'Levels of finish' for flush stopped linings

From the Resene paint and decorating problem solver

'Levels of finish' define the quality required for flush-stopped joints in plasterboard, fibrous plaster and fibre cement sheets.

The aim is to provide a surface that coated will satisfy the customer's requirements. AS/NZ 2589.1 details the six levels of finish and their appropriate selection, a copy of which appears in the following 2 tables:

Levels of finish'

Finish level	Expected quality and areas of use
Level 0	Unstopped sheets.
Level 1	Suitable only in plenum areas above ceilings, in attic spaces, in areas where the paint will be concealed from view or in areas of a building not open to public view, such as plant rooms and service corridors.
Level 2	Suitable for garages, warehouses, storage or other similar areas where surface appearance is not of primary concern. Minor ridges and tool marks are acceptable.
Level 3	Suitable for appearance areas that are being finished with a heavy or medium textured finish before final painting, or where heavy grade wallcoverings are being applied. This level of finish is not generally acceptable for painted finishes or for light-to-medium weight wallcoverings.
Level 4	Suitable for areas where light textures and wallcoverings are being used, where economy is of concern, or where a flat or low sheen paint finish is being used in areas of non-critical light conditions. The finished stopping must be smooth and free of all tool marks.
Level 5	Suitable for use where gloss, semi-gloss, low sheen or non textured flat paints are being applied or where critical light conditions exist. To achieve a level 5 finish on plasterboard and fibre-cement, a thin skim coat is applied to the entire surface of the sheets. For fibrous plaster linings, the final compound application is trowel polished.

From: AS/NZ 2589.1

The type of finish applied to the wall or ceiling has a significant impact on the end result:

Defects show up more clearly on ceilings than on walls.
Textured finishes, such as Resene Sandtex (see Data Sheet D71), and/or flat finishes, such as Resene SpaceCote Flat (see Data Sheet D814), help hide surface imperfections.
Variations in the surface, such as recesses, help to break up the surface area and hide imperfections.
Some paint application techniques, such as applying a product like Resene Sandtex using a crows foot technique, help disguise imperfections more than others.
Lighter colours are more likely to hide imperfections than dark colours due to their higher reflectivity.
Rolling is recommended to give a slight orange peel effect to minimise the effect of critical light.

Resene Broadwall Surface Prep & Seal (see Data Sheet D807) and Resene Broadwall 3 in 1 (see Data Sheet D810) are superior surface preparation products designed to give a smooth, uniform finish on paperfaced plasterboard, allowing contractors to achieve a level 5 finish. The full surface of the boards and stoppings must be fully coated in Resene Broadwall Surface Prep & Seal or Resene Broadwall 3 in 1 to ensure a level 5 finish is achieved. If stopping or board is visible through the skim coat, a level 5 finish has not been achieved.

Resene Broadwall 3 in 1 may also be used as a sealer, surfacer and finish coat on ceilings in dry areas.

For spray application use Resene Broadwall 3 in 1, for roller application use Resene Broadwall Surface Prep & Seal.

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