7 Minute Read

A person skimming a white wall with plaster.

Enjoy this simple guide for how to skim a wall, and get smooth surfaces ready for paint or wallpaper.

If your wall has an uneven surface and you want to add paint or wallpaper, giving it a skim coat of plaster is an excellent way to create a smooth surface. 

Plastering refers to applying a thick covering to a wall or ceiling surface, but skimming is just applying a very thin layer of plaster to smooth out a wall. 

A skim layer is easy to apply, as it should only be a few millimetres thick, and it aims to hide any imperfections on the wall so it’s ready for a new look. 

Just like plastering a wall, adding a skim coating to walls takes patience and skill to get everything level.

But if you have the right guide and equipment you can get amazing results. 

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to skim a wall, whatever condition it’s in, to create a smooth surface ready for painting or wallpapering. 

It’s a good idea to practice skimming on a wall first so you can get the feel of the consistency of the plaster and how to use the tools. 

A plasterer always has clean tools, as even small chunks of plaster that’s dried on the trowel can leave marks in a smooth plaster surface. 

To skim a wall, you do need some specialist plastering equipment to do the job correctly. This can be a big outlay if you’re only plastering one wall or a small area. 

Checklist: tools and materials

Before you can skim a wall, you need to gather the following plastering supplies:

  • Plastering trowel

  • Plastering hawk

  • Plaster

  • Water

  • Bucket

  • Power mixer with paddle attachment

  • Screwdriver

  • Jointing compound

  • Masking tape

  • Primer

  • Sandpaper

  • Step ladder

  • Spray bottle with water

  • Plastic sheeting

  • Dust sheets

  • Soft bristled brush

  • Paint roller

  • Paintbrush

  • Taping knife (optional)

  • Spot board (optional)

Also, make sure you have a face mask and eye protection when mixing up and working with plaster.

Got everything? It’s time to learn how to skim a wall!

A person skimming a white wall with plaster using a trowel.