Garages aren’t usually the first order of business when you are shopping for a new home, despite their importance. But if there is one thing that you probably noticed, it’s that all of the garages in newly constructed homes have an unfinished look, with white lines across the walls and the overhead.
The white lines that you see inside of these garages are nothing more than the white color of the joint compound that was used to finish and smooth out the connecting sections of drywall. Underneath the joint compound is the adhesive tape that seals the two pieces together.
Of course, that probably leads to other questions, such as, “is it a finished garage and why didn’t the contractors paint it?” It’s not the best look, especially if you look at the garage last after having spent your time throughout the rest of the house.
Why Do Contractors Leave it Like That?
The biggest reason that contractors leave a garage in that state is that it saves money. It’s as simple as that. It may make you scratch your head because some of these homes cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build, so why would adding in a little paint be such a big deal?
The second reason is that garages are only required to be built up to level 2 drywall and that’s as far as it needs to go. If a contractor takes it any further than that, they are spending unnecessary money.
What is Level 2 Drywall?
Level 2 drywall is the second in six levels of drywall finish. All that is required for a level 2 drywall finish is a double coat of joint compound in the areas where the drywall comes together.
- Level 0 Drywall: For a level 0, no joint compound or taping is necessary and this is usually just a temporary phase
- Level 1 Drywall: Only one coat of joint compound is necessary, which includes joints and angles. Level 1 drywall is usually done in areas where there will be little to zero foot traffic and observation.
- Level 2 Drywall: Double coating of joint compound, as stated above. This includes every angle at which drywall comes together, including all of the flat joints. This is the level at which contractors are instructed to bring up to in a garage setting.
- Level 3 Drywall: Another coat of drywall goes over the existing, double coat. Double coats of joint compound go over fastener heads.
- Level 4 Drywall: All flat joints receive a triple joint compound, however, 2 go on the flat joints on the outside of the drywall, and 1 goes on the inside. All of your fastener heads and interior angles are covered in a triple joint compound as well.
- Level 5 Drywall: On top of what level 4 gets, there is also a thin layer of joint compound placed on the entire surface and smoothed out. All of the angles, joints, and fastener heads are triple coated. This is the level of finish that you find on interior walls in living spaces.
As you can see, drywall level 2 is pretty low on the totem pole. If you purchase a house with a level 2 garage finish and you decide that you want to ‘pretty up’ the garage, you will have to paint it yourself, which may include adding extra layers of joint compound to bring the wall up to level 4 or 5.
What are the White Dots or Circles?
White lines are not the only thing that you are going to see in your garage. You will also see white dots throughout. They are generally a few inches in diameter and you may think of them as white circles.
The white dots that you see are nothing more than an additional joint compound that has been placed over areas in which screws were placed. It’s possible that one of the crew members for the contractor accidentally caused a little aesthetic damage, which would be covered in the joint compound, so long as the damage doesn’t cause a structural problem.
Can You Paint the Garage with a Level 2 Finish?
You absolutely can and should, especially if you plan on using the garage for any number of things. The only problem that you will run into is the fact that the contractors probably established the garage as their home base while working on the home.
That means all of their cutting tools and construction materials were in the garage as well. When you have that kind of hardware sitting in and being used in a room, the dust particles build up to a high degree and those dust particles are probably covering your garage walls pretty heavily.
Before you consider throwing some paint on the walls, the garage will have to be thoroughly cleaned, top to bottom. Cleaning the dust off is a must because your paint won’t stick to the surface with even a thin layer of dust underneath.
Advantages of a Level 2 Drywall Garage
Believe it or not, and despite the unwelcoming look of an unfinished garage, there are some advantages to working with drywall that is only at a level 2 finish. For one, wherever the joints are covered in joint compound, a straight line, is indicative that there is a stud beneath.
So it will give you a pretty good idea of where all of the studs in the room are located without you having to use a stud finder. For two, all of the areas that have white circles are likely to be areas where a screw is located.
Knowing where everything is underneath the drywall and joint compound is an expedient advantage if you are looking to start hanging stuff up.
All Things Considered
All of those white lines in a garage are nothing more than an indication of the level of finish that the drywall is currently at. Seeing as the requirements are nothing more than a double coating of joint compound on the joints and angles, it’s highly likely that a garage will look like this inside a newly constructed home.
