Other Services
Plastering, Skim Coating and Cement Screed works are used to enhance the surface condition prior to the final finish.
Why preparation matters
Unevenness, weak areas and unsuitable substrates can show through a new finish. Preparation works to correct visible defects and provides a more secure base for the chosen coating or treatment.
Repair and level as appropriate for wall and ceiling surfaces prior to decorating. Good plastering will assist in rectifying localised defects and provide a solid foundation for subsequent finishes.
A thin coat applied to enhance appropriate wall or ceiling surfaces. Skim coating can be used for smoothing out the surface, correcting small flaws and creating a more even surface.
Application of cementitious screed to appropriate floors or surfaces for leveling, falls or to achieve a raw architectural finish. Finish and use are considered prior to work.
A compound material that is poured onto an existing floor to create a flat, even surface for installation of tile, vinyl, timber or an epoxy coating. It drains under gravity to level out dips, humps and small falls that a trowelled screed will not necessarily level, and dries quickly enough to keep a renovation project on track.
Before work begins
The preparation depends on the type of substrate, previous coating, moisture exposure and desired finish. A site review is used to establish the correct materials and sequence prior to preparing a quotation.
Diagnosis first
Paint magnifies whatever sits underneath it. This is how we match the fix to the fault.
| Problem | The right treatment | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Hairline cracks | Crack filling + skim coat | Cracks opened, filled flexibly, skimmed level and sealed before painting. |
| Uneven or patchy walls | Full skim coat | A thin levelling layer over the whole wall, sanded to an even plane. |
| Hollow or damaged render | Hack off & re-plaster | Failed plaster removed to a sound base and rebuilt — patching over hollow render fails fast. |
| Rough or out-of-level floors | Cement screed | A levelled screed bed that readies floors for tiles, vinyl or epoxy. |
| New brick or block walls | Plaster + proper curing | Fresh plaster applied and allowed to cure before any paint system goes on. |
| Dips, humps or an uneven floor slab | Self levelling compound | A free-flowing layer that finds its own level, giving a flat base for tiles, vinyl, timber or epoxy. |
Realistic timelines
Honest, typical timelines. Every stage should be given its drying or curing time before the next trade — the classic mistake that leads to paint failure. Actual times vary with location, thickness and climate.
| Work | Typical duration | Before the next step |
|---|---|---|
| Skim coat (whole flat) | Around 3–5 working days | Fully dry, sealed, then painted |
| Plastering repairs | 1–2 days for patches | Cures before skim or paint goes over it |
| Cement screed | 1–2 days to lay | Proper curing before tiles, vinyl or epoxy |
| Self-levelling compound | Poured in a day | Walkable in hours; floor finish follows the product's spec |
How it works
The condition dictates the treatment, not a standard package, walls and floors are checked under raking light, adhesion and moisture tests are carried out where necessary.
Floors, joinery, sockets and openings are masked and sheeted; work zones are sealed off from the rest of the home.
Failed render is hacked off and re-plastered, cracks are opened and filled, then skim coat or screed goes on at the right thickness.
Each layer is dried according to schedule prior to application of next layer; surfaces sanded flat and sealed for paint or floor finishes.
The expensive shortcut
No big drama on day one, the issues come in over the next few months, and each of the issues is more expensive than the preparation.
This is why our painting quotations itemise preparation as its own line — see how it pairs with the painting systems it protects.
Pricing, honestly
Our whole-flat skim coat & plastering prices are published not a mystery quote.
Full tables on the painting price guide, including sealers and add-ons.
FAQ
What owners ask before the invisible work that decides the visible result.
Plastering rebuilds a wall's thickness and structure — used when render is hollow, damaged or missing. Skim coating is a thin cosmetic levelling layer over a sound base, applied purely to get a smooth, even plane for painting.
Once the skim has fully dried — typically a few days depending on thickness, weather and ventilation. We seal the fresh surface first, then paint. Rushing this stage is a classic cause of patchy finishes, so we schedule it properly.
No. Work zones are sheeted, doorways sealed and sanding is managed with vacuum-assisted tools where suitable. The area is cleaned at the end of every session, not just at handover.
If the existing coating is sound — we test adhesion first. Flaking or glossy surfaces are prepared or stripped before skimming so the new layer bonds permanently.
A cement screed is trowelled on and can be built up thicker, shaped to falls and laid over larger level differences. Self levelling compound is poured and flows out under its own weight to a very flat finish — better for correcting dips and humps before tiles, vinyl, timber or epoxy, but it is not designed to create falls or heavy build-ups.
Epoxy needs a level, sound, dry substrate. Worn slabs usually need repair and grinding; where levels are off, a cement screed creates the flat base the coating needs to perform.
Yes. Skim coating is priced by area, so a single feature wall, a ceiling or one bedroom is a normal job. We feather the edges into the surrounding surface so the levelled section does not stand out under light.
They solve different sizes of problem. Wall putty fills small dents, nail holes and localised imperfections spot by spot. A skim coat levels the entire wall with a thin continuous layer, so the whole plane reads flat under light. Putty patches on an uneven wall still show once painted — which is why patch-and-paint quotes often disappoint.
Yes. Skim coating before your own painter takes over, screed or self-levelling before new flooring, and plaster repairs on their own are all normal jobs — you are not obliged to bundle painting with it.
Often not — many BTO walls are handed over already skimmed. We check flatness under raking light and only recommend skimming where walls are genuinely uneven or patched. If your walls are sound, we say so and quote painting only.
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