What are the Different Levels in Drywall Finishing?

Sep 12, 2024 | Commercial

Drywall finishing mainly involves the act of applying the finishing coat on drywalls and plays a critical role in interior construction particularly the final appearance of a room. Regardless of whether it is a house or an office or a factory, the quality of the gypsum board finish levels determines the level of the appearance and usefulness of the particular space. There are several stages called ‘leveling, and each of them implies its tasks and directions of further actions. Knowledge of these levels is essential if you are to choose the right finish that will give you the result that you need depending on the kind of utility room you want or the posh living area that you envision.

There are five recognized levels of how do you finish drywall, and in this blog, we will look at features of each level and when they might be appropriate. The knowledge derived from this paper will assist you to meet the above objectives in situations where construction or renovation is desired in order to arrive at the optimal balance between costs and the durability and aesthetic value of the final products.

Level 0: Bare Drywall

Drywall finishing process starts from the basic level known as the level zero: the raw and plain level. Here no additional finishing is done and the drywall panels are added directly to the wall or ceiling frame of the building. This results in the fact that the seams between panels or fasteners are most likely to show through and no joint compound or tape will be applied.

Level 0 used mainly where the look of the kitchen is not an issue. This involves the areas that will have other surfaces, for instance, tiling or paneling as well as in the short term constructions where the cost of installation of the floor is critical. For instance, the area, which can be left as is, depending on the preferred final appearance, can be a storage room, a construction site office and several others. It gives absolutely no protection or fire resistance, hence Level 0 is the quickest most economical option for use where the ceiling is not intended to be permanent or where the ceiling is to be hidden.

Level 1: Tape Embedded in Joint Compound

Advancing to Level 1 of drywall finishing, basic functions of construction are addressed too in the finishing process of the walls. The second stage involves the covering of junction between distinct dry wall panels with joint tape that has been paste over with thin layer of joint compound. This is often called “fire taping” since this process is aimed at achieving at least some level of fire resistance by sealing the connections between panels.

Level 1 is usually utilized in zones that are inaccessible to people; however it’s possible to convert this zone in the attic, in the crawl space or in the mechanical room. These areas need to be finished to some extent for security purposes but definitely not concerning the looks. The joint compound used here is not sanded and the gypsum tape, which is also used here, does not hide itself well and therefore even after painting, beginners will be able to see the roughness of the surface and the joints make of tape. Level 1 finishing is not very appropriate on surfaces that will be visible or covered by a coat of paint; nevertheless, Level 1 finishing goes a long way in offering the amount of protection against fire and structural value in spaces not visibly seen.

Step 2: Another thin layer of joint compound

Level 2 drywall finishing extend the previous steps to apply additional thin layer of joint compound over the embedded tape and then properly cover screw or nail head used to fasten the drywall panels. This level of finish is applied on those rooms that can be allowed to have a moderate level of finish, for instance basements, utility rooms, garages amongst others.

At this stage it is also common to float the joint compound, but they do not sand any of the joints; hence, the surface is rough yet smooth compared to Level 1. The imperfections are still quite noticeable and therefore this finish is not suitable for beauty zones. However, it is sufficient where the rooms that are to be covered need some form of finality for utility but where aspects such as cost and time take precedence over aesthetics. Level 2 is also utilized as a starting reference point for additional complex additional coats such as texture or gypsum wallboard finish levels treatment.

Level 3: Additional Coat of Joint Compound

In the Level 3 participants demonstrated a slightly higher level of organization involved in the drywall finishing process. This level includes the process of applying a second layer of joint compound over the seams, tapes as well as the fasteners. When the compounds had been allowed to dry, the surface is sanded so that it can be smoother. Nonetheless, it is not as polished as the higher levels providing a reasonably smooth surface which is quite suitable to apply some finish on it. This level is usually selected in zones where the walls can be finished with average or density patterns or overlaid with the intermediate density wall covering such as thick kinds of wallpaper. Extra layer and refining gives the surface less apparent joints and fasteners, on which these sorts of finishes can be applied. Level 3 applied is comparatively cheap this offers a trade-off between looks and cost making it ideal for most of the commercial and residential structures where there is no need for a flawless finish.

Level 4: Painting or light texturing finish

Level 4 drywall finishing is one of the most used standards in the industry especially in constructions of homes. This level involves applying the third layer of the joint compound on the seam and fasteners after which the surface is sanded in order to produce a leveled surface. At this stage the aim should be to have a flat surface that will not have any stirring marks visible, it can then be painted, with flat or low sheen paint or textured lightly. The second is perhaps the most preferable grade of wall and ceiling in the residential areas such as the bedrooms, living room, and hallway among others. It affords a smooth, silky surface which is economical compared to other types of finish and is therefore the most common finish to many homes and other buildings. The Level 4 gypsum board finish is not as smooth as the Level 5 but it is cheaper and will suffice for most uses especially where lighting is not bright in such a way that it will expose the micro finish

Level 5: Top standard for the polished surface in high-gloss paints

The lowest level of drywall finishing is the Level 4 and the highest level of the drywall finishing is Level 5. This level involves all the procedures which may be encompassed in level four but there is a skim coat of joint compound spread over the entire surface of the wall on the side of the drywall. The level 4 drywall finish skim coat is then sanded and leveled to remove all the uneven surface giving it a perfectly leveled surface. Level 5 gypsum board finish is perfect for rooms that will be painted with high-gloss or semi-gloss paints because such types of finishes are very revealing of the tiniest surface defects. It is also suited for regions with normal artificial or natural lighting as these may cause shadowing and make the surface imperfections to show up. This level of finish is applied mostly in residential and commercial buildings with high standard of appearance such as high class houses, offices or art galleries.

Due to the extra cost of labor and other consumables, Level 5 sheetrock finish is the most costly type; nonetheless, it gives a perfect floor surface that increases the value of the facility. It is most suitable for cases which call for smooth and perfect finishes to be done, in projects which are very costly to do in the first instance.