New House Series - Guest Room 1 - Abbreviated Wall Smoothing
Hey Reader,
Happy New Year! My New Years Resolution is to talk about skim coating less and like most people, it will last barely a week into January.
I promised I wouldn't obsess with wall smoothing anymore on this blog, but I did want to give you a slight update. After the stunning success of the primer used in the media room, I decided to test just how good it was in the guest room. After doing only a thin layer of skim coating, I decided to do 3 coats of the magic primer on the walls and just see how smooth I could get it.
Honestly, it was another amazing success. I painted the trim and walls - opting for a much more calm mint green for my guest room. Again, I am always so impressed by how much the white trim and ceiling transforms the whole look of the room. It is definitely the most noticeable parts of all of these renovations.
When the paint dried, I started to notice some problems on the walls. There were not rills or trowel marks as the primer covered that up beautifully. However, there was some waves in the walls that was super evident when you ran your hand along it. I don't think it shows up easily in these pictures, but they were definitely there. It was enough that I decided to take another crack at the walls. I did one more skim coat. Team, the coat went on so easy. Each skim coat layer gets easier in some ways, because the walls are smoother. However, they get harder in other ways, because the plaster dries out much faster when layering over plaster instead of paint. I was pleasantly surprised to feel how easily the plaster went over the nearly smooth walls. As you can see in this picture, the plaster settled in the lowest spots and really shows off the waves I was talking about. This is probably the best way to get a sense of the waves I was talking about.
Another quick coat of my magic primer and then it was time to paint again. This iterative step was annoying (and a little expensive), but it is still cheaper than a full skim coat job from a contractor. Is it 100% perfect - heck no. However, I know a lot more about what my magic primer can do now. The next room will get three coats of skim and a light sanding before doing the primer, and I think I will have finally found the sweet spot for the walls.
I am learning so much each time.
Attempt 1: 5-6 Skim coats and sanding, 2 layers of primer, 2 color coats. We made a huge mess and were frustrated most of the time. Used the least resources but the most time.
Attempt 2: 1 skim coat, 3 prime coats, a color coat, a 3rd skim coat and final 2 color coats. Much less frustration, but less perfect job overall.
Attempt 3: 3 Skim coats, 3 prime coats, color coat. Hopefully the perfect balance of mess, work, time and resources.
That is why I love making stuff, I get to have chances to try different ways of accomplishing my goal. Eventually, I will find the perfect method and I will want to go back and do that to the less perfect rooms. Fortunately, that day is not today.
This room has some exciting stuff coming to it! Stay tuned for more fun times!
Keep making cool stuff,
Until next time,
JoshPrime
Happy New Year! My New Years Resolution is to talk about skim coating less and like most people, it will last barely a week into January.
I promised I wouldn't obsess with wall smoothing anymore on this blog, but I did want to give you a slight update. After the stunning success of the primer used in the media room, I decided to test just how good it was in the guest room. After doing only a thin layer of skim coating, I decided to do 3 coats of the magic primer on the walls and just see how smooth I could get it.Honestly, it was another amazing success. I painted the trim and walls - opting for a much more calm mint green for my guest room. Again, I am always so impressed by how much the white trim and ceiling transforms the whole look of the room. It is definitely the most noticeable parts of all of these renovations.
When the paint dried, I started to notice some problems on the walls. There were not rills or trowel marks as the primer covered that up beautifully. However, there was some waves in the walls that was super evident when you ran your hand along it. I don't think it shows up easily in these pictures, but they were definitely there. It was enough that I decided to take another crack at the walls. I did one more skim coat. Team, the coat went on so easy. Each skim coat layer gets easier in some ways, because the walls are smoother. However, they get harder in other ways, because the plaster dries out much faster when layering over plaster instead of paint. I was pleasantly surprised to feel how easily the plaster went over the nearly smooth walls. As you can see in this picture, the plaster settled in the lowest spots and really shows off the waves I was talking about. This is probably the best way to get a sense of the waves I was talking about.
I am learning so much each time.
Attempt 1: 5-6 Skim coats and sanding, 2 layers of primer, 2 color coats. We made a huge mess and were frustrated most of the time. Used the least resources but the most time.
Attempt 2: 1 skim coat, 3 prime coats, a color coat, a 3rd skim coat and final 2 color coats. Much less frustration, but less perfect job overall.
Attempt 3: 3 Skim coats, 3 prime coats, color coat. Hopefully the perfect balance of mess, work, time and resources.
That is why I love making stuff, I get to have chances to try different ways of accomplishing my goal. Eventually, I will find the perfect method and I will want to go back and do that to the less perfect rooms. Fortunately, that day is not today.This room has some exciting stuff coming to it! Stay tuned for more fun times!
Keep making cool stuff,
Until next time,
JoshPrime
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