Difference between skimming and plastering

Skimming means to use a finishing plaster either on new plasterboard or over existing walls or ceilings to create a smooth finish for painting or wall papering. The term plastering is often used to mean the same thing, so you might say "my walls need plastering" when they need skimming but the term "plastering" is more general so could mean that more than just a skim is required e.g. boarding and skimming or patching up holes etc than skimming, but in general people just use the two terms to describe the same process (skimming). It's just that one term is more specific than the other. Hope that helps.

Hi there Plastering is everything to do with the trade not a type. Skimming is part of plastering, a thin two coat method for smoothing walls but not levelling, to level the walls you would use a backing plaster then skim In the kitchen you need a competent plasterer that is clean but accidents do happen. If you can take top units off, skim then put back makes it easier for the plasterer and a more professional job especially when there are always electric points to work around. Regards Joseph

Plastering covers a range of types of surface preparation, where as skimming is just a finish coat ready for painting, plastering may be , straightening out a crooked wall before skimming, filling holes before a skim coat is applied, floating and setting over sand and cement, bonding, hardwall, and various other materials that all come under the the bracket of plastering.