Polycell SODW25L 2.5L Smooth Over Damaged Walls

Ok so if you look closely it’s not perfect, but overall I’m really happy with the result I achieved from using this product - and I saved a small fortune from having to hire a plasterer to skim my wall.I bought the recommended tools (the roller and smoothing squeegee thing) and they made the job fairly easy.My tips… work quickly, it dries out fast and that makes smoothing more difficult - don’t be tempted to keep going over the same spot, you’ll just make it worse. Be patient and trust the process, you can always add more layers and sand away the imperfections when it’s dry.It’s messy and time consuming but I definitely recommend this product, it does exactly what it claims to do.

You're here because you have that wall that is a bit rough, and you don't want to go to the expense of getting a plasterer in to smooth the wall and make a mess of your floor.I am here because I was you and want to tell you that this stuff does the job, if you use it right.Firstly, don't try finishing this with that metal trowel that you have in the shed. Unless you are skilled that's not going to end well, I tried. Polycell sell a couple of tools, a roller to roll this on (up to you if you use that or not, a metal tool will do this job) and a plastic finishing tool to smooth it out. The plastic smoother is what you need, the edge on it will enable you to get the finish you want.Secondly, put this on in thin layers, don't worry if you don't get rid of all the roughness first time, or you end up with a few tramlines. After the first layer is dry, just use some sandpaper (I had 120 grit lying around) to take off any bad lumps and bumps. A second layer should be enough to cover most things.Thirdly, don't worry about the occasional tramline or imperfection. If you chase perfection you'll just make it worse, trust me. When it's dry the tramlines will disappear with a small amount of sandpaper and if there are any bad imperfections you can always apply a third layer to a small area and put it on really thin.When I say thin, I mean thin, it's easier to get it smooth that way. The tub says 2 metres squared per litre. I'd say that's about right, but would say 2 metres squared per litre **per layer**. So, it might be 1 metre squared per litre if you have a rough wall like I did and do 2 layers. Still cheaper than a plasterer and none went on the new floor. Note 1 litre is 0.001 metres cubed, so if you put that on 1 metre square of wall it's 1 mm thick. Now you can see what I mean by thin.Good luck!

Used the product to cover artex ceiling. Took a while to get the hang of it as the instructions are very poor and over simplified. However, I found that applying a first layer to the 1m sq area as per instructions, then smoothing off, then applying a second time straightaway in the same area and smoothing again, gave a good coating that smoothed much better. The arc motion is paramount, and the blade of the smoother must be almost flat to the surface and applied with firm pressure throughout each arc movement. I’m no expert by the way, just a DIYer who likes to have a go.Downside: very expensive and takes a while to handle the roller to reduce the number of drips. (On ceiling anyway.)

Used this before, really good to work with. Found it was easier to use a mini float rather than the roller and spreader. Amazon packing of item was horrendous, opened box to find spilled contents within. See photos....Had to return for replacement hopefully next one will be packaged better

Tried this to cover a ceiling that had previously had wallpaper on, the original ceiling was emulsioned so when the paper was removed it removed a percentage of emulsion stuck to the paper leaving a surface that looked like a relief map. Unfortunately when rolling the smooth over on it brought off some of the old emulsion contaminating the smooth over. This was the whole reason for using smooth over. I scrapped off the smooth over and tried polycell crack free I found by brushing on the first coat it didn’t drag the old emulsion off the second coat allowed me to use a roller. This appears to have done the trick

Don’t use on walls it runs not as easy as it looks

Very easy to work with. Haven't done sanding nor painting yet, but definitely better product than other ones I've used in past.

Bought this to repair a room where yhe dado was removed.Used the approved roller and scraper to start with. Terrible and awkward to use and get a good surface.Switched to using proper plastering tools which made it much easier to get the application and finish right.Lets be honest its over priced modified polyfiller and nothing special, its not a 'magic bullet' to make easy work of bad walls.Save yourself a lot of money and buy a bag of finishing plaster and a cheap plastering trowel and hawk. Or get a pro in to do it if its a really rough job.For most small jobs you would be better off with standard filler mixes made slightly wet.Gave it a good try to see if it was worth using, its not, won't buy it again.