All the seams are coming untaped?!? Is there a moisture problem in the house?

Educate yourself on finishing drywall, pull the old tape off and get to work.

Could it be paneling that was already skim coated with compound? That’s a more likely scenario.

The most likely problem is improperly installed tape. Inexperienced finishers press too much compound out from under the tape, which causes the bond to fail.

This is not a job for amateurs. Finishing drywall is an art that takes time to learn. Do yourself a huge favor and hire a professional.

I've done it. I'm terrible at it. No patience!

Go for it! You can do this with a small investment in tools, drywall mud (low dust), sandpaper, and drywall tape. I taught myself to do it. Watch as many YouTube videos as you can.

Installing and properly finishing drywall does not require any special skills; however, someone who does it every day is much faster and more efficient than a homeowner DIY.

I try to save my DIY time for tasks that are fun, tasks that are complex/interesting, or work that requires on-the-fly design and adjustment to make something fit with my old house. When its a straightforward job that does not require creativity or unique skills, like hanging drywall or painting, I'd rather pay someone else to do it and get it done quickly.

Bruce

Got to go with a couple of other comments here... Buy some basic tools, a roll or two of drywall tape (or more as needed), and a box of drywall compound and do it yourself. Your money outlay? Maybe $25-35 or so?

The best thing about learning to do this is that while it is a learned skill, you can screw it up multiple times, sand it off and then do it right the next time using what you've just learned. The worst part? Probably the dust involved but then, drywall compound is almost invariably washed off with water so get a few good dust masks and make a plan of action. Start slow, perhaps just on one small wall, and use what you've learned on the next wall and then the next room. When you're on a budget (and believe me, I was on a tight budget for much of my life so had to learn), your time is what you have the most of and while it's worth some amount of money per hour, that hour won't cost you nearly as much as hiring someone to do it for you.

Besides, as a homeowner there are certain skills that are going to come in handy multiple times over the long run and this is one of them. Save your "labor money" for when you really DO need a professional to complete a job for you.

Good Luck and don't be afraid to try!

Hi, We can't see the tape job you have, If it was covered with paneling maybe it is a fire tape job. That is a light coat of mud with the tape on it. You can see the tape and the edges but it is on fairly solid. If that is the case just tape over it. If the tape is loose then pull it off and re tape. Tape using 2 or 3 light coats. You may have to sand between coats until your skills get better. The best advice I ever read was never put on more mud than you want to sand off.

Good Luck Woodbutcher

Joseph Corlett: "True enough, but unlike electrical work, no one has ever died from a bad drywall job. Even if you screw it up, you aren't out much."

One minute, you care about good workmanship, the next minute you don't. Sometimes, you respond to what I say, other times you respond to things I don't. It seems to me you're just looking for an argument.

In this case, the OP is considering not just re-taping and re-finishing an already botched job, but skim coating entire walls as well. That's not easy for experienced finishers, much less beginners, but if they slap on a few gallons of mud and screw it up even more, which is very likely, it's going to cost them even more to have a pro fix it. But you don't care.

A few days ago, you went out of your way to be argumentative about my comments on a poorly designed stairway by insinuating I said the railing was against code. I said no such thing. I said the railing was complicated and that, in combination with the irregular treads on the landing, made the stairway dangerous.

This all began when I disagreed with you about saving an old wood floor. I began that exchange by saying I pay attention to your remarks and respect your expertise, which I certainly do. I did that because you, sir, are increasingly grouchy.

In spite of that, you ended up saying people "like me" were part of some sort of conspiracy to destroy our country's "historical fabric" because we replace old flooring. Frankly, that's about the weirdest thing I've ever heard in my life. Then you said, "I don't know as much as I think I do," because I suggested wood filler for the cracks and holes. Well, I don't know everything. For example, I don't know how how long a kitchen would have to be closed off until dehumidifiers and fans could get the floor dry enough to refinish after you dumped hot water on it to remove old glue. However, I do know filler and putty aren't recommended because they will eventually fail. The point is, though, that once you decide to keep a beat-up old floor, the cracks and holes in that floor are going to be filled, whether you like it or not. The choice is either wood filler or soup spills, dog hair and coffee grounds. I think wood filler is much the lesser evil.

I hope we can get along. If not, I'll ignore your remarks if you'll ignore mine.

Moister is the most common cause of peeling drywall tape. That does not mean that their is water damage. It can accrue if a house is left unheated for a period of time for example.

You can pull the old tape off and retape it using a Setting Type Joint Compound (powder you mix) instead of a bucket of drywall mud fr better results. Fiberglass mesh drywall tape such as FibaFuse works much better than the paper type. I would not recommend using mesh tape with the holes in it.

Tip.. Once you pull a piece off. Measure the width and try to find the next small size to use. For example if it is 2 1/8" wide. Try using 2" instead. It will fit into the groove left behind much better.

Tip 2. Use as thin of coats of drywall mud as possible. Much easier to build up to where you need it to be than trying to sand gobs of it off.. And be prepared for a mess when it comes sanding time.. lol

Hi,

I made a mistake on my post " You can see the tape and the edges but it is on fairly solid. If that is the case just tape over it. " should be just mud over it. Sorry

Woodbutcher

Let's see some pictures to inform the speculation here...