The best Skim plasters, compared.
Top pick: Toupret quick-dry joint and skim 10 kg Best value: Toupret quick-dry joint and skim 10 kg – Lowest shelf price per listed kilogram among the 5 kg and 10 kg packs, about £2.72 per kilogram at about £27.21. Updated October 2026.
Skim plaster is a thin coat that leaves a wall or ceiling smooth enough to decorate. In the UK the name covers bagged gypsum finishing plaster, usually about 2 mm, and coating fillers sold as a joint-and-skim or a renovation skim. You buy it to level plasterboard joints, to flatten a rough interior, or to patch holes before paint or wallpaper. You tell a suitable pack by the background, by whether it sets or simply dries, and by the thickness and paint time on the sheet. Interior pastes stay inside. An exterior compound is for masonry and render, and it does not replace render. A 5 mm cap will not flatten a badly bowed wall. A small patch box is for holes, not a room. Those checks are in the [skim plaster buying guide](/hub/paints-and-varnishes/skim-plaster/sub/skim-plaster-buying-guide). Finishing plaster sets, then it still has to dry. A ready-mixed filler can stay workable in the tub. Sanding joints makes gypsum dust. Do not dry-sand an older textured coating that may contain asbestos.
Skim plaster is a thin coat that leaves a wall or ceiling smooth enough to decorate.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where is the surface?
Toupret Joint, Skim and Fill Quick Dry, model FGBJSR10GB, is a 10 kg powder at £27.21, with 4.8 from 8 reviews. The bullets say interior plasterboard jointing, skimming and filling, with paint in 3 hours, and they exclude a direct coat of polyurethane or epoxy solvent paint. Item weight is 11 kg and the unit count is 1. Water resistance is not water resistant. Two UK texts say it was easy on plasterboard and easier to sand than another brand. Neither text states a fault. It is the best value here on shelf price per listed kilogram among the 5 kg and 10 kg skim packs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Interior plasterboard joints or a skim where you can mix a powder and the listing’s 3-hour paint line matters.
Less suitable: You want a ready-mixed tub, a thickness figure, or a review count above eight.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the powder that says paint in 3 hours?
Yes on this listing. Model FGBJSR10GB is a powder. The bullets and the full-cure field say ready to paint in 3 hours. Do not coat it directly with polyurethane paints or epoxy solvent-based paints.
Can you use it on plasterboard?
The plasterboard question has no answer. The title, the bullets and the specific-uses line all name plasterboard jointing, seams, skimming and repairs.
What is in the pack?
Included components are one 10 kg bag. No water, trowel or roller is listed. The unit count prints 1, and the item weight is 11 kg.
This Toupret quick-dry listing, model TOUFGBJSR05G and part FGBJSR05GB, is £21.63, with 4.8 from 5 reviews and no review texts in the saved listing. The title says a 5 kg interior plasterboard joint and skim filler. A bullet says 5.05 kg. Item weight is 6.9 kg. The bullets do not state a paint time, a thickness, or a mix ratio. The technical table prints 100 volts and 6 watts next to a bag. Brand and material fields are empty.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A smaller quick-dry bag when the 10 kg powder is more than you want to store, and you can accept a thin listing.
Less suitable: You need a stated paint time, review comments, or a single weight that the fields agree on.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this 5 kg bag state a 3-hour paint time?
No. The title says fast drying. The bullets do not give an hour, and the technical table has no cure time. The 3-hour line is on the 10 kg model FGBJSR10GB, not on this listing.
Which weight is the pack?
The title and size say 5 kg. A bullet says 5.05 kg. The item weight is 6.9 kg. Dimensions are 8 x 18 x 40 cm.
What do the five reviews say?
The listing line is 4.8 from 5 reviews. The saved listing does not include the review texts, so praise and complaints are not available here.
Palace interior patching plaster, model 64-16, is a 1.5 kg powder at £2.49, with 4.5 from 571 reviews. All 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. The bullets cover cracks, holes and damaged plaster on interior walls and ceilings, mixed with water at 1:2.5. Item weight is 1.42 kg. UK reviews praise the price on small patches. They also report a short open time, grit, and a set that is hard to sand. It is the top pick here because it is the only listing with at least 500 reviews. It is a patch pack, and a room skim needs a larger pack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small interior holes and cracks in plaster, including ceilings, where a cheap powder box is enough.
Less suitable: You are skimming a room, you need a stated open time, or you want a non-toxic answer the listing does not give.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you use Palace patching plaster on a ceiling?
The ceiling question is unanswered on the listing. The bullets say walls and ceilings. UK reviews include ceiling holes after light fittings.
How long does the mix stay workable?
The listing does not state a time. The bullets say fast-setting and give the mix as 1:2.5, without saying which part is water. UK reviews often report about 5 to 10 minutes, against an hour they say the packet claims. Others report a hard set in about 2 hours.
Is it non-toxic, and is a knife in the box?
The non-toxic question is unanswered and the bullets do not say. Included components are one patching plaster. The bullets say you apply it with a filling knife or trowel, which is not in the box.
Toupret exterior skimcoat, model TOUTTEGFAP05, is £32.76, with 4.5 from 7 reviews. The bullets cover masonry, cement, concrete, plaster, mortars and renders, with a 6-hour working time and paint in 24–48 hours. The form field says semi-solid paste, and the bullets say it mixes to a paste. Waterproof is false and water resistance is not water resistant, beside a weather-resistant bullet. The pack is 5 kg in the title and 5 litres in the size field. Three UK texts mention render and newly rendered blocks. It is the only exterior skim in this comparison.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Smoothing exterior masonry or render before a suitable paint, with a long working time.
Less suitable: You need a waterproof rating the fields do not give, or an interior ready-mixed tub.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this exterior skimcoat waterproof?
The weatherproof question has no answer. Is Waterproof is false and the water-resistance field says not water resistant. A bullet still says weather-resistant, flexible and breathable. One UK review was unsure what rain would do before paint.
When can you paint it?
The bullets say paint in 24–48 hours, and not with a direct coat of polyurethane or epoxy solvent paint. The dry-time field says 24 hours. The full-cure field prints 1 hours. One review painted after 24 hours.
Is the pack 5 kg or 5 litres?
The title and model name say 5 kg. The size field says 5 l, the volume is 5 litres, and the unit count is 5000 millilitres. Item weight is 5.04 kg.
Toupret joint and skim, model FGBJP20GB, is listed at £27.69 on amazon.co.uk, with 4.4 from 116 reviews. The title says Quick Dry. The item form is paste, the bullets say ready to use with no mixing, and the included line is one ready-to-use joint and skim 10 kg. Thickness in the bullets is up to 5 mm, with paint in 12–24 hours. Item weight is 10.4 kg and item volume is 12.5 litres. Water resistance is not water resistant. Twenty-four UK texts praise the spread and the sand. They also report slow drying, a hard sanding window, and tubs that arrived cracked or leaking.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An interior joint, skim or fill where you want a ready-mixed 10 kg tub and can wait 12–24 hours before paint.
Less suitable: You need the 3-hour paint line, which is on the powder model FGBJSR10GB, or a stated exterior rating.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this 10 kg Toupret tub need mixing?
The mixing question on the listing has no answer. The bullets say it is pre-mixed and needs no mixing. The included components line says one ready-to-use joint and skim 10 kg. The title still says Quick Dry, and the model number is FGBJP20GB.
How thick can you apply it, and when can you paint?
The bullets limit cracks and holes to 5 mm and say it is ready for painting within 12–24 hours. They also say you can overcoat with filler, paint or a wall coating.
Can you use it on a ceiling?
The ceiling question has no answer on the listing. The bullets call it a wall and ceiling filler for skimming large surfaces. UK reviews include a woodchip ceiling and plasterboard joints.
Toupret renovation skimcoat, model TTEGALP10GB, is a ready-mixed 10 kg tub at £38.74, with 4.3 from 37 reviews. The bullets name interior walls and ceilings, texture, stucco and Artex, a 5 mm skim, and no PVA. The water-resistance field says water resistant. Full cure time is 24 hours. The material field lists acrylic, polyurethane, resin and silicone. Item volume prints 1 cubic centimetre, and the best-sellers rank is Pet Supplies. Twelve UK texts mostly describe skimming rough plaster or new board. They also mention price, product drying on tools, a leak, and shrink on bare plasterboard.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An interior renovation skim over paint, plaster or named texture, where a ready-mixed tub up to 5 mm is the brief.
Less suitable: You want the lowest price per kilogram, an exterior pack, or a best-sellers rank that matches decorating.
Specifications
Common questions
Will this cover Artex or other texture?
The bullets say it levels rough texture and covers texture, stucco and Artex, at up to 5 mm. They also say it is certified for jointing and that you can apply it to un-primed walls with no PVA.
How long before it is cured?
The dry-time question has no answer. The full cure time field says 24 hours. The listing does not give a shorter paint window.
Is the rank in pet supplies a product type?
The best-sellers line prints 25,090 in Pet Supplies and 428 in Bird Food. The title, bullets and compatible-materials field describe an interior renovation skimcoat. The item volume field prints 1 cubic centimetre beside 10 kg.
Six amazon.co.uk skim listings were scored from the stored listing files, the UK review texts captured for each ASIN, and the maker pages named below. This was not a lab test. Stars and review depth take the largest share, with a floor of 500 reviews before a listing can be the top pick. Only the 1.5 kg patching plaster clears that floor, at 4.5 from 571, so a 4.8 from 8 does not take the badge. Background is scored next: interior board, old paint or texture, a few holes, or exterior render. A stated thickness and a paint or set time you can quote come after that. The 3-hour paint line is only on the 10 kg quick-dry listing. Price is the lowest shelf price per listed kilogram among the 5 kg and 10 kg packs. The 1.5 kg patch is outside that group. Conflicting weight, volume, waterproof and rank fields are deducted. A thin review sample is deducted. The best value is the 10 kg quick-dry powder at £27.21, about £2.72 per listed kilogram, and it is not the highest score.
Stars and review depth
35%The largest share. A listing needs at least 500 amazon.co.uk reviews before it can be the top pick. A 4.5 from 571 sits above a 4.8 from 8. Stars are the listing average, not a lab finish test.
Fit for the background
25%Interior board, old paint or texture, a few holes, and exterior render are scored as different jobs. Interior tubs stay inside. The exterior powder cannot replace render.
Thickness and paint time
20%A stated thickness and a paint or set time you can quote. A 5 mm cap will not flatten a bowed wall. The 3-hour paint line is only on the 10 kg quick-dry listing.
Price per listed kilogram
20%Among the 5 kg and 10 kg packs, the lowest shelf price per kilogram in the title. The 1.5 kg patch is outside that group, so a lower shelf price there is not best value.
Start with the background, then the thickness on the sheet, then whether the product sets or dries, then pack against the maker’s coverage, then the review sample. The notes below follow that order. None of these listings was lab-tested.
A skim is a thin coat that leaves a wall or ceiling smooth enough to decorate. In the UK that name covers two different materials. Bagged gypsum finishing plaster, sold to BS EN 13279-1:2008 Type B1/20/2, is usually about 2 mm and it sets chemically. Coating fillers sold as joint-and-skim or renovation skimcoat dry rather than set, and that is the family on these amazon.co.uk listings. A jointing claim under BS EN 13963, or an EN 16566 filler class, is not a Type B1/20/2 declaration.
The 1.5 kg patching plaster is for cracks and holes. The maker’s page puts the set at about 2 hours. A room skim needs a larger pack, and UK reviews often report a mix that goes off in minutes.
Paint in 3 hours is on the 10 kg quick-dry listing, model FGBJSR10GB. The 5 kg quick-dry listing says fast drying and states no hour. The ready-mixed 10 kg tub says paint in 12–24 hours, even where the title says Quick Dry.
Textured coatings may contain asbestos if they pre-date the 1999 ban. Leave them undisturbed. The renovation bullets name a cover up to 5 mm. If the coating would have to be broken up, call a professional.
Decide the background before the pack. Interior plasterboard, old paint, a textured ceiling, a few holes, and exterior render are different jobs. Interior pastes and interior powders stay inside. The exterior skimcoat is for masonry, cement, concrete and render. The maker’s sheet says it cannot replace render, and the listing’s waterproof field is false beside a weather-resistant bullet. A small patching box is for cracks and holes. A room skim needs a larger pack. Thickness is the next limit.
Read the paint clock on the sheet in front of you. Ready-mixed joint and skim says paint in 12–24 hours. The 10 kg quick-dry powder says paint in 3 hours, and the maker’s page puts working time at about 40 minutes. The 5 kg quick-dry listing leaves that hour unstated. The exterior bullets say paint in 24–48 hours and a 6-hour working time. The renovation full-cure field says 24 hours. The patching plaster bullets say fast-setting and give the mix as 1:2.5, without an open time on the listing.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a ready-mixed interior tub that will not set in the bucket. Toupret joint and skim 10 kg, model FGBJP20GB, is about £27.69 with 4.4 from 116 reviews. The bullets say no mixing, up to 5 mm, and paint in 12–24 hours. The title still says Quick Dry.
You can mix a powder and you want the shorter paint window on plasterboard. Toupret quick-dry joint and skim 10 kg, model FGBJSR10GB, is about £27.21 with 4.8 from 8 reviews. The bullets say paint in 3 hours. The 5 kg bag does not state that hour.
You want to cover texture, including a coating the bullets call Artex, without sanding it first. Toupret renovation skimcoat 10 kg, model TTEGALP10GB, is about £38.74 with 4.3 from 37 reviews. The bullets say up to 5 mm and no PVA. Full cure on the listing is 24 hours.
The top pick is Palace interior patching plaster 1.5 kg, model 64-16, at about £2.49. It has 4.5 from 571 reviews, the only listing here with at least 500 reviews. It is a patch pack for holes and cracks. A room skim needs a larger pack. UK reviews praise the price on small patches and also report a short open time and a hard set. The best value is Toupret quick-dry joint and skim 10 kg, model FGBJSR10GB, at about £27.21. That is the lowest shelf price per listed kilogram among the 5 kg and 10 kg packs, about £2.72 per kilogram. The bullets say paint in 3 hours. The review line is 4.8 from 8.
Toupret quick-dry joint and skim 10 kg
Lowest shelf price per listed kilogram among the 5 kg and 10 kg packs, about £2.72 per kilogram at about £27.21.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The price band is this set, not a market average. No listing was lab-tested.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the stored amazon.co.uk figures, not a live crawl. We did not lab-test these skims.
