Walls and Ceilings - drywall/wallboard ??

Thanks for the information. Now I have another question. Is there a difference in drywall and wallboard?? As you can tell I'm new at this. I thought they were the same. I know it isn't sheetrock. as I don't see any of the white rock that's in sheetrock. Will this make a difference in patching. My compound is all purpose joint compound (green lid). How long do I need to wait between skim coats? do I need to wait 24 hrs to let each coat completly dry? Thank you

Drywall, wallboard, sheetrock, all different and/or proprietary names of the same thing.

Sounds like you might have a plaster & lath wall, green lid, if that's a sheetrock brand product, it's topping mix, not what you want to use. But if it says all-purpose joint compound, it'll work just thin it down like I posted before. Use water & add small amounts at a time until you get the right consistency. For a skim coat you want about like a cake batter.

Yes it is important to let each coat completely dry before attempting to sand or add additional mud. 24 hrs is plenty, and with room temp & a bit a ventilation it should dry in somewhere around 12 hrs. Don't use a fan for ventilation, open a window, it's still nearly 70 degrees up here right now, so It must be warmer than that where you're at. You want to let the moisture out.

Oh yeah drywall, wallboard, & sheetrock are all one in the same. Does the stuff on your wall look more grayish? If so that's probably plaster & lath. I think I already said that, must be time for a little break from the confuser. :) Keep me in the loop & we'll get ya thru this. Don't feel bad about being inexperienced, I'd have a hard time taking a BP. :D