Guide
Drywall finish levels, before the paint
Levels 0 through 5, in the words of GA-214. The level follows the paint sheen and the light, not a habit.
Paint will not hide a finish level that was chosen for a different sheen. This guide is the Gypsum Association’s recommended levels, GA-214, written so an owner can ask for the right one. It is not a price list. Hanging, taping, and finishing are the commercial drywall service. The company is based in Wasilla and works the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage.
The summary below follows GA-214 (the 2021 text is the copy in hand; the Association has issued later editions of the same levels). Coat counts are the standard’s, not a slogan.
The levels
| Level | Where it belongs | What is on the board |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Temporary work, or before anyone has decided the decoration. | No tape, no finish, no accessories required. |
| 1 | Smoke barriers, plenums above ceilings, attics, and other places the public will not see. | Tape embedded in compound. Excess compound and tool marks are acceptable. Fasteners need not be covered. |
| 2 | A substrate for tile, or garages and storage where appearance does not matter. | Tape, plus a thin coat over joints and angles. One coat on fasteners. Tool marks are acceptable. |
| 3 | Heavy or medium texture, or heavy commercial wallcovering. Not a smooth painted wall. | Tape, one separate coat on joints and angles, two coats on fasteners. Smooth, free of tool marks. |
| 4 | Smooth walls that will get flat paint, a light texture, or wallcovering. | Tape, two coats on flat joints, one coat on interior angles, three coats on fasteners. Smooth, free of tool marks. |
| 5 | Sheen, gloss, dark or deep color, or critical lighting. | Everything in Level 4, plus a skim coat over the entire surface. |
GA-214 is explicit about Level 4 and paint. Non-flat paints and dark or deep-tone paints are not recommended over Level 4. The referral is to Level 5. In critical lighting, even flat paint can show joints; a light texture can soften that, and a skim coat is the more complete answer. Unbacked vinyl wallcovering is not recommended over Level 4.
Level 5 is the standard’s most effective method for a uniform surface when the decoration is glossy, dark, or lit from the side. The skim coat is a thin coat of joint compound, or a product made for that purpose, over the whole face, not another stripe on the joint only.
The standard also says it is not possible to make a perfectly flat plane out of finished panels. Concealment is successive thin coats so ridges and recesses get smaller. Inspecting from a few inches, under a light you held at a raking angle the room will never have, is not the acceptance test GA-214 describes. The normal viewing position in the standard is about five feet, perpendicular to the surface, in the lighting the finished room will use.
Critical light, in a real room
A window down one side of a corridor, or a sconce close to a feature wall, is critical light. The gallery includes a two-tone commercial room with a vertical sconce and offices where the glass faces another building. Those are the conditions where a joint telegraphs after the paint is on. If that is your room, say so before the finish level is set. Skimming after the paint is a different job.
Primer is part of the decoration spec, not a substitute for the level. GA-214 recommends a primer suited to the final finish before decoration on the levels that call for it.
The Alaska line in the same standard
GA-214’s environmental comment: keep temperature, humidity, and airflow close to the conditions the building will have when people are in it. A minimum of 50°F (10°C) shall be maintained continuously for 48 hours before finishing and throughout the finishing process until the project is completed or occupied. For extreme conditions the standard points to GA-236.
That is why winter drywall in Wasilla or Anchorage is a heated-building question. The calendar does not matter. The thermometer in the room does. We will not treat an unheated shell as a Level 4 job and hope the compound behaves.
What to put in the bid request
Name the level, the paint sheen, and the light. “Smooth and painted” is not a level. Level 4 under flat paint in ordinary light is the common commercial wall. Level 5 is the request when the paint has sheen, the color is deep, or the light will rake the surface. Level 2 is a storage room or a tile backer, not a lobby.
Then ask for commercial drywall and, when the same crew will coat it, commercial painting. Weekday requests. We confirm the appointment by phone or email. There is no published price per square foot for a finish level. The cost guide is about paint benchmarks, not a drywall menu.
Source: Gypsum Association, “Levels of Finish for Gypsum Panel Products,” GA-214, published with AWCI, CISCA, the Drywall Finishing Council, and the Painting Contractors Association. The coat counts and the 50°F note on this page are taken from that document. gypsum.org.
Questions
Is Level 4 always enough?
GA-214 aims Level 4 at flat paint, light texture, or wallcovering. It says non-flat or dark paint should refer to Level 5. Critical lighting is the other reason to skim.
What is critical lighting?
Strong side light from a window or a fixture close to the wall. It shows joints that ordinary overhead light hides. The standard’s inspection distance is about five feet, in the lighting the room will actually have.
Can you finish drywall in an Alaska winter?
Indoors, if the building stays at least 50°F for 48 hours before finishing and until the work is done. That figure is from GA-214, not a house rule we made up.