Drywall vs. Joint Compound in Ceiling?

[Walle99]

I recently bought a couple of bags of gypsum plaster to fill holes in walls/ceilings after taking down a wall (in an apartment).

I must say I like the gypsum. It's easy to work with, doesn't shrink, and the surface turns out quite well. My question is about the rest of the ceiling. There's currently a wallpaper-like surface layer (possibly microlit or similar) that needs to come down, and underneath there's plaster. Is it a reasonable solution to take my remaining gypsum plaster and "skim coat," (roll?) it on in a thin layer over the entire ceiling to make it even and then paint on top? Or do you need to use putty?

 

[sixten88]

It's a good option. Just make sure that the old plaster is secure and ideally prime before you apply it.

 

[Walle99]

Great! I read that you also "polish" it when it has dried somewhat and that it doesn't crack, so it sounds like you should be able to get a smooth and even result by "skim coating" with gypsum even as an amateur. That it's more forgiving than filler, which seems to be considered tricky to get right for painting.

If I am going to skim coat the ceiling with gypsum, should it be done in sections, or can you manage about 30 square meters in one go with a roller?

 

[Stefan1972]

It should be noted that there is filler based on gypsum if you need to apply a lot of filler. Bags with powder mixed with water are used for plastering, for example, large ceilings. From what I understand, it's cheaper in terms of material.