Level 5 drywall finish, which level should your walls get?

Two walls painted the same colour can look very different once the lights are on. On one, the surface seems perfectly smooth. On the other, you can make out every drywall joint. The difference rarely comes from the paint. It comes from the drywall taping.

There are several finish levels, from the most basic to the well known level 5 drywall finish. Once you understand them, it becomes easy to see when joints need extra care and to speak the same language as your contractor in Gatineau.

What is drywall taping, exactly?

A drywall wall is made of panels screwed onto a frame. Between these panels, there are joints, corners and screw heads to hide.

Drywall taping means embedding a tape in joint compound, then applying several thin coats that are sanded between each step. The goal is to make the seams between panels disappear under the paint.

During construction, this step is often done by a drywall finisher. In renovation, it is frequently the painter who repairs damaged joints before painting.

It is patient work, and it often decides how good the painted wall will look in the end. Each coat must dry, and each sanding must stay light so the drywall paper is not damaged.

What are the drywall finish levels?

The industry uses a scale from 0 to 5 to describe how thoroughly the joints are treated.

Level	Work done	Typical use
0	No joint treatment	Temporary construction
1	Tape embedded in compound	Attics, hidden spaces
2	Tape and one coat of compound	Garages, surfaces to be tiled
3	Two coats on joints and screws	Walls that will get a heavy texture
4	Three coats, sanded	Living spaces with matte paint
5	Level 4 plus a skim coat over the entire surface	Raking light, glossy finishes, cathedral ceilings

In a Gatineau home, as elsewhere in Quebec, most living spaces are finished to level 4. The level 5 drywall finish is reserved for the surfaces most exposed to view and light. It also takes more time and material, which explains this choice.

Why is level 4 not always enough?

Even when well sanded, a level 4 joint does not react quite like the drywall paper. The compound and the paper absorb paint differently.

Under direct light, nothing shows. Under raking light, however, joints and screws can appear as flatter or shinier strips. Manufacturers call this joint flashing.

The effect gets stronger with a glossy finish, which reflects every variation. A level 5 drywall finish solves this problem by evening out the entire surface before primer.

Which level should you choose for each room?

Which level for a garage or unfinished basement?

Level 2 or 3 is usually enough. The goal is a clean, functional surface, not a decorative look. Spending more on these rooms rarely makes a visible difference.

Which level for bedrooms and the living room?

Level 4 works in most cases, especially with matte or velvet paint and indirect lighting. If you plan a shinier finish, mention it before the work starts, because the preparation needs to match.

Which level for large windows or a cathedral ceiling?

These surfaces get raking light for a good part of the day. A level 5 drywall finish makes a real difference there, just as it does after popcorn ceiling removal, where the exposed drywall is rarely even.

Can you do drywall taping yourself?

For a small repair, yes. For a whole room, the challenge is bigger. You need to control coat thickness, widen the bands gradually and sand without gouging. La Presse looked into the question in its article Facile ou pas, tirer des joints de plâtre ?

Sanding also creates very fine dust that spreads throughout the house, a real concern in occupied Gatineau homes during the winter months. Good room protection, or even a sanding system with dust extraction, then becomes essential.

A few signs give away poorly done joints:

• Visible bands or ridges along the joints, especially late in the day.

• Tape that is peeling or a crack that follows the joint line exactly.

In these cases, repainting is not enough. The joint must be redone before any new coat.

Which finish should you aim for in your Gatineau project?

It all depends on how the room is used and the look you expect. Peinture Absolue offers three approaches to meet these needs.

The Express approach aims for a quick refresh, for example before a sale.

The Signature approach is for occupied homes that call for a superior, dust-free finish, thanks to Mirka sanding.

The Level 5 (Absolue) approach suits high-end builds, complex ceilings and mirror-like finishes.

Torn between level 4 and a level 5 drywall finish for your home in the Outaouais?

Tell us about your project and visit our interior painting page.