About PBF

PBF was founded in 2007 on the values of INTEGRITY, RESPECT, REPUTATION, COMMUNICATION and OWNERSHIP. 15+ years later we are still very passionate about the same values.

 

Our Services Include:

 

  • GIB® stopping
  • GIB® fixing
  • GIB® coving
  • Fibrous plaster cornice
  • Wall skimming
  • Leaky buildings
  • Residential projects
  • Commercial projects

Gib Stoppers; What to expect when Skimming walls

Gib Stoppers what to expect when Skimming walls:
Find out how more about having walls skim coated in your home. Read the correct procedures and what to expect when using a specialist skimming service in your home.

Wallpaper stripping
If you have elected to do the wallpaper stripping yourself remove layers by wetting and leaving the water to soak into the layers. A big wet sponge or wallpaper steamer will speed up this process. I prefer to wet down an area several times first.  Use the scraper and keep the paper in big pieces to save time where possible. If any areas have very persistent layers that refuse to move they may left in place. Provided that they are firmly stuck down they will be stable enough to plaster over provided that the correct preparation procedures are followed.

Before gib stopping can begin
Before your Gib stopper arrives please clear the area as follows;

  1. Remove electronic equipment out of the rooms to prevent dust damage
  2. Remove ornaments, wall hangings and small items out of the room
  3. Large furniture may stay provided they are placed in the center of the room.
  4. Cover furniture with sheets to prevent dust settling on them
  5. Provide access to the entire area at one time as breaking the job into smaller sections increases the total man hours taken to complete the job.

Preparing existing walls or ceiling for the skim coats
After a light sand to remove any debris your specialist will apply a high quality oil based pigmented sealer (OBPS). This specialist sealer is designed to bond and stabilize the plasterboard sealing in all old adhesives and preventing substances from leaching through and reacting once the skim coats have been applied.
OBPS contains modified oils and is quite odorous during its application.  We do not recommend using the affected rooms during this process.

Steel slimlines to external corners
Our gib stopper will fit steel slimlines to any external corners (corners protruding into the room) these are designed to give a square profile rather than a rounded corner look or the old fashioned timber corner bead look.

Re-enforcing the joins to prevent cracking
To protect the plastered surface long term from cracking our specialist use only paper based perforated re-enforcing tape.  This is applied using high adhesive plasters to ensure a strong bond. We recommend against the use of fibre re-enforcing tapes.  Many Auckland Gib stoppers and most Auckland painters do use fibre tape to reduce cost of labour or because they lack the skill to use perforated paper tape in certain applications. Fibre tape is clearly inferior and its use is recommends against NZ25809:2007 (New Zealand Standards) and board supplier literature as the failure rate is very high.

Paper tape to redefine and re-enforce internal corners
We may recommend paper re-enforcing tape to create a defined line in internal corners. This strengthens corners and improves the visual appeal of the room.  Where plasterboard or framing is significantly out of line we may also straighten the line to minimise the appearance of such a defect. In some older homes ¼ round corner beads cover the internal corners, these should be removed before our gib stoppers begin work.

Wall skimming
First coats are also applied using high adhesive compound.  Such compounds are stronger and harder.
The second skim coat is applied to the surface and any scratches or tears in the paper or nail-holes. After this coat we will determine whether pin holes are present. If this is the case additional coats are required to the affected areas. The final skim coats may be in an air drying compound and should cover the entire surface. Again we will check for pinholes and cover these. The sanding process includes light checks with a 500w halogen floodlight.  This is designed to identify areas that do not meet our quality criteria. It is not uncommon for pinholes to appear after the final sand.  In this case it is most effective to seal the entire area. Pin holes can then be touched up without causing plaster demarcation lines.

Wall straightness
Older homes often have framing deviations.  The skimming process provides a smooth surface in terms of texture.  Wall Skimming does not create straight walls (even relining may not rectify framing deviations). However if there is a specific curve that is very visible because of its shape or its proximity to a straight object we can feather this out to minimise its appearance.

Timeframes
Skimming work is very time consuming.  A stopper would spend 3 to 4 times as long to skim a given wall as he would take to do the gib stopping on the same wall from new.  Even a small wall skimming job requires multiple visits. Typical timeframes for skimming coating walls is from one week for a single room or up to one and a half weeks for a team of two for ½ a house or more.  These timeframes are slightly generous and allow for drying time. This article was written by Arjen Bloem owner of Paint and Plasterboard Finishing (PBF).  PBF is an Auckland Gib stopping company with a separate painting division. Our Auckland gib stoppers and Master painters specialise in working in Aucklands top homes.

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