Wall Leveling with Your Own Hands

Wall leveling is a labor-intensive process that requires special knowledge and skills in applying plaster and putty mixtures, installing gypsum board, applying reinforcing textured wallpapers for painting, and more. Learn how to level walls yourself from the article below.

Methods of Wall Leveling

Wall leveling can be done in two ways. We’ll call them dry and wet leveling. The dry method involves building a special metal or wooden frame, to which gypsum boards are attached using screws. The frame is aligned with a level, ensuring vertical and horizontal accuracy. The distance from the wall is adjusted via direct hangers. After installing the gypsum board, it only needs to be sanded in 2–3 passes, and the wall is ready.

The older, traditional, and more complex method is wet leveling. In this approach, a plaster mix is applied to the wall, guided by special guide profiles (masons). This method is slightly cheaper than dry leveling in terms of material cost, but significantly more labor-intensive and difficult to execute.

Step-by-Step Guide to Leveling Walls Yourself

Dry Method

1. Mark the wall plane. Make marks every 60 cm horizontally and every 1 m vertically, to determine where metal profiles or wooden battens will be installed for the frame, to which the gypsum board will later be attached.
2. Install straight hangers in both directions (vertical and horizontal). The type of fasteners may vary depending on the base material. Usually, screws with polymer anchors are used.
3. The most critical step: using a plumb bob and level, correctly position the profile on the installed hangers. Each hanger has many mounting holes, into which screws can secure metal tracks. The profile is installed in both directions—horizontally and vertically—and can be extended beyond the standard 3-meter length if needed.
4. Finally, attach the gypsum board to the assembled frame. Each sheet is secured with screws along the perimeter at intervals of 20–40 cm, and every 60 cm across the sheet.
5. Finish leveling is done by applying putty in multiple passes. After full drying, the surface is sanded with sandpaper.

Wet Method

1. Determine wall slope and curvature using a plumb bob and level. Mark the most protruding point on the wall with a screw. The screw head should extend 1–2 cm from the wall surface. Hang a standard plumb bob from this screw.
2. Along the length of the plumb bob’s string, install three additional screws to form a straight vertical line. Use a level to double-check the plane at screw heads.
3. Install screws at all corners of the room, about 20 cm from each corner. Stretch strong nylon string across each row of screws, checking the plane with a level periodically. The distance between corners should match or be less than the width of the trowel used for leveling.
4. Then install guide profiles—vertical metal tracks attached to the wall using adhesive putty along the screw lines. Secure the profiles at several points to ensure firm fixation.
5. After installing the guides, prepare the plaster mix. It’s best to do this in a large, shallow plastic container. First, pour a bag of cement-based plaster mix into the container, then add water according to the ratio specified on the packaging. Mix the solution using an electric drill with a special mixer attachment at medium speed.
6. After mixing, test the plaster by applying a horizontal strip between two guides. Place the trowel (this is why its width must be greater than or equal to the guide spacing) across the gap and fill the space with plaster along the trowel’s edge. Repeat this around the entire room perimeter. The result is a reference plaster band, serving as a thickness standard for further wall plastering.
7. Finally, apply the plaster evenly across the wall surface, spreading it uniformly with the trowel. Plastering is done section by section—each wall segment bounded by guides is filled in sequence.
8. The final step is troweling. This is done using a specialized tool called a "float." Troweling is performed with circular motions until the desired surface smoothness is achieved.