Regardless of the surface you're going to skim coat, you want to apply a primer first, and a wall you just de-wallpapered is no exception. This article has been viewed 261,653 times. Pick a color that matches the top coat color. Have questions about how to skim coat and the materials that you see in the video? This is a thinner mixture than the Texture Pave below and will be approximately one-eighth of an inch thick. Mud used for roll skimming is nearly the thinnest mud used for any step of the finishing process. Allow this Thin Finish coat to dry overnight before using the acid stain. Use a 2 to 1 ratio of powdered compound to cool, clean water. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/28\/Skim-Coat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Skim-Coat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/28\/Skim-Coat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1344664-v4-728px-Skim-Coat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"