Use and Care Guide

14
to as “fire-taping.” Where a fire-
resistance rating is required for the
gypsum board assembly, details of
construction shall be in accordance
with reports of fire tests of assem-
blies that have met the fire-rating
r
equirement.
Level 2
All joints and interior angles shall
have tape embedded in joint
compound and wiped with a joint
knife, leaving a thin coating of joint
compound over all joints and interior
angles. Fastener heads and acces-
sories shall be covered with a coat
of joint compound. Surface shall
be free of excess joint compound.
Tool marks and ridges are accept-
able. Joint compound applied over
the body of the tape at the time
of tape embedment shall be
considered a separate coat of joint
compound and shall satisfy the
conditions of this level.
Specified where water resistant
gypsum backing board (ASTM
C 1396) is used as a substrate for
tile; may be specified in garages,
warehouse storage or other similar
areas where surface appearance
is not of primary concern.
LEVELS OF FINISH
The following levels of finish are
e
stablished as a guide for specific
final decoration. The minimum
requirements for each level shall
be as described herein.
Level 0
No taping, finishing, or accessories
required.This level of finish may be
useful in temporary construction or
whenever the final decoration
has not been determined.
Level 1
All joints and interior angles shall
have tape set in joint compound.
Surface shall be free of excess joint
compound. Tool marks and ridges
are acceptable.
Frequently specified in plenum areas
above ceilings, in attics, in areas
where the assembly would generally
be concealed, or in building service
corridors, and other areas not
normally open to public view.
Accessories optional at specifier
discretion in corridors and other
areas with pedestrian traffic.
Some degree of sound and smoke
control is provided; in some geo-
graphic areas this level is referred
Levels of Gypsum
Board Finish
The following has been excerpted
from a consensus document
prepared by the Association of the
Wall and Ceiling Industries –
International (AWCI), Ceilings &
Interior Systems Construction
Association (CISCA), Gypsum
Association (GA), Drywall Finishing
Council (DWFC) and Painting and
Decorating Contractors of America
(PDCA) as a guide to gypsum board
finishing. The members of these
international trade organizations
are dedicated to providing the best
possible job for the most reasonable
cost. By incorporating the appropri-
ate sections of this recommended
specification into the project
documents, the architect, general
contractor, and building owner
can better anticipate the final
appearance of the decorated wall
and ceiling system.
This has also been issued by the
Gypsum Association as document
GA-214.
SCOPE
This recommended specification
describes various levels of finish of
gypsum board surfaces prior to the
application of specific types of final
decoration. The recommended level
of finish of gypsum board wall and
ceiling surfaces varies with the final
decoration to be applied and can
also be dependent on their location
in a structure and the type of illu-
mination striking the surface. Each
recommended level of finish is
described with typical applications.
TERMINOLOGY
The following definitions are
a
pplicable to this document.
Accessories: Metal or plastic
beads, trim, or moulding used to
protect or conceal corners, edges,
or abutments of the gypsum
board construction.
C
ritical Lighting:
Strong
sidelighting from windows or
surface-mounted light fixtures
(severe lighting).
Joint Photographing: The
shadowing of the finished joint
areas through the surface
decoration (telegraphing).
Drywall Primer: A paint material
specifically formulated to fill the
pores and equalize the suction
difference between gypsum board
surface paper and the compound
used on finished joints, angles,
fastener heads, and accessories
and over skim coatings.
Skim Coat: A thin coat of joint
compound, or a material manufac-
tured especially for this purpose,
applied over the entire surface to
fill imperfections in the joint work,
smooth the paper texture, and
provide a uniform surface for
decorating. Excess compound is
immediately sheared off, leaving
a film of skim coating compound
completely covering the paper.
Spotting: To cover fastener heads
with joint compound.
Texture: A decorative treatment
of gypsum board surfaces.
Texturing: Regular or irregular
patterns typically produced by
applying a mixture of joint com-
pound and water, or proprietary
texture materials including latex
base texture paint, to a gypsum
board surface previously coated
with primer/sealer.
Five Levels of Finish
Setting Types Drying Types
Quick Set Ready Mix
Level 1
Tape Embedded  
Level 2
Tape  
Cover 
Level 3
Tape  
Cover 
Fill 
Primer
Level 4
Tape  
Cover 
Fill 
Finish 
Primer
Level 5
Tape  
Cover 
Fill 
Finish 
Primer
National Gypsum Joint Treatment Products
Used To Achieve The Levels Of Finish
Lite Regular All Purpose
Topping
Compound
Lite Multi-Use