Skimming Services in Basildon & Essex
Get in touch today for a fast, free quote.
Professional skimming services across Basildon & Essex areas.
- Plastering & skimming
- Plasterboard & coving
- Rendering & renovations
- 5.0 Google Rated Local
- 50+ Years Experience
- Family Run Since 1969
- Fully Insured
What Is Skimming?
Skimming is a thin finish coat of plaster applied to walls or ceilings to create a smooth surface ready for painting or wallpapering. It is commonly used over plasterboard or existing plaster and is ideal for renovation and refurbishment work.
We provide professional skimming services across Basildon and Essex, creating smooth walls and ceilings that are ready for painting and decorating.
Clean, reliable skimming Basildon services for walls and ceilings across Essex and nearby areas.
Get a Free Skimming Quote
Re-Skimming Tired Rooms Across Basildon
A professionally skimmed surface leaves walls and ceilings smooth, clean and ready for decorating. In many cases, re-skimming is enough to refresh tired rooms and improve older surfaces. Skimming can also be used over artex ceilings once they have been properly prepared.
Walls
- Re-skimming tired or patchy walls
- Over fresh plasterboard
- After wallpaper has been stripped
- Making good after damp or leaks
Ceilings
- Flattening artex ceilings
- Cracked or crazed old ceilings
- Over new boarding
- Water damage repairs
Whole Projects
- Full house re-skims
- Extensions and conversions
- Rental and refurbishment work
- Commercial premises
Base Coat (Bonding)
Bonding coat is used to level uneven walls and create a solid base before skimming.
It is ideal for patch repairs, older walls and low-suction surfaces.
- Straightens walls that are badly out of true
- Fills deep patches after removals or repairs
- Gives the finish coat something solid to grip
- Needed more often on older Basildon housing stock
How A Room Gets Skimmed
Most rooms follow the same four stages. The preparation and the timing between coats are what decide whether the finish stays flat and crack-free.
Drying Out & Painting New Plaster
The most common thing that spoils a good skim is painting it too soon. Here is what to expect once we have finished.
Give it time
Fresh plaster goes from dark brown to a light, even pink as it dries. Wait until the whole surface has turned, with no dark patches left, before decorating. That usually takes several days and longer in winter, on thicker base coats or in a cold room.
Ventilate, don’t blast it
Open windows and let air move through. Avoid drying it hard with heaters — forcing it dry too fast is a common cause of cracking.
Mist coat first
New plaster needs a watered-down emulsion mist coat before proper paint, otherwise the suction pulls the moisture out and the topcoat can peel. We are happy to talk this through on the day.
Rated 5.0 On Google
Fifty-plus years of work in Basildon and Essex, and a 5.0 rating from the people we have done it for.
★★★★★
“Turned up on time, kept everything tidy, and the finish was excellent. Very happy with the work carried out.”
Jordan, Basildon★★★★★
“Really pleased with the work. They arrived on time, kept everything tidy, and the finish was spot on.”
Hayley, Wickford★★★★★
“Reliable, professional, and very easy to deal with. I would definitely recommend Ultimate Plastering.”
Kieren, BillericaySkimming FAQs
Fifty years of walls and ceilings in Essex means we have heard most of these on the doorstep.
How long does a room take to skim?
An average room is usually a day, sometimes two if there is a lot of preparation or a base coat is needed first. Ceilings take longer per square metre than walls. We will give you a realistic timescale with the quote rather than an optimistic one.
How long before I can paint it?
Wait until the plaster has gone a uniform light pink with no dark patches anywhere — usually several days, longer in winter or where a base coat has been used. Then a watered-down mist coat before your proper paint, or the topcoat may peel.
Can you skim over artex?
Yes, once it has been properly prepared. It is one of the most common jobs we do. If the artex went on before 2000 it may contain asbestos, in which case it should not be sanded — see our artexing page for how we handle that. Very heavy textures may need overboarding instead.
Can you skim over wallpaper?
No, and anyone who says otherwise is storing up trouble. The paper lifts as the plaster takes up moisture and the finish comes away with it. Wallpaper comes off first, then the wall is prepared and skimmed.
Do I need a base coat or just a skim?
A skim alone suits a surface that is already flat and sound. If the wall is uneven, hollow in places or has deep patches, a bonding base coat goes on first to level it. We will tell you which yours needs on the quote visit rather than finding out mid-job.
Will it crack?
Fine hairline cracking usually traces back to the surface underneath or to the plaster being dried too fast. Preparing the background properly and letting it dry at its own pace is what prevents it, which is why we do not rush that stage.
How much mess does it make?
Floors and anything left in the room are covered, and we clear up at the end of each day. Our reviews mention the tidying up more than anything else, which tells you where we put the effort.
Do you cover areas outside Basildon?
Yes. We regularly work across Billericay, Wickford, Benfleet, Rayleigh, Laindon, Pitsea, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. If you are further out, call and ask.
Often Carried Out Alongside
Skimming is usually one stage of a bigger job. These are the services most often booked with it.
Need a Free Skimming Quote in Basildon?
Call now or request a quick callback today.
Fast, clean and reliable skimming services across Basildon and Essex.
- Plastering & skimming
- Plasterboard & coving
- Clean & reliable service
- 5.0 Google Rated Local
- 50+ Years Experience
- Family Run Since 1969
- Fully Insured
Open Monday to Sunday, 9:00am–9:00pm
Covering Basildon, Billericay, Wickford & surrounding Essex areas