Drywall Finishing Levels

Level 0 Level 0 implies that no finishing of any type has been done. The drywall is only fastened to the walls or ceiling.

Level 1 This level means that your drywall joint tape has been embedded in joint compound, and nothing more.

Level 2 This next level means that you have skimmed a thin coat of joint compound over the tape and covered the drywall screw holes. You can stop at this level if you intend to cover with tile.

Level 3 For this stage, you apply a coat of joint compound to the tape and screws. Walls that will receive a heavy texture, such as knockdown texture, can end at this level. It would be pointless to progress beyond this level, since texturing is rougher than level 3.

Level 4 This is the classic drywall finish. Here, you apply another coat of joint compound to the tape and screws and sand the dried compound.

Level 5: The highest possible level of drywall finishing involves applying a skim coat, if applicable

There are three ways to apply a skim coat:

• Use a Roller: Thin out the mud and roll onto the wall with a thick-nap roller. Scrape off immediately.
• With a Taping Knife: Apply a series of six or eight dabs of mud, each about three to four inches in diameter. Immediately smooth the mixture across the surface, then scrape the mud off.
• Spraying It: Professionals have spray equipment to allow them to spray on drywall compound. This type of equipment can be rented at rental yards or even at some home improvement stores.

Castiglione Drywall
7255 Reinhardt Rd
Monroe, MI 48162
734-241-7475