Exact Answer: 3 Days
With the ever-growing infrastructure and growing housing centers, apartments, and penthouses, the construction is done using the main construction stuff: bricks, cement, and steel. The construction houses leave the primary walls to leave them unskimmed.
Summary
Skimming is applying a layer of POP or plaster of Paris on the walls to make them smooth and even; people use POP before applying a layer of paint, as POP is a finished product to smooth and fill the holes and cracks in the walls.
Skimming is an optional method as many people avoid skimming as skimming is relatively an expensive process as POP is costly.
People use wall putty; putty is a powder made like a cement block, and putty fills the holes and cracks only rather than plastering the whole wall.
How Long After Skimming Can You Paint?
Many factors go into skimming the wall; the process is relatively more extended and complex as applying a whole layer of POP can be difficult and expensive. But skimming is considered a better investment as skimming leaves the walls in a smooth finish simultaneously; skimming lasts longer than wall putty.
Many factors go into wall skimming, and not only one, but many people also use mud as a process of skimming as mud acts as a better insulator to winters and summers. POP is not directly applied to the wall, but POP is mixed with water that is called Gypsum, and a solution of Gypsum is applied on the walls.
There are many skimming levels; the levels go up to five. Skimming level one is the regular skimming done during the average renovation; levels 2 and 3 might be done before applying wallpaper on the walls. Any disruption in the wall can ruin the wallpaper. Levels 4 and 5 are done at a construction level as the walls are new, and before applying the paint, the walls need to be smoothed out.
After the Gypsum is applied and the walls are appropriately skimmed, the walls need to be dried out, and that can entirely depend upon the level of skimming and many other relative factors.
After the walls are dried out, then the homeowner can easily apply a layer of paint. The wall putty is never applied as a whole but only used to fill the cracks and holes.
| Condition | Time Before Applying Paint |
| Level 1 to 2 skimming | 3-6 days |
| Level 3 to 4 skimming | 9 to 12 days |
| Level 5 skimming | 15 days |
| Mud insulation flowed by gypsum | 20 days |
Why Does it Take So Long to Skim the Walls?
Skimming is a process of applying a layer of mud or gypsum on the walls to smooth out the walls and give a shiny and complete finish, but many factors go into skimming that add the time to applying paint. Those are the level of skimming, is the insulation used, and the type of skimming.
Levels of skimming depend upon the wall conditions; after the wall condition is determined, the skimming is started.
Skimming is a process of applying a coat of gypsum on the walls; as the levels increase, the coat also increases; for instance, three levels of gypsums means three coats of POP. As one layer takes at least three days to dry, three coats mean nine days that add up to the time before applying paint.
Insulation is used in western countries to place insulated slabs in the walls, as these countries go through extreme winters. Therefore, insulation is essential.
After the insulation is done, the skimming is done, which adds to how much time it will take to apply a coat of paint.
The type of material that goes into skimming can also take a lot of time. Many people prefer applying a layer of factory mud on the walls, as mud is considered more durable, lasts long, and acts as excellent insulation. But paint cannot be applied to mud, and mud is not a finishing product. Hence, it is essential to apply a layer of gypsum that is relatively a longer process.
Conclusion
Skimming is a process of applying a fine layer of gypsum on the walls that provides a finished and smooth finish.
After the construction is completed, gypsum is applied so the paint can be used as it acts as a smooth and finishing product; applying gypsum is an expensive and complex process, but an excellent investment as skimmed walls last longer than a standard cement plaster.
The skimming is done in levels, and the levels can go up to five, and every level adds up to the initial time as more layers are applied as a finishing process.
References
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4612-3532-3_1
- https://iwaponline.com/ws/article-abstract/17/4/1121/15035
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