Is Skimming Dying out?

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James Mulvenna

James Mulvenna

New Member
I have worked in various places/countries and most of Europe for example stopped using skim a long time ago.
Ceilings are generally MF laying grid or Dry lined.

Walls are generally one coat machine plaster or else (like many refurb's) ready mixed Sand cement usually out from a machine supplied by the Mortar supplier. In which case its then "Napped" up smooth with a float and left like that. The painters then come and spray filler on it with a machine the size of a vacuum cleaner and close it in with very wide wooden handled blades. Its slow and air drying and usually takes most of the day to go off.

But we seem to be keeping it going in the UK for some reason. I just wondered if anyone has an opinion as to why.
 
James Mulvenna said:
I have worked in various places/countries and most of Europe for example stopped using skim a long time ago.
Ceilings are generally MF laying grid or Dry lined.

Walls are generally one coat machine plaster or else (like many refurb's) ready mixed Sand cement usually out from a machine supplied by the Mortar supplier. In which case its then "Napped" up smooth with a float and left like that. The painters then come and spray filler on it with a machine the size of a vacuum cleaner and close it in with very wide wooden handled blades. Its slow and air drying and usually takes most of the day to go off.

But we seem to be keeping it going in the UK for some reason. I just wondered if anyone has an opinion as to why.
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Knauf trying to change it with their range but their gear is machine applied and not suitable for reskims. I have never seen skim in the eastern block, floated up s&c&lime used to be the norm for interior work, but 20 years ago taping started to spread which is less labour intensive and less mess and also quicker

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James Mulvenna said:
I have worked in various places/countries and most of Europe for example stopped using skim a long time ago.
Ceilings are generally MF laying grid or Dry lined.

Walls are generally one coat machine plaster or else (like many refurb's) ready mixed Sand cement usually out from a machine supplied by the Mortar supplier. In which case its then "Napped" up smooth with a float and left like that. The painters then come and spray filler on it with a machine the size of a vacuum cleaner and close it in with very wide wooden handled blades. Its slow and air drying and usually takes most of the day to go off.

But we seem to be keeping it going in the UK for some reason. I just wondered if anyone has an opinion as to why.
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the reason why is because the uk are 20 years behind the rest of europe. self finishing plaster finished off with a blade or as known in uk as a splat.
 
I would have thought that the sheer number of 'skimmers' that have flooded the trade says no it's not dying out.
I wish the 'skimmers' would though.
They are taking food out of real plasterers kids mouths...
 
Is Skimming Dying out?
Is Skimming Dying out?

I sometimes use Knauf airless backing and then finish on reskims



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CeeVee said:
I would have thought that the sheer number of 'skimmers' that have flooded the trade says no it's not dying out.
I wish the 'skimmers' would though.
They are taking food out of real plasterers kids mouths...
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Hahaha wtf ??
What about your chinese steel made trowel ??
my kids eat lamb chops and lobster...
Haha what a statement
 
CeeVee said:
I would have thought that the sheer number of 'skimmers' that have flooded the trade says no it's not dying out.
I wish the 'skimmers' would though.
They are taking food out of real plasterers kids mouths...
Click to expand...

Ive done about 8 weeks rendering 2 weeks boarding and about 4 weeks floating in the last year .....my monies made from skimming.
Long live skimmers/dryliners/renderers and good luck to patchers (ive never been demoted to insulating)
 
algeeman said:
Hahaha wtf ??
What about your chinese steel made trowel ??
my kids eat lamb chops and lobster...
Haha what a statement
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What the f6ck are you on about?
I'm talking about the 'tradesmen' that can ONLY skim.
We all make our bread and butter from skimming but that's because we've let the builders and labourers and joiners take the boarding.
Who's got a f6cking Chinese trowel?
 
CeeVee said:
What the f6ck are you on about?
I'm talking about the 'tradesmen' that can ONLY skim.
We all make our bread and butter from skimming but that's because we've let the builders and labourers and joiners take the boarding.
Who's got a f6cking Chinese trowel?
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My app6ligies my friend.
 
@Curry uses it on reskims as well :D

I dont think it will ever die though... yes the demand may slow down but then less plasterers will get in the trade so the money will most likely increase...

you need to adapt and move with the times... I dont like tape and jointing and I think even @TonyM agrees its a substandard finish to skim...
 
I think the main thing is what is or what is becoming the handiest(or cheapest).

If you "Nap" up sand cement render indoors you can get it brave and smooth.

On one job in Berlin we worked for a land lord who was just re-furbing and re-renting 1000 sq meter blocks of apartments at a time and he was simply sizing & priming the nap rendered walls with thick paste and wood chip paper. I laughed at first but soon realized there was absolutely no way anyone could tell the difference.

Ok so Germany is wood chip crazy.

But even with a painted finish I have also simply "closed in" "Napped" cement rendering with wet dry wall compound, a taste of SBR and its strange how good this can look after 3 coats of good quality Emulsion. Remembering that emulsion is basically colored filler.

The Skim looks great and can hide better but the dry wall compound can be decorated the same hour never mind the same day.

Plus you can sand and blend things in almost perfect.

I love that "Easifill 20" (off in 20 mins) its like a get out of jail free card. :-)

Here's a page about similar.

https://www.jgm-ni.com/belfast-plastering-v-berlin/
 
Taping and jointing is a s**t job compared to a top class skimming job.Also skimming,rendering and boarding are all parts of a plasterers job.
 
So does it also not follow from this.......... to say
"Skimming is a s**t job compared to a top class Tape & Jointing job"?

At the end of the day there are going to be both good and bad Plasterers, Jointers and Fixers.
 
Waste is an issue with skimming. Gypsum isn't an endless resource so these things will always have to be considered for the future. The greener that construction gets the more it will switch to airless or tape and joint due to very little waste.
I'd like to give airless a go.
 
Tape and joint wil never take off over skim..because its s**t and isn't quicker by the way..drys quicker to paint etc but ain't quicker applying dnt care wat any1 says on that front..and have u seen the state of foreign country internal walls! There look s**t..us Brits have better taste that's y we use multi
 
Rossi46 said:
Waste is an issue with skimming. Gypsum isn't an endless resource so these things will always have to be considered for the future. The greener that construction gets the more it will switch to airless or tape and joint due to very little waste.
I'd like to give airless a go.
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Im pretty sure that its a waste product from power stations... I am certain that we will be using man made plasters in the future made from totally recycled materials
 
Danny said:
Im pretty sure that its a waste product from power stations... I am certain that we will be using man made plasters in the future made from totally recycled materials
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The Gypsum Knauf uses in the UK for its boards and powdered plasters is a gypsum by-product from gas power stations.....

The ready mixed plasterers, such as the Airless plaster, does not have any Gypsum in it at all...... think it is some sort of powdered marble and polymer... but it is very consistent.

@Rossi46 if you are interested in having a play with Knauf Airless anf ready mixed plaster products (or anyone else on here reading) get in touch with Knauf or find contact details on my or my colleague @quinns profile....

I will get Clive (quinns) to pop on this thread soon as well....

Different countries have different styles and finish expectations..... it is not a 1 type fits all. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same and all liked the same finishes and Architecture....
 
Kitchy said:
Tape and joint wil never take off over skim..because its s**t and isn't quicker by the way..drys quicker to paint etc but ain't quicker applying dnt care wat any1 says on that front..and have u seen the state of foreign country internal walls! There look s**t..us Brits have better taste that's y we use multi
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No national house builder in the southern region skims houses anymore all tape and joint. Eg Barratt, bloors, persimmon, wimpey, redrow, David Wilson,belay and bovis.
 
If its good enough quality for a 7 Star :-) Hotel then it must be good enough for yer average 2 up 2 down :-)
Another factor I think is relevant also is Architects prefer a more open sanded finish which decorates better and easier.
Some Spreads polish too much and Marbelize their skimm to such an extent that their wall can't breath and has to be SBR'd before it's painted.
 
theshed said:
No national house builder in the southern region skims houses anymore all tape and joint. Eg Barratt, bloors, persimmon, wimpey, redrow, David Wilson,belay and bovis.
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Yes because it paints quicker..and who cares about southern I'm northern and its mainly skim down here..and I dnt work for them contractors as there m2 rate Is shocking there don't pay £6-7m2
 
Fair enough it looks a good product and wouldn't mind giving it a go but the board work has to be flawless. I started a timber frame house on Friday and and it is shocking the way it's been threw up reveals off plumb near 10mm and heads miles of square. Boards sitting proud when meeting with other boards. How do you go about fixing that with airless?
 
Ryan87 said:
reveals off plumb near 10mm and heads miles of square. Boards sitting proud when meeting with other boards. How do you go about fixing that with airless?
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You don't. But you get Who ever boarded it and nail them to the ground with about 500 50mm galvanized wire nails and then leave them there until they die of thirst.

Achem... I was actually only joking about that! better off just sacking them instead but there is nothing worse than snagging after some clown.
 
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Exciting times in plaster world I think.
Can see it getting more exciting soon
All good for plasterers
Knauf producing airless is very good move.
Them , BG and others are always going to have more new products they been researching , can't wait to see more tbh.
 
theplasterman said:
Exciting times in plaster world I think.
Can see it getting more exciting soon
All good for plasterers
Knauf producing airless is very good move.
Them , BG and others are always going to have more new products they been researching , can't wait to see more tbh.
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Il be happy wen I Learn how to do metal stud in nxt few months touch wood...major cash in that plasterman..id retire my trowel if we get into that properly
 
theshed said:
No national house builder in the southern region skims houses anymore all tape and joint. Eg Barratt, bloors, persimmon, wimpey, redrow, David Wilson,belay and bovis.
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I know persimmons for one skim when they cannot get tapers (in the north east anyway) but then again it costs considerably more to get the tools to make taping pay compared to plastering
 
Kitchy said:
I bet all show houses get skimmed
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Not sure on that cos I haven't been near a volume builder site since the 80's my info is via a lad i know who works for persimmons and have done work here and there for Mr Persimmons.
 
raggles said:
Not sure on that cos I haven't been near a volume builder site since the 80's my info is via a lad i know who works for persimmons and have done work here and there for Mr Persimmons.
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I dnt work for them either..prices are borderline slave labour..cream all money for themselves do them sort of company dont care about lads at all
 
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