Painting walls that have been skimmed.

by Pauline
(Dublin, Ireland)

What is the recommended time to wait before painting walls that have been skimmed? Our house is approximately 60 years old, and many of the interior walls are very uneven.

As we are about to renovate the house, we intend having the walls skimmed before painting them. How long should we wait after skimming to have them painted? Should a primer be put on first? How many coats of paint?

Answer

If your walls are skimmed with drywall mud then 24 hours is typically enough. The exact amount of time depends on the humidly and temperature within your house. As long as the drywall mud is dry, including the corners, then it can be primed (no need to wait for curing). For finish plaster the wait time is different. This time can range from 2 weeks to a month. The plaster needs to cure before priming. Check with the person skimming your walls for the type of product used.

Both types of wall finishes must be primed before painting. I recommend a PVA wall board primer or a 100% acrylic primer. Check with your local paint store for availability. One heavy coat of primer is enough with two coats of paint as the protective finish. I like two coats of paint, everything turns out better with smoother walls and truer colors.