Ensuring Smoothing Compound Will Adhere to Glossy Surface

This wall has a texture on it that will look bad under the new wallpaper, and it will also interfere with adhesion.  So the wall needs to be skim-coated / skim-floated to smooth it.  But the current paint on the wall is glossy, as you can see on the right side of the photo.  The smoothing compound is sticky stuff, but it (like many coatings) cannot be trusted to adhere to a shiny surface.  I say it’s like the toy Colorforms … the new material will kinda stick – but not really stick .
But if the surface is dull , or matt finish , the new coating will be able to grab ahold and adhere .
To make this wall surface dull , I’m rolling on a primer that will dry with a flat / matt finish . 

There are various primers out there that will adhere to a glossy surface and then dry flat.  But I’m using my trusty wallpaper primer , Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime .  Yes, this is a wallpaper primer .  But it also checks all the boxes … it sticks to just about anything , it dries quickly, especially with a fan blowing on it, and it dries with a matt finish that wallpaper paste – and smoothing compound  – will adhere to.  At $70 or more per gallon , yes, this stuff is expensive .  But it works , it’s low odor ,  it’s already on my truck , and it saves having to carry around an assortment of of primers and materials.  

Here’s my smoothing compound.  Sheetrock brand Plus 3 joint compound used for working with drywall .  Note that quick-dry formulas , nor spackling compound , are not suitable and won’t hold up under wallpaper .  You can search here for my other posts to see more about the smoothing process for textured walls . 

Protecting Baseboards from Splatter

No matter how careful you are, splatters and drips from paint and primers are going to fall – and onto the baseboard and floor. I hate seeing little “speckles” all over homeowners’ floors, moldings, countertops, etc.

I’ve cut thin dropcloth into strips which I tack above the baseboard or vanity top, to catch splatters. The material is absorbent on the surface, and liquid-proof on the back. They are thin and pliable.

And – oh, yes – occasionally you need a damp terry-cloth rag to cover a doorknob or projecting faucet.