Drywall Joint
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 TapeTech Corner Roller Drywall Tool with Handle 15TTE NEW  US $165.00
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 MORTA SORTA MORTAR JOINT RAKE RAKING GUIDE PLATE KIT US $95.22
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 Drywall Tape 300 x 2 Bulk Rolls Self Adhesive US $5.00
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 DRYWALL FIBERGLASS MESH TAPE SELF ADHESIVE 1 7 8X300 4 ROLLS US $12.50
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 Stanley Drywall Sanding Screens 220 Grit 25 Pack US $6.00
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 65 FibaTape Fiberglass Mesh Drywall Tape FDW6561U US $2.99
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 Drywall Texture Roller Poinsettia Pattern NEW US $24.95
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 Never Miss drywall coloring gel spackle additive golden yellow 3 oz tapetech US $7.50
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 50 Fiberglass Drywall Tape by Saint Gobain 50S US $3.79
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 3M 9089NA Drywall Sanding Screen 4 3 16 x 11 1 4 Fine US $1.50
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 3M 9091NA Drywall Sanding Sheets 4 3 16 x 11 Fine US $1.50
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 Drywall Hopper Gun by Marshalltown Trowel 16356 US $114.99
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 500 Fiberglass Drywall Tape by Saint Gobain 500S US $13.49
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 300 Yellow Fiberglass Joint Tape by Saint Gobain 295SY US $6.49
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 8 Wall Repair Patch by Saint Gobain MP8 US $7.29
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 300 Fiberglass Joint Tape by Saint Gobain 295S US $7.29
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 6 Wall Repair Patch by Saint Gobain MP6 US $4.49
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 Shur Line Corner Joint Knife 10590 671149 US $1.49
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 48 ROLLS DRYWALL 2 X300 each White MESH JOINT Tape US $75.00
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 300 Plaster Veneer Tape by Saint Gobain 300S US $11.49
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 150 Fiberglass Drywall Tape by Saint Gobain 150S US $4.79
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 Drywall Taping Tool 3 inch corner Roller US $16.00
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 Norton 3X Pole Sander Hand ander 05387 NIB US $11.00
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 Drywall Texture Roller Monterrey Pattern NEW US $24.95
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 Marshalltown 12 Mud Pan 16390 859006 US $15.99
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 Heavy Duty 2 1 2 Long Flooring Drywall Point Blade Joint Knife HYDE 20350 US $8.99
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 169 OZ NEVER MISS BLUE JOINT COMPOUND COLORING GEL US $19.99
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 WAL BOARD 4 JOINT KNIFE HAMMER END PRODNO 22 074 US $5.95
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 WAL BOARD 6 JOINT KNIFE HAMMER END PRODNO 22 036 US $5.95
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 hilti SFC 18 A CPC Li lon 18V drill driver combo kit NEW US $325.00
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 6 4 STIFF Drywall Joint Putty Taping Knife Chrome Plated Wood Handle US $14.00
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 HYDE Drywall Joint Knife Flexible 4 06570 MAXXGRIP PRO US $12.00
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 Drywall Texture Roller Palm Leaf Pattern NEW US $24.95
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How to Skim Coat Old Plaster or Drywall
You've decided to wallpaper those walls, but what to do about that rough texture?
In my experience, you have two basic choices. You can put a liner on the wall first (provided the texture is not TOO rough). This mutes the texture and provides a smooth (relatively) surface to glue paper to.
If you are using the services of a professional paperhanger, you will be paying for the liner and the hanger's time to put it on. On top of the price to hang the paper itself. And a paper with a delicate pattern may still show some of the irregularity.
If you want to save money and prepare the walls yourself, you can smooth them out by skimcoating the surfaces with all-purpose drywall joint compound.
This is do-able, if you have time and patience.
The first thing to do if you choose this option is to prep the surface. Remove any scaling paint, powder, dirt, etc. If you have any water stains, I would seal them by brushing on a stainkiller, preferably oil based.
If you wash down the walls, clean rinse after to remove any soap or cleanser residues.
I usually go over the surface with a study flat tool to knock off the worst of the rough points, if possible. This may help to reduce the number of skim coats of mud required.
Now you are ready to skim coat. Know that you will have to apply a minimum of two successive coats of all-purpose compound, or more if the texture is pretty rough.
Tools: a ten or twelve inch broadknife and a mud pan. Or, a plasterer's hawk and trowel.
There is a proper order to skimcoating, to ease your job as much as possible. The key thing is to be consistent. With each coat, you should be doing basically the same thing for the entire coat.
For example, you will want to go in the same direction as you travel across the surface, and not just slather the material on the surface every which way. Then when one coat is dry and you are ready for the next coat, you will put on the material in the opposite direction.
I would recommend that you start the whole process at the top of the wall and in a corner and move across and down as you go. Remember, you will need at a minimum two coats. And try not to make the coats too thick. This is skim coat.
At this point, you may get by with a good sanding to smooth out tool marks. If not, do another coat, varying your stroke directions according to your judgement of what works best. The final step is sanding. Medium grit sanding sponges work well here.
Now that you finally have a smooth surface you can live with, be sure to put a couple of good coats of drywall primer/sealer (PVA) to render the porous surface fit for wallpaper.
You did it! Now that wasn't too bad, was it?
About the Author
Edwin Brown has done skim coat and plaster texturing for clients for over 35 years, on the west coast of the US. For more tips and helps for skim coat, and for access for a complete system, go to this skim coat page
Use sandpaper or drywall screen for sanding joint compound?
What's the difference between sandpaper and a drywall screen when sanding joint compound? I've been using sandpaper to sand it. Would I get better results with a drywall screen? Less dust? More even finish?
the screen allows the dust to fall away instead of clumping up on the sandpaper. you can also wet sand with a damp sponge.