Drywall finish levels
Every smooth wall is built in layers. Drywall finishing is graded on six levels from the Gypsum Association's GA-214 standard. Each level adds more mud and more sanding at the seams, until Level 5 covers the whole wall in a thin skim coat.
Drag the slider to see where a wall starts and where we finish it.
Bare board
Level 5 finish
The story of a wall
Here is what happens at each level, what you would see on a real job, and where each level makes sense.
Every wall starts here. Sheets of drywall are cut, lifted and screwed to the framing. You can see every seam, every screw and the bare paper face.
Paper tape is bedded in joint compound along every seam to lock the sheets together. It stops cracks, but the wall still looks unfinished.
A knife coat goes over the tape and every screw head is spotted. Edges and tool marks are still easy to see.
A second, wider coat hides the tape and fills the low spots. Under paint, the seams can still show through.
A third coat is feathered wide and sanded smooth. This is the standard finish in most homes.
The whole wall gets a thin skim coat and a final sanding, so seams and paper take paint the same way. It stays smooth even in strong side light.
Try it yourself
Pick a level or press play. The drawing shows the face of the wall and a cut through the seam, so you can see exactly what each level adds.
What the wall looks like
Choose a level to see the wall
Cut through the seam
Boards are screwed up. No tape, no compound.
Use: temporary walls
Cut through the seam
Tape is set in compound at the seams. Tool marks are fine.
Use: attics, above ceilings
Cut through the seam
One coat over the tape. Screw heads are spotted.
Use: garages, under tile
Cut through the seam
A second, wider coat on seams and screws.
Use: walls getting heavy texture
Cut through the seam
Three coats feathered wide and sanded smooth. Seams can still show under strong side light.
Use: most homes, flat or eggshell paint
Cut through the seam
Level 4, then a thin skim coat over the entire surface. Seams, screws and paper all disappear under one uniform face.
Use: big windows, cove lighting, dark or glossy paint
Why Level 5
When sunlight rakes across a wall from a big window, the taped seams and screw spots on a Level 4 wall can show through the paint. Painters call this flashing. A Level 5 skim coat removes it, which is the standard expected in high-end Caribbean villas.
Tell us about your rooms and we will recommend the right finish level for each one.