Level 5 Finish / Spray Applied / Southeast Michigan
Skim coat and primer in a single spray pass. Drywall Complete Services applies Tuff-Hide to reach a true Level 5 finish on walls and ceilings — the finish that still looks flat when raking light hits it at 4 p.m.
Tuff-Hide is a vinyl acrylic latex-based, high-build coating made for interior use over new drywall. Sprayed in one application, it delivers the same GA-214 / ASTM C840 Level 5 result that normally takes two separate steps: skim-coating the whole surface with joint compound, then priming it.
Fewer steps means fewer days on your schedule and less sanding dust through the building. The coating dries white and can be tinted up to 2 oz. per gallon of universal colorant to sit closer to your finish color. On ceilings where a flat white is all you want, it can be left unpainted as the final surface.
Everything through Level 4 stays the same — tape, embed, fill, finish. The difference is the last stage. Tap a layer to trace it through both wall sections.
A single spray pass replaces skim-coating and priming, so the finish stage compresses instead of stretching across the schedule.
The heavy film evens out the difference between board paper and joint compound, so joints stop reading through the paint.
Built for critical-light areas: long corridors, glass curtain walls, gallery walls and anywhere wall washers are aimed down a surface.
Dries white and can stay unpainted where a flat white ceiling is the intent — one less trade pass overhead.
Passed 1,000 cycles for abrasion resistance under a modified ASTM D4977, plus washability and scrubbability testing.
Accepts up to 2 oz. per gallon of universal colorant, which helps thin or deep finish colors cover in fewer coats.
Tuff-Hide is a finish, not a fix. The wall has to be sound, dry and clean — free of oil, grease, mildew and dust — and the product, air and surface all need to stay at 55 °F (13 °C) or above through the whole finishing process.
Joints, fasteners and accessories get a full Sheetrock® Brand joint treatment system, and every nick, void and gouge is filled with joint compound first.
Surfaces must be thoroughly dry, with concrete aged at least 60 days before finishing. Form oils and efflorescence come off and form lines get ground down.
Tape, embed, fill and finish coats go on and get checked under a work light. Anything that would telegraph is corrected now, not after the surfacer is on.
Openings, floors and adjacent trades get covered. Heat and ventilation are confirmed at 55 °F minimum, and drafts across the surface are shut down.
Material is stirred gently and never thinned. We shoot a test pattern before the wall so tip, pressure and fan width are dialed in.
Gun held perpendicular about 18 in. off the surface, moving parallel at a steady rate, each pass overlapping the last by half a fan — roughly half the target thickness.
The second pass runs perpendicular to the first to reach full build. Corners are shot toward the center so both sides load evenly. Target: 15 mils WFT minimum, never above 20.
Dry to touch in roughly 60–90 minutes at 77 °F and 50% RH. Good spray technique usually means no sanding; if a touch-up is needed, the formula sands easily. Paint after overnight dry — or leave it white.
Airless spray only, through 50 ft. of 1/4" I.D. high-pressure hose. Equipment must meet or exceed these ratings.
| Pump output | At least 1 gallon per minute |
|---|---|
| Pump pressure | Rated 2,700–3,000 psi |
| Tip capacity | Handles a 0.031" tip at 2,000 psi (Graco Mark V™ or equivalent) |
| Spray tip orifice | 0.023" to 0.031" |
| Filter | 30-mesh, in the high-pressure manifold |
| Gun | Heavy-duty texture gun taking a Graco Reverse-A-Clean (RAC) SwitchTip, or equivalent |
| Mixing | Stir gently, use fresh material, do not thin, do not intermix with other products |
| Material | Vinyl acrylic latex-based |
|---|---|
| Application type | Spray application only |
| Coverage | Approx. 100–125 sq. ft. per gallon at 15–20 mils WFT (9–12 mils DFT) |
| Drying time | Approx. 60–90 minutes to touch at 15–20 mils WFT, 77 °F / 50% RH |
| VOC content | 22 g/L |
| Testing | Abrasion resistance to 1,000 cycles per modified ASTM D4977; washability per ASTM D3450; scrubbability per ASTM D2486 |
| Temperature sensitivity | Keep dry; protect from freezing, extreme heat and direct sunlight |
| Storage | Room temperature, dry location; up to 12-month shelf life in good conditions |
| Packaging | 5 gal. pail, 50 gal. drum |
| Cleanup | Wipe drips immediately with a damp cloth; wash tools in warm, soapy water |
Figures shown are the manufacturer's published values (USG submittal sheet J1613, rev. 9-25). Always confirm against the current data sheet and SDS at usg.com before specification.
We install and finish across Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Saline and the rest of Southeast Michigan — residential and commercial, new construction and remodel.
Get a number on it
Fifty-plus years and a 40-person crew across Southeast Michigan. Tell us the square footage, the ceiling heights and the light conditions, and we'll come back with a real scope and a real price.
(734) 368-5568
info@drywallcompleteservices.com
