# Skim coating plywood/paneling?



## steve-in-kville (Aug 30, 2006)

I read a thread here some time back involving a plywood wall that needed to be finished to match the surrounding drywall. The finisher simply taped/finished the joints like you would any rocked wall. Then skim coated it. In the same thread someone skim coated on top of old wallpaper (plaster beneath) and sprayed a texture.

Does anyone remember a thread like this on CT?

Thanks - steve


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

I wouldn't even attempt it given the different expansion/contraction rates. A recipe for disaster.


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## Drywall1 (Dec 12, 2005)

Teetorbilt said:


> I wouldn't even attempt it given the different expansion/contraction rates. A recipe for disaster.


I 100% agree the mud will come off the plywood/paneling.
Nate


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## steve-in-kville (Aug 30, 2006)

IIRC, the scenerio was in a commercial setting. The wall behind the counter needed the strength of wood to hold various hooks and shelving. So the finisher simply taped and skim coated plywood so it matched the rest of the store. I think I have this story right. Correct me if I'm wrong.

steve


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## JustaFramer (Jan 21, 2005)

I have seen this done in commercial buildings. However to meet fire codes 3/4" was used. The mudders used a setting compound instead of premix. I was just in the place a few weeks ago and it still looks good after almost 3 years. Even the 25 minute mud I used to fill in a 4 inch gap in a wood round column hasn't cracked. But I bondo'd the edges. There was no easy way to do it in wood as it was tapered and had 3 layered stack of shoe moulding and 3 layer stack of crown. And it was uneven. So I sculpted it with the compound.


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## Steve Unkie (Jan 21, 2006)

I've seen it. It looked good at the time. I would never do it myself. I can't believe that it would stand the test of time.

Steve.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

Ok i had paneling in my den. Hired old school painter he did what your talking about. But i went with wallpaper instead of paint. Unfortunately i wasn't home when he did it so i don't know what he did. But he did tape and mud the groves in that paneling and you would never know there is paneling under that wallpaper. He was oldtimer. Mid 60's.


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## sidejobs (Mar 24, 2006)

I skim coated real old paneling in my first house I owned. I Screwed the paneling really well then taped mudded and sprayed on an orange peel texture. This was done about 16 years ago. I just sold the house and the paneling still looked like sheetrock. At the time I said I would never do that again (it took about 50 gallons of mud for a 14x14 kitchen) I'm about to do it again. HO has a paneling wall they want finished and adding a layer of rock is not an option.


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## axnjoe (Dec 10, 2006)

We cover paneling and block walls to match existing drywall often. One of my favorite ways to do this is to apply liner paper then paint. I like it cuz it is so fast to do and is so solid.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

I'm the guy who posted about using plywood then taping it. In spite of what some of these guys said, it works just fine. We did it on Denny's Restaurants. It was part of their standard plan and they did a lot of them. There's a variety of things they hang on the walls. Getting studs where they need to be would be impossible, anchors aren't solid enough, and they need flexibility because it will change.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

I've used Durabond on all types of metal,masonary, wood, drywall, plasterboard, it will stick to almost anything you apply it to. The thing that I have found is that it doesn't like to stick to painted surfaces, Anytime I have applied it to wood I like to use diamond back wire, it just makes it harder, But you can do the same with plaster the thing here is they like you to use plaster weld as adhesive for the plaster,


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## Jer (Nov 13, 2008)

Tried it on paneling in my 1904 bugalow, looked great for about four years then started coming apart. Next time I will do it right!


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Jer said:


> Tried it on paneling in my 1904 bugalow, looked great for about four years then started coming apart. Next time I will do it right!


What procedure did you use the first time, and what procedure do you plan to use the next time?

Type of mud?


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