What is the difference between skim coat and plastering?
In olden days of yore plaster was applied over wooen lath which gave the plaster something to adhere to . Thus a much heavier coat of plaster could be applied because of the space between the lathes. the next day a second coat was applied called the skim coat because it’s only purpose was to fill in the imperfections left from the first coat. fast forward to now the plaster comes in sheets much the same as sheetrock ex cept it is blue, and rightly called blueboard , after the hangers screw the bluboard to the wall and ceiling a team of plastererscome in and put a skim coat of plaster over the whol board, the joints require a heavier coat. After this coat dries in a couple of hoursor less the plasterers come back and apply a veneer thickness to the wall and dampen the plaster with a brush being waved in front of the board.Thus completing the plaster job. Now a oldtime plasterer like my brother-in-laws brother is a real plasterer and I was lucky enough to have him plaster my house when w