SMOOTH WALLS · TEXTURE REMOVAL · CLARK COUNTY, WA
Level 5 Drywall Finish & Smooth Walls in Vancouver, WA
Texture removal and a full skim coat to a smooth Level 5 drywall finish, sanded flat and checked under raking light.
Most homes in Clark County were built with orange peel or knockdown texture on the walls. If you want smooth walls instead, we skim the entire surface with joint compound, sand it flat and prime it, so the wall reads as one clean plane with no texture, no joints and no roller marks. The professional name for this is a Level 5 drywall finish. It is the finish to choose when a room has skylights, big windows, sconces, high ceilings or dark matte paint, because that is where an ordinary wall shows every flaw.
NextGen ProBuild does smooth wall finishes, texture removal and Level 5 drywall finishing in Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, Brush Prairie, Hockinson and Orchards. We also do smooth walls and Level 5 finishes in the Portland metro, OR: Portland, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Happy Valley, Clackamas and Hillsboro.
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What Is a Level 5 Drywall Finish?
Drywall finishes are graded from Level 0 (bare board) to Level 5. Most homes are built to Level 4, and the difference between 4 and 5 is the step that makes smooth walls actually look smooth. When a homeowner asks for smooth walls, Level 5 is the professional name for the job.
Level 4: the standard finish
Joints are taped and covered with three coats of compound, screw heads are filled and everything is sanded. The drywall paper between the joints stays bare. Fine under eggshell paint in soft light; in strong side light the seams and the different textures of paper and compound show through.
Level 5: the smooth finish
Everything in Level 4, plus a thin skim coat of compound over the entire wall or ceiling, sanded flat and primed. Paint soaks in evenly across the whole surface, so there are no visible seams, no flashing and no texture. This is what a flat, matte or dark wall needs, and what plaster and some wallpapers need underneath.
When You Need a Level 5 Finish
Not every wall needs Level 5. These are the rooms and finishes where it earns its keep, and where we recommend it.
Raking light from windows and skylights
Light that travels along a wall, from a skylight, a tall window or a glass door, shows every ridge and seam. Lofts, stairwells and sunrooms are the usual suspects.
Flat, matte or dark paint
Low-sheen and dark colors hide nothing. Level 5 gives them a uniform surface so the color looks even from every angle.
Sconces and wall-wash lighting
A sconce, picture light or LED strip grazing the wall is the hardest test a wall can take. A skim-coated surface passes it.
High ceilings and long walls
Big uninterrupted surfaces have the most seams and the most places for the eye to catch. A full skim coat makes them disappear.
Removing orange peel and knockdown texture
If you want smooth walls in a textured house, we skim over the existing texture to Level 5 instead of replacing the drywall.
Prep for plaster and wallpaper
Venetian plaster, limewash and many wallpapers need a smooth, sealed base. Level 5 is the right surface to start from.
How We Do It
1
Prep and repair
We protect floors and fixtures, fix cracks, loose tape, dents and old patches, and reset or replace anything that would telegraph through the skim coat.
2
Skim coat
Thin coats of joint compound go over the whole surface, usually two or three, each one flattening the texture and seams a little more.
3
Sanding
The surface is sanded flat with dust extraction and checked by hand and by light. Any low spot gets filled and sanded again.
4
Prime
A primer made for new drywall seals the compound and paper evenly, so the paint goes on the same across the whole wall.
5
Inspect under light
Before we call it done we check every wall with a raking light, the same way the sun or your sconces will, and touch up anything we find.
Before and After: A Textured Bathroom Made Smooth
This bathroom had the orange-peel texture that most Clark County homes were built with, plus old patches and a sconce right next to the wall, which lit up every bump. The owners wanted smooth, soft grey walls to go with a new marble-look floor.
We skim-coated the walls over the existing texture, sanded them flat, primed and painted. With the sconce on, the wall now reads as one even surface; that is the difference a Level 5 finish makes.
BEFORE
AFTER
The sconce test: raking light across the finished wall.
Same window and sconce as the before photo, after the skim coat and paint.
Level 5 Walls Under Skylights
A loft with skylights and dark wood floors: the kind of room where light runs the full length of every wall. Finished to Level 5 and painted white, with nothing for the light to catch.
A long wall in raking light from the skylight
Smooth white walls and ceiling in the attic room
Light from the skylight grazing a smooth wall
Skylight above a smooth white wall and dark floor
The stair wall, finished to Level 5
Sloped ceiling and wall, one even matte surface
Areas We Serve
Smooth walls, texture removal and Level 5 drywall finishing throughout Clark County, WA:
Vancouver
Camas
Washougal
Battle Ground
Ridgefield
La Center
Brush Prairie
Hockinson
Orchards
Level 5 Drywall FAQ
What is a Level 5 drywall finish?
Level 5 is the highest level of drywall finishing. After the joints and screws are taped and finished, the entire wall or ceiling gets a thin skim coat of joint compound, then it is sanded flat and primed. The result is one continuous, smooth surface with no visible seams, texture or roller marks, even in strong light.
What is the difference between Level 4 and Level 5?
Level 4 finishes only the seams, corners and screw heads; the drywall paper in between is left bare. It looks fine with eggshell paint in soft light, but the paper and the joints absorb paint differently, so seams can show. Level 5 adds a skim coat over the whole surface, so every square inch takes paint the same way.
Can you make my textured walls smooth?
Yes. Orange peel, knockdown and other sprayed textures can be skim-coated to a smooth Level 5 surface without tearing out the drywall. We fill the texture with several thin coats, sand the surface flat and prime it. Popcorn ceilings and heavy textures take more work, so we look at them first.
How long does a Level 5 finish take?
It depends on the size of the room, how much repair the walls need and drying time between coats, which changes with the weather. A single room is usually a few days of work spread over about a week; whole floors and ceilings take longer. We give you a schedule with your estimate.
Is a Level 5 finish worth it?
If the room has windows or skylights that throw light along the walls, wall sconces, high ceilings, or you want flat, matte or dark paint, yes. Those are exactly the conditions where a Level 4 finish shows every seam. For a closet or a garage with eggshell paint, Level 4 is usually enough, and we will tell you so.
Do you paint too?
Yes. We prime every Level 5 surface ourselves, and we can paint it as well so the finish and the paint are one job with one crew. Matte and flat paints look even and rich on Level 5, and a dark color is finally an option without seams showing through.
What is a smooth wall finish?
A smooth wall finish is a wall with no sprayed texture, no visible seams and no roller marks: one flat, even surface. In drywall terms this is a Level 5 finish, where the whole wall is skim coated, sanded and primed instead of just the joints. It is the look you see in new custom homes and in older homes that have had the texture removed.
Does texture removal make a big mess?
Less than most people expect. We do not tear out the drywall; we skim over the texture. Floors and fixtures are covered, sanding is done with dust extraction, and the room is cleaned before we leave. Most rooms are back in use within a few days, depending on drying time.
Can I get smooth walls in just one room?
Yes. Many homeowners in Vancouver, Camas and Battle Ground start with one room, often the living room, the main bedroom or a bathroom, where light from windows or sconces shows the texture most. We stop the smooth finish at an inside corner or a door casing so it looks intentional next to the rooms that still have texture.
More Ways We Can Help
Level 5 is often one step in a bigger project. Here is what usually goes with it, and two articles from our blog on smooth walls.
Need a hole or crack fixed? See Drywall Repair
Smooth Walls Instead of Texture
Orange peel, knockdown and popcorn were sprayed on most Clark County homes because texture hides small flaws and goes on fast. Smooth walls are the opposite: there is nothing to hide behind, so the finish itself has to be right. That is why a smooth wall finish and a Level 5 finish are the same job.
You do not need new drywall to get there. We remove the texture by skim coating over it: two or three thin coats of joint compound fill the bumps, the surface is sanded flat, then primed. The existing walls stay in place, which keeps the dust and the mess down, and the room is ready for paint when we leave.
We do this one room at a time or through a whole house, in Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground and the rest of Clark County. Most homeowners start with the rooms where light hits the walls hardest: the living room, the main bedroom and the bathroom.
Smooth painted walls with wall molding: a Level 5 finish under paint, with no texture anywhere.
Level 5 Drywall Finish in Portland & Seattle
Based in Vancouver, WA. We also do Level 5 smooth walls in:
Portland · Lake Oswego · Tigard · Hillsboro · Happy Valley · Clackamas · Seattle · Bellevue · Kirkland · Snohomish
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“We are very pleased with our smooth and straight walls!”
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“They replaced the drywall, made a smooth ceiling, and painted it. Good work, fair price.”
David · Google review
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“He’s skilled, takes pride in his work, and aims to exceed his clients expectations.”
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