Drywall

 

Did you know there are different types of drywall?  Drywall is easily damaged by water or moisture.  Areas of high humidity will have greenboard.  Cement board is laid under tile.  Type X Fire is for firewalls.

There are 5 levels of finishes for drywall:

Level 0 – No taping or finishing required.  Used for temporary construction or when the final finish is undetermined.

Level 1 – Joints and interior angles have tape set in joint compound, excess compound has been removed but took marks and ridges are acceptable.  Used above false ceilings or areas out of public view.  Does provide some fire and noise resistance.
Level 2 – Joints and interior angles have tape embedded in joint compound and it has been thinned with a knife.  Fastener heads and accessories are covered and the surface is free of excess compound.  Tool marks and ridges are acceptable. Used as a substrate for tile walls and ceilings and in garages and warehouses where appearance is not a primary concern.

Level 3 – All joints and interior angles have tape embedded in joint compound and one additional coat of joint compound applied over all joints and interior angles. Fastener heads and accessories are  covered with two separate coats of joint compound. All joint compound shall be smooth and free of tool marks and ridges. Typically the prepared surface is coated with a drywall primer prior to the application of final finishes.  Used for heavy-medium texture paint or other thick finishes.

 

Level 4 – All joints and interior angles have tape embedded in joint compound and two separate coats of joint compound applied over all flat joints and one separate coat of joint compound applied over interior angles. Fastener heads and accessories are covered with three separate coats of joint compound. All joint compound is smooth and free of tool marks and ridges. Drywall primer is applied prior to the final finish.  Used for homes and office buildings with non-texture finishes.  Bright lighting may highlight minor imperfections.

 

Level 5 – All of level 4 and a thin skim coat of joint compound is applied to the entire surface. The surface is smooth and free of tool marks and ridges. The prepared surface is coated with a drywall primer prior to the application of finish paint. The skim coat is a final leveling agent suitable to smooth out a surface to be used under the bright lighting conditions that may otherwise highlight any imperfections under the finished surface.