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How To Finish Drywall
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- Опубліковано 10 жов 2011
- There is a level of finish that most drywall tapers never get to in the average home -- It's called a level-5 finish. You might want to go the extra mile if you have high-gloss paint or direct sunlight, conditions that amplify imperfections in your walls. Once you've done a normal, high-quality taping job, these are the 6 steps to get to level 5:
1. Sand
2. Remove dust
3. Thin all-purpose compound with water
4. Roll on compound over the entire wall
5. Remove compound from the wall
6. Give a quick final sanding
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Guys I been in drywall all my life 29 years and that's how I do it as well. some people want to pay for a level five but most don't at least around here. I always look while I'm finishing to see what wall has the sun beating in on it and I will level five that area to make sure nothing is seen. good to see someone teaching it the right way.
Yep same here. I spray either level 5 primer or spray my finish mud on with my big painter. I usually do this on flat ceilings or sun walls
oh my god, NO ONE DOES THIS ANYMORE, take way too much patience and finesse. Amazing work sir!
To me, your are a dedicated person, it shows that you care with what you are doing. I've subscribed to your channel, there are many good tips one can use.
Thanks for a great video. As a homeowner, not a professional, I will be doing this for the first time, so it is very helpful.
Sanding between coats of mud leaves dust on the wall. Dust on the wall mixed into your fresh wet mud turns into trash and actually hinders your smooth finish. Don't sand between coats unless you want to dust the entire ceiling/wall area. Instead, take your 6" knife and scrape your wall/ceiling. If the knife doesn't take it off, leave it on and handle it on your sanding at the end of the finish job.
I really enjoyed watching this.Thank you for sharing
Appreciate you posted this video! I'm skim coating my ceilings using the same technique.
After 40 tears finishing drywall I learned a few tricks from a lot of different finishers and developed my own way. In SW Michigan there is little or no texture in custom homes (Apartments had wall textures that hide mistakes kinda) and you either learned how to finish correctly or not work much. With me, it would depend who the painter was that followed me. I hated sanding so I would tape, bed, skim, and then a tight skim like the guy in the video just over the joints. No sanding between coats
I liked the video! I've been tapping for 30+ years. He is right.The joints and nail/screw holes can be seen through the paint, but adding the same texture by skiming the whole wall with the roller is great way to solve this problem....Great video...
I don't know why so many jerks even bother to respond. You do great work, Myron. I appreciate all of your books, videos and contributions to Fine Homebuilding.
hey you guys this guy cares........I paint in Kansas usa and I see so many new homes in which the drywall finishers were terrible................you can see so many defects in the walls and then the customer wants to blame the painter........that's why I like this guy...........people need to understand if you want a perfect job you have to pay for it.........painters are not responsible its the drywall contractors who are...
Painters are the first to piss and moan about what the tapers left behind.
I got an idea!!!...Before we go saying the tapers suck and leave defects, let's consider the board job AND the framing. If it isn't a good board job and the tapers are working piece work and getting paid by the sq ft, you can surely expect defects and touch-up's that never got done after the final sand. I see this as the biggest issue in my trade in Canada. Although, I have seen many many many houses and even commercial jobs where the framing was sooooooo piss poor, that no matter what the board guy's do they end up with a lousy board job. Framers.......well, they are a get it up and get the hell on to the next job, type trade. Same with board guy's, but the foundation of the house isn't built with drywall. It's built with wood or metal stud for commercial by the framers. I'm sure the framers could pass the buck on to the guy's doing the forms and pouring the foundation, but I have witnessed these jobs being done, and if you don't have your forms in straight and properly, good luck having a level house, leading to a shitty board job. This is where it falls on the tapers, to turn into magicians and fix the unfixable with some mud and tape. Can't count how many jobs I have been on, where there was nothing for the board guy's to screw certain sheets to. This makes for a wall the you can push on and have it move. "Taper Fix!" ....You tell me how well tape and mud will hold two pieces of drywall together, without cracking at the first sign of a season change. I know this may sound like an attack on painters but it's not, just defending my taper buddies because it ain't always our fault for the defects left behind!..
KingAndie
lol..thats a all too true story and I blame it on the "next man technique" lol....people dont give a fuck and let the next guy worry about it :(
I'm friends with a few painters....they aren't too bad.....but 95% of the painters in my location, constantly whine about things that are not worth even mentioning...kinda sad...
Where I come from in western Colorado where all the movie stars have McMansions, this guy would be considered a hack finisher.
That's right and if the drywall cutout for the electrical boxes isn't right the electrician looks bad. You and I speak the same language Dave.
How cool is this, just what I was trying to find how to do and what to use.
We do a lot of level 5 finish work. After a standard level of finishing we take a straight edge such as a plastering rod and check all joints and corner bead for straightness. Then we use bright lights held at a sharp angle to walls or ceiling and do a very thorough touchup.
Thank you I've learned a little bit more then I through.Thankx.
What a great looking fininsh... Good job!
You made that look very easy and explained it in a no-nonsense fashion. I appreciate that. Well, here goes! Wish me luck!
Thanks slung a lot of mud but needed definition of this great repeatable vid and clear definition. Atta boy
Great video. I’ve never seen a finish coat done like that. Thanks.
Awesome tutorial man.
Ok,...so I am just do part time remodeling of my own and for my family. I totally get the idea he is going after. Anyone who calls his method a waste of time, needs to simply catch a light shining on the wall when the job is complete. The various areas that do have mud, compared to the rest, stick out like a sore thumb....depending how much you care about detail. This guy is right on the mark,....IF you care about detail.
Nice to see old school techniques, I bet if I asked someone around my area to do this, they wouldn't know what I was talking about.
You can also spray mud with an airless sprayer but a lot of guys still skim by hand, This guy makes it look easy because he has many years of experience. I have seen this done and sometimes what they do is do it in sections, they do 4-6 feet and then skip four feet and then come back and redo the areas that they missed. Very Very important to get rid of the dust, they sell dust mops for this purpose.
I don't need to do this step in the garage right? I can just paint over or just leave the joint tape look?
In my experience, level 5 finish is primarily used in hospitals, or any other wall that will have an epoxy paint. It's just a way for the tapers/contracters to easily specify the quality of the finish that is desired just to specify a standard.
Level 0-5 are the only ones I am aware of, from bare drywall to putting a light skim coat over the entire drywall papered area.
You said you "remove as much compound as (you) can". I see the angle of your taping knife is fairly perpendicular to the wall so I know you're not leaving a thick coat on the wall. So how much pressure do you apply when you're removing the excess mud? A lot? As much pressure as you can? Your videos are EXCEPTIONAL. Clear, slow explanations by word and video. As a guy who's learning to do drywall while remodeling my home, videos like THIS are worth everything! Thanks!
We use a cornice adhesive mixture troweled or rolled on left until not sticky to touch and then spray lightly with water and troweled flat with a 280mm flat steel trowel. This finish can also be polished to a mirror finish for very high contrast lighting situations and gloss paints..
That roughness can also be removed after the first coat of primer with light pole sanding. Though the painters would rather it be done your way (we don't mind pole sanding for them if they don't do it themselves). Keep up the good work man your video came out great.
Soon as the guy dipped his 9" roller in mud ("compound"), I had to watch the rest of the video. What can I say, I like a good giggle once in a while. And the guy that said he uses Durabond, thanks for making me giggle too!
This looks like its would be the ultimate for a consistent texture and look. I found though that after sanding my final mudding, a coarse roller with Primer hides the transition from mud to drywall very well. The. When painting over the primer it will look great. This is an interesting idea though for somewhere you want the utmost perfection.
This is interesting. I never used a roller for polish coating, but it's interesting to see. I pull my lines broad, so much so that my walls will look primed to most people. Taping is an art of sorts that most guys will not understand ever. Slicking the compound is great for all coats from the third onward. By slicking, I mean adding water. Sponging edges is fine if you like that sort of thing or if your knife/hawk game isn't perfect. I think compound pans are awkward to hold and use for long periods of time but fine for those who think otherwise. Everyone sands on prime coats, and if you don't, it shows quickly. My father always says " It's not the tool, but the person behind the tool that makes the difference".
I do plenty of level 5, a roller is a waste of time and i always leave enough on to sand and build out for a flat and consistent wall
Yes, you should seal it first with oil based primer of some kind first for best results. Also, if the walls are severely scarred up, there are rolls of 36" fiberglass mesh that you can cover the whole wall with...then mud over with setting type mud until you can no longer see the mesh then finish with one coat of all purpose lightweight compound.
I apply about a half coat of primer with the spray gun and it makes all the knap stand up and dries quickly so you can just sand it off. Works fast and looks great.
I'm down with the boxes man!!
Spray final coat with industrial rig and pull a 2' metal blade on it to lay it down real tight. Doesn't get much flatter or smoother for sanding. Unless of course you do it twice.
Great video thank you
Hello, do you also recommend this for new ceilings? I just had a handyman redo my entire ceiling but with mixed results at best: no complete uniformity in the smoothness, small indentations, waves, etc. Shouldn't new drywall look smooth?
what do ya do when mudd is drying too fast and clumping up in hot weather??
Hi..Question..can you also use this technique on a wall that already has paint and a typical sprayed on texture finish (which I hate the look of)..I love the look of the smooth plaster/mud. Thanks Emily
In the N.Y.C. commercial construction interior jobs, the tapers regularly thin their compound with water and skim the walls. If all of you haters want inferior finishes feel free. He said in the video that his polish coat was standard but he shows how to take it up a level.
Let me fill you guys in on this video, a level five finish is mostly for gloss or semi gloss paint, and in Minnesota we use it on almost all ceilings and soffits in commercial work. There are several ways to do it, this is one, you can also skim coat , pan and knife or hawk and trowel that is basically the same. I use a high build primer from usg. You still have to sand after applying but it is the quickest way. actually there is a local guy with a spray truck . after we finish coat I call him he comes by sprays the wall then we sand, perfect job every time.
Amazing, I never even knew this was possible.
hi, thanks for your video
someone here wrote as a better option a Interior High-Build Primer.
which do you think is better (finish, cost and time effectiveness)?
i like this process. I have been doing dry wall for the last 5 years and still have not yet mastered the perfect mudding technique. Does removing the mud off the mall run the risk of damaging your remaiming compound in the bucket?
The "Level" spec is more common in commercial work because architects need to be able to call out different levels of finish, say for a janitors closet then for a board room. In residential construction phrases like "firetape and mud only" (level 2) might be used for a garage interior.
Been a remodeling contractor for over 30 years. My Father in law was a painter for 45 years before he passed. He taught me to sand in between every coat of paint. No short cuts. The first coat of paint or primer raises the hairs on the paper and solidifies any dust, mud splatters and trash on the wall. Then when you sand you knock all that crap off so it's a smooth wall. Then sand after the next coat or two lightly sanding in between each coat. All this using a 3/4 nap roller. You final finish will be very smooth. (Don't sand the final finish) The only time I skim coat a wall is where a home owner trashed their walls ripping off wall paper. In those cases you pull off the loose paper and sand then roll oil base Kilz over the entire wall. Then lightly sand to knock off any raised paper and hairs. Spot fill any deep gouges. Then skim coat the entire wall. Sometimes it takes 2 thin skim coats.... At least this works for me.
Great advice
if you texture before you prime would the sanding cause your texture to get sanded down a bit to?
+mowerdog When applying the skim coat over previously wallpapered walls, are you rolling the compound onto the walls with a roller, or just spreading it out with a trowel.
I use a 10 inch drywall knife.
+mowerdog Thanks. One more question. What kind of dry plaster mix or pre-mix (5 gallon bucket). 20 min, 30 min, 45 min ? etc.
No worries... I got a little testy there too. Keep up the good work and stay out of the rain.
This video highlights a common problem that drywallers often run into. The paper face of the drywall will have a rougher texture than the drywaller's finish work, and some customers do not like this variation in surface texture. That's why the different finish levels are widely published in tradesmen handbooks. This helps protect the consumer as well as the contractor by spelling out in black and white exactly what the costs and expectations are for any given job.
Hi! i have a question? would this technique work for ceilings? thanks..:)
We talking about skimcoating 100% the wall surface , usually used after taking the wallpaper down and damaged walls got to be smoothed to original look . New construction does not need that unless specified by the owner in case of using the gloss finishes on the walls . Good spackler and sander will make it without level 5 ;) Keep on good work my friend ! I
I've been 20+ years as a restoration project manager delivering a quality product. I've never heard or a "level 5" finish either. What I do know for all you nay sayers is, a quality job is a quality job no matter what you call it. This guy knows how to do a quality job, as opposed to a subdivision job. Quality workmanship costs more.
If you can't tell a non-level 5 finish just by looking at it, I wouldn't want you applying one. However it's perfectly normal you wouldn't know about it doing restoration, but any truly flat/smooth drywall job you've seen is either skim-coated or has had the butts cut out.
Usually your paint roller leaves a slight pattern that covers that "raised drywall nap" without it being visible enough to bother anyone.
I just removed my waynes coating and that bottom portion is not painted. Can I do this on my walls if half of it is painted and the other half is unpainted?
Myron definitely knows how to drywall and sand. He is the master of his trade.
Nice, very helpful
You can mop your fibers down and skip this. It still has to be primed by the painter either way. If there are a lot of Windows that will cause a glare or a long wall. Freeman's 555 level5 primer in an airless is much more efficient . But if it's small and your new to drywall this would work too
However to save time i do sometimes sand final coat.. 150 grit sand paper mostly on the edge.if not perfect finish?. but i do sand primer paint...cause of drywall damage caused by sanding and or some dust. If you choose to sand final coat you will damage the paper on the drywall or sheetrock what ever u call it? And will have to sand primer paint.Some people even sand their first coat?? I just scrape off the trowel lift or stop (line of compound caused by trowel lifting off the final wipe or smoothing )and put on 2nd coat. From 2 feet to one hundred feet of coating there will always be one trowel lift or trowel stop at the end of first coat over the tape.
When you are done sanding, what do you do about the dust all over the wall that will ultimately get picked up in your primer/paint roller? Isn't that what the littled dried bumps are when you are done...the clumped dust balled up with paint?
The problem of the dust settling at the edge of the mud joints can be easily resolved by mopping that area with a damp sponge. As far as the level 5, yes I've seen it and done it. The only problem is you NEVER lose all the trowel marks or humps. The more mud you put on the wall, the more imperfections you can expect. It's best to give it a good sanding with some 100 or 120 grit paper, sponge off the dust, and use a good quality primer with a 3/8 nap roller. That will do just as good of a job.
Hit the wall with sealer and then touch up the imperfections. Then reseal.
@Redskin1040 It's rare in residential - usually only contractors who deal with commercial are familiar with the "level system" (level 4 is "normal" and level 5 adds this final skim/sand). It's normally only spec'ed on walls that have harsh lighting (raking window light or "crisp" display lighting). As you can see, it isn't hard or terribly time consuming - 2 guys for one or two days can cover a lot of area. But it's a great way to stand out from the generic drywallers on higher end projects!
The different levels of finish are numbered is so that architects can easily specify different levels of quality for different areas of a building. The purpose of a level 5 finish is not to fix defects in the wall it is to equalize the texture between the sanded compound and the un-sanded paper. With a level 4 (or lower) finish the different surface textures of the sanded compound and un-sanded paper will telegraph through the paint and will be visible in reflected light.
Lol, I like how the paddle bit wasn't out back into the water so it hardened up and you get chunks the next time you miss.
After this we sand all finished joints and corner beads vigorously. We come back through with a sanding block in one hand and a light in the other and sand inside angles and whatever else shows. After this we use a soft wet sponge to remove all dust. and to mat down any furred paper. Then one more time with alght and tuchup anything that may have been missed. Then we prime with a level 5 or other high solids primer. The dry primer must be lightly sanded before finish paint.
I love those orange Full Circle poles. They're fat and comfortable to use and damn near weightless. Just bought 3 of em with the Radius 360.
@dr6511 Just like with normal (level 4: standard joint/screwhead) sanding dust, you need to get it off the walls/ceiling before you apply drywall primer: A shop vac with a brush attachment (with a fine dust filter or bag so you aren't just blowing it around the room), or specialized gizmos like the Wooster Dust Eater and some people use Swiffer or similar dusting products as a final pick up. Like all painting, it's 90% prepping the surface. A fan blowing out the window while sanding helps, too.
Make the muck really thin, like thick water and apply it with a slury sponge. Will save you a ton of time and money and a light sand will have it nice and flat ready for painting.
Do u have to do this if u r texturing the walls ?
Tim, it is more work, and it is'nt necessary to do this everywhere. It is mainly used in critical lighting scenarios. Places where the light plays across the surface at a shallow angle will glaringly show where all of the compound was applied, even on the best of finish jobs. Level 5 is used to even out the porosity of the entire surface.You no longer have some spots exposed paper and others compound. It is now ALL compound, and will absorb primer and paint at the same rate.
The mud is getting wet again from the paint, and causing your problem. Sand it down smooth when its dry. Before you paint it again with your latex waterbase paint, spray it with some spray paint from a can (Laquer base), let dry and then go ahead and finsh up painting with your latex. You can also use 3m spray adhesive to cover these joints prior to painting as well. Best of luck!
The amazing amount of so called experts making videos is incredible! This buffoon just showed me a process I had never tried,taking a brush and molesting a electrical outlet or whatever he's doing! LOL!
This gives the entire surface the same consistency. You may or may not know, but drywall has a little bit of a natural texture to it. When you mud the joints and screws, it becomes smooth in only those areas. After it is painted, it is noticeable is well lit areas, long hallways, etc. By doing a level 5 finish it gives everything the same texture (smooth). Yes I know a good paint job SHOULD even everything out, but often it dont. Level 5, if applied properly, can make a difference.
Drywall tape is ~8.7mils thick (and 2 1/16th" wide), nearly 1/132nd" protruding from a butt joint plus wafer thin bonding compound. A neatly applied 6" trowel bead over a butt joint (assuming good framing and drywall hanging) plus wafer thin compound underneath, flattens the tape to 0.33 degrees. Span the mud out with 12" trowel either side and eagle eye can't detect the tape. Lev. 5 is unnecessary with good taping (after good framing and drywall).
I have a friend in Denver who needs a job he's very experienced. He watched this video and knew all the techniques that were done. Thank you
One of the most useful tips that I learned years ago is that CLEAN MUD IS HAPPY MUD. In other words keep your tools clean, your mud clean of course (don't pick up trash when you wipe it at the floor level) and, keep a bucket of water with a sponge or rag to keep the sides of your bucket clean. The mud will dry on the bucket and get into the mud you are trying to spread smooth and chunks of dried mud drag grooves & streaks in your hard work....then you no longer have happy mud. Don't be a slob!
Hi. Yes you can. Prime over gloss paint. Skim with a coat right out of the bucket, no dilution, then knock off any ridges once it's dry, then follow this video. Tape off trim first and watch out for excessive build-up of compound at the edges. Have fun!
I’m a painter and read with interest your comment. You are correct, anytime a gloss surface is encountered that surface must be de-glossed before painting.
1. There are good primers designed to adhere to slick glossy surfaces.
2. De-glossing products that can be wiped on are also effective.
3. Last but not least, scuff sand the glossy surface.
4. Always remove dust prior to painting.
im a painter by trade, his technique will work great, but the way i achieve a really smooth paint job is for 1 good tape job or patch existing wall, sand wall with a pole sander then prime and lightly pole sand, then coat with paint and again pole sand, then put your second coat of paint and because of the sanding in between coats it knocks down most of the orange peel effect a third coat is optional, do not sand too much ur just knocking down the orange peel, and use a good 10mm roller
Thanks, very clear! To all the naysayers - sometimes one just wants the extra touch. If I'm ever doing my own walls or a mate's, I will probably do this to the main rooms. An extra hour per room - it's a wash.
i have been a Taper/ Painter for 18 years now, I have never floated over top of new drywall, I personally find this to be a waste of time, but that's just my opinion.. They also make great high hiding primers now days, i like to use Fresh Start for anything going Semi-Gloss just to be on the safe side.. and don't forget to pole sand in between coats of paint your walls should be real smooth and can make all the difference in how your finish turns out.
Absolutely. If you don't care that all your joints will be visible until the building is demolished, then this is a huge waste of time.
That's a nice job but, I would skimming all the walls in the room faster than that and no sanding needded. A very smooth finisshing at the end.
OI course I'm not referring to structural strength, but abrasion and minor bump resistance. Kids, pets, etc will make a beautiful drywall finish look like crap after a few years. Too many times I've seen drywall in high traffic offices and retail stores looks beaten up a year or two after installation.
this is why i do rough framing.. straight plumb and level..lets go..next house.
So I was laid off and decided that week ,to go and buy, with all the money I had left . All the drywall supplies I need . 9 months in and I feel I’m a beast now …… for example this past week started on Monday finished sat . A bathroom . Installed rectangular wall coverings (5) total 4x8 . The walls were 9 ft so what I learned if I ( and feel welcome to use this trick !, but stuff the large gap with toilet paper and get 5 min putty and 20 min putty mix them together for a total
Of 25
Min putty. Smear all over the toilet paper and fill gap it don’t have to
Be perfect . I usually mix 4
Buckets of my 25
Min mix I invented and pour it all into gap . Let dry 2 full days and sand with 220
your problem is that when you applied the tape you did not get enough mud where the bubble is the fastest way to fix it is put a couple staples where it is bubbled tap them in lightly with a hammer then mud over it again, or you can cut along one side of the bubble with a razor knife and press some mud behind it then press it down again and mud over that
Also, when you sand, you might find that the original paint didn't bind that well to the drywall. I found sections I was able to rip chunks of paint off the wall. Think of putting more weight on that.
Drywall, primer, texture, paint (Thats what is there now, then add) joint compound, primer, texture, paint, (paint x2 if needed). Too much weight.
Each way of doing things has its pros and cons.
Do you really sand after this level 5 finish ? Seems counterintuitive. Hmmm.
this is a good way to "skim" the entire wall. you can get a lot more done if you had some help."level 5" is just another term for skimming the whole wall.
A good painter is important too. If I had a painter that was in love with spraying paint and not rolling behind it or sanding between coats of paint, then I would skim the entire drywall surface. I live out west now and the houses here are textured, ceiling and walls, probably to lack of skill to do a good drywall job.
if you taped with a hawk and trowel instead of pan and knife you could L5 with out a roller but what ever man you probably get paid by the hr so good for you adding this un nessary step to look busy
Why does he remove the drywall compound from the wall after applying it?
Yes.
If the job calls for a perfect finish, this is probably the best way to achieve it. Yeah, it's overkill, and the difference is minimal but so what. He's getting paid for his time. It's not difficult to apply a skim coat.
This guy wrote a book on drywall and definitely knows what he's doing. I would recommend vacuuming the wall and outlets first to remove all the dust or you end up contaminating the compound. You need to work quickly and always leave a wet edge.
WOW, that is insane, I am no pro but my walls in my house are perfect, yeah it takes me a long time but I would die of old age doing this step, just do two coats of primer, Anything short of perfect in my house is not accepted and this is what works for me. You can always touch up over your primer coat any imperfections.
I didn't even look at your walls and already I can tell they aren't "perfect.
co on robi !!!!!!! pelna amatorka .. !!!
puteti sa mai faceti videoclipuri pe aceasta temă.
Good to know! Thanks for the video. (for all the people hatin' on this guy; his trademark is called "fine homebuilding")
yeah ook black shirt!! this would be for a do it yourselfers.. the smoother it is doesn't mean your flats and butts aren't humped still.. you can leave dust on the walls if anything it will add body to your primer...
Pretty damned impressive.
Can someone explain to me what all this gupe is that is pasted on plasterboard .
the idea with plasterboard is that it is a perfect finish to avoid all this work.
A plasterer worth his salt doesn't do this stuff.
He just used scrim cloth to cover the joints and plasters the board.
Someone here said the carpenters cant joint the board properly.
That is pure garbage.
Plasterers do the board jointing not carpenters.
Whats going on ?
In Europe, we have 4 levels of finishing drywall quality, q1-q4. What do you do on more?
Nothing, Q4 in Europa is the same as Level 5 in the US. The difference is that in Europe Level 1 (taping) isn't recognized as a Quality (Q1 in Europe is Level 2 in the US). Hence the reason why mesh tape icw the use of hot mud is still widely used in Europe for complete job sites
+robvanharen81
Ok but in any case, tha way how in Europe Q4 level is reached, is completely different from this video that sincerly I 've never seen anything like this... In Europe every levels has a special purpose so the regular level used in house or room shop is q3 level. It's really hard to find level Q4 the requires a lot of work: officially we should make Q1 Q2 and Q3 level, than on drywall q3 finishing we should make q4 finish that consists three coats of mud. A really expert no need to send in this level the wall, because can reach a mirror of plaster just polishing the wall by using water and trowel, step that I pèersonally call troweling (I don't Know how in english is called, sorry but I'm italian)...
+Harles74 that's true, the way it is shown in this video is almost never done in Europe, it's either done by hand (hawk and trowel) or airless spray. the hawk and trowel technique is mostly done for concrete plastering which indeed a good tradesman doesn't need to sand, just finish with water and knife or trowel does the job.