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I think the main advantage of skimming is that it’s a harder finish. Plasterboard will dent a lot easier than a skimmed wall, and impact boards aren’t as common (and they’re heavier and more expensive), and if you’re going to have to get someone to fill/finish it, it’s just as easy to get a plasterer as it is to get someone to fill the drywall. And no matter how well you feather a butt joint, it will still be a high point.
FWIW I’ve done a fair bit of drywalling and always wondered the same - and those were the answers I got from various tradespeople.
I still can’t quite decide which I’ll go for when we buy our next house as it’ll inevitably be a place that needs work.
Nef-
I’ve never seen a tape-and-jointed wall where you can’t still see a trace of it once painted (not saying it’s not possible though!)
I’ve seen it done by a self-titled expert from over the pond once and it took him longer than it would’ve taken a plasterer, and it looked so shit he got it skimmed afterwards!
Dugtheslug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSjU6HPO-0s
If its taper edge, the tapered edges are super easy to get a good finish with only basic tools (scrim, easyfil 60, sand pad, jointing knife, tunes), for butt joints a little trickier to get a good finish. But if its a garage and your not fussed just scrim tape it, and run over it once. IDeally you'd run over the butt joints 2 or 3 times, each time leveling out over a larger area, then sand in until its invisible to anyone normal.
Screw heads, make sure they are in, cut any paper sticking out the holes, light sand, fill over with easyfil, sand a few hours later, paint.
UK is obsessed with just skimming plaster over absolutely everything, if you get your boards level and in good shape you don't need to do this, and I'm pretty anal about finish.