skimming over gypsum core of plasterboard?

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Hello All

I'm not a plasterer by a long way but can skim a flat plasterboard to an acceptable standard with quite a lot of time.

We had woodchip paper in one room and I've removed it but I've (probably stupidly) stripped the paper off the plasterboard so what is left is raw gysum with a few scraper marks in it. Also there is paper at the edge where two boards meet which is nearly impossible to remove?

So the question is is my only alternative now to overboard or replace the existing boards? What would happen if I tried to skim over the lot (after lots of pva of course) ?

Thanks a lot in advance if anyone has a minute to help me out ?
 
Will suck like mad, but apart from that as long as the rest of the board is sound skim over as normal, good coat of pva nice skim coat and the jobs good, you don’t say wether it’s a ceiling or wall, but realistically there should be no issues with just skimming.
 
Will suck like mad, but apart from that as long as the rest of the board is sound skim over as normal, good coat of pva nice skim coat and the jobs good, you don’t say wether it’s a ceiling or wall, but realistically there should be no issues with just skimming.

Sounds all right....if it's really rough, then maybe PVA what's left of the boards, then bond it, then PVA the bonding...but by the time you've done that, pretty much might've replaced the boards.
 
The boards have been weakened the screws/nails are just siting in the soft gypsum core no strength at all.
 
That’s why I asked if it was a ceiling , If it’s a ceiling I would recommend reboarding, don’t want them coming down on you, bit different if it’s a wall
 
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Yes its a wall. Many thanks indeed to all. Plan to go the strong pva then skim route.
I'd just reboard if the walls only a few metres long and onto studs it will take a few hours to rip off and put new up. Then you've got a easy job to skim it and you know it's completely solid and new. Doing the 'lazy' thing can almost take aslong as doing it right in my experience
 
I had a similar job years ago, gave it a few coats of strong pva and it all started crazing and cracking before final trowel. Phoned bg and they told me to use there grit primer, can’t rember what it was called but that worked.
 
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