Can You Skim Coat Over Paint? (Pros, Cons, Warnings)

Skim coating is for repairing damaged walls. After a while, the painting in your house is bound to receive some wear and tear.

When it happens, you can skim coat the walls for smooth and better surfaces.

It is the simplest, quickest and most effective way of reversing damaged or torn walls.

Can you skim coat over paint ? Yes you can.

However, it will require more patience and attention to get it right.

Advantages and disadvantages of skim coat

There are advantages and disadvantages of skim coats that you need to know before you do it, to make sure you do it right consider the following

Pros of Skim Coating Over Paint

When there have been years of wear and tear from the residents or the pets in the house and the walls are destroyed.

Skim coating over the pain will give you a beautiful and consistent surface.

Sanding the walls is a good idea before you skim coat. If the paint is peeling, you will need to scrap it off.

You will be able to get rid of the damages caused by the wallpaper.

When you put wallpaper around your home and remove it after a while, the paint underneath might be ruined.

Skim coating can help you regain your walls in no time. Clear the walls completely and ensure it’s smooth and apply a skim coat.

The walls will be more durable if the skim coat is applied and mixed correctly.

 It can also be the update your house has been lacking to make it beautiful. The walls will be more appealing and less out-dated with a simple skim coat.

Cons of Skim Coating Over Paint

The worst thing that can happen when you skim coat over painted walls is the paint underneath can start pealing.

If the paint peal under the coat, it will undermine the purpose of skim coating and can make the surfaces uneven.

Sometimes it might happen when you are skim coating, and you can fix it there before proceeding.

It will also take more of your time to prepare the painted walls. You might need a more severe sanding process to get the walls in shape.

There is also a big chance it will be costly because you risk using much more materials than usual.

You also risk exposing bumps, marks, and flaws that the old paint was masking.

Warnings On Skim Coats

If the walls' condition is not good or has been painted recently, it's best to avoid skimming over it.

You also need to check if there is any moulting paint when assessing the state of the walls.

Suppose there is any you need to remove before you skim coat.

Consider the type of paint you want to skim over.

When skimming over painted surfaces, it's best to let the type of paint guide the products you will use.

It shouldn't be a big problem if you make the necessary preparations.

Conclusion

Do you need to prime painted walls before skim coating?

 Many people have asked this same question. You need the walls to be primed for you to get the best finish before applying a skim coat.

Ensure the primer dries first before you skim coat.

Now that you know all the benefits and the downside of skim coating over a painted wall. You can make the best choice for your house. 

Ensure the paint is dry and the wall is in good shape to be happy with the results.