How Difficult is Taping/Mudding Drywall?
 

Cindy wrote:
Hello,

We're about to remove some paneling that has sheetrock underneath. Our guess is
there was never any taping done to it or it will need major repair from the
paneling coming off. I've never attempted this before and although everything
looks fairly straightforward on TV, is this something a DYI'er could accomplish
fairly easily?

Thanks,

Cindy


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Doing drywalling is not hard. Doing it good is tough. But take your
time. Don't rush anything, esp. drying times.

A few things to think about. First, get up close to a wall and look
down it. It isn't flat. So don't expect your taping to be flat. It
sticks out a little bit. That is normal.

Patching holes is much easier than taping large areas, so you might get
lucky and just have a bunch of nail holes to deal with.

If it was pointed, etc. before paneling, texture will be an issue. The
newly taped areas will be smoother. Use a nappier roller when you
paint and it'll cover pretty well.

Go look at some on-line resources on how to do it.

Sometimes, using a damp sponge on the final coat is easier than
sanding. Sometimes it's not. But it's an option. If you are just
patching nail holes, a damp sponge is sometimes easier just because you
don't generate as much dust.

Expect to put lots of compound on and sand lots of compound off.
That's normal for someone just learning. Don't worry about it. Just
geta good vaccuum.