What Is Better to Level Walls in an Apartment?

Today our goal is to understand how to deal with uneven walls and which material and method are better suited for this purpose.

While in the past walls were leveled only with plaster and subsequent troweling, today a more convenient, simple, and cleaner option exists: installing gypsum boards. Both methods have their pros and cons. Let’s examine the dry (gypsum board) and wet (plaster) methods closely to choose the most suitable one.

Gypsum Board

One advantage of leveling walls with gypsum board is relative simplicity and short work duration. No special skills are required—no need to pre-clean walls from old construction mixtures, wax, or oils, and no special preparation of the board itself.

Moreover, using gypsum board generates less construction debris and mess. As known, one of the most unpleasant renovation stages is the final cleaning.

Additionally, achieving a perfectly flat surface like that of gypsum board panels using only plaster would require high expertise, experience, and skill in handling wet materials—something not every DIY homeowner possesses.

Another benefit is the possibility to create an additional thermal and sound insulation layer in the apartment. This is especially important for standard panel buildings.

However, despite its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, gypsum board has some drawbacks.

First, gypsum board panels are relatively heavy. Therefore, it’s impossible to cover walls alone—helpers are required.

Second, it’s essential to choose the right type of gypsum board for living rooms, kitchens, or bathrooms.

Third, although gypsum board walls are strong, heavy items (bookshelves, kitchen cabinets, etc.) should be attached with caution, as load capacity is lower than that of walls leveled with traditional construction mixes.

The most significant drawback is the reduction in usable room area. Its use is less convenient in small spaces.

Therefore, if wall flatness differences do not exceed 5 cm, it is more rational to use the second method: wall leveling with plaster.

Plastering

Leveling walls with plaster mixtures is much harder for inexperienced individuals. It’s unlikely you’ll achieve a perfectly flat surface or properly shaped corners on the first try. However, if wall irregularities are not very noticeable, the wet method remains the best and more cost-effective option.

This method is well-known and has long been considered classic. Plus, these walls can last decades without major repairs, saving you future expenses. Also, plaster and render layers are much thinner than gypsum board structures, so room area remains unchanged. Importantly, one person can manage plastering and troweling tasks.

On the other hand, the main downside is the labor intensity of the process. First, walls must be fully cleaned from old layers and contaminants. Then measure wall flatness differences, apply primer, install guide bars (maya), apply plaster, wait for drying, perform troweling, sanding, and finally apply a finishing primer coat. Cleaning after wet leveling takes significantly more effort than after installing gypsum boards—this process clearly demands more time and energy.

Also, it’s crucial to choose the right type of plaster for each room. For living spaces, gypsum-based mixes are recommended—they produce better results, dry faster, and maintain a favorable indoor climate.

For humid areas like bathrooms or kitchens, cement-sand mixes are advised, as they are less affected by moisture.

Conclusion

In conclusion, gypsum board is more rational when walls and room corners are noticeably wavy. It’s far cheaper and easier to cover them entirely with panels than to spend endless time, effort, materials, and money on plastering and troweling.

In other cases, when height differences are 5–20 mm, use only plaster. For irregularities over 25–30 mm, apply special plaster and render mixtures. For differences over 30 mm, additional reinforcement mesh is required besides standard materials.

Think carefully, calculate everything accurately, and only then choose the wall leveling method that suits you best in terms of convenience, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness.