Which sandpaper for drywall

Moist drywall mud is easily damaged, even from light sanding. Only sand drywall enough to make a seamless, smooth finish between sheets of drywall. If you sand drywall too much, you can damage a piece of drywall. Some signs that you have sanded too much are:.

To avoid overworking your drywall, go slowly at first. Take breaks to wipe the drywall dust away with a cloth and observe your progress. When sanding drywall joints, begin with or grit sandpaper. Use this coarse sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges, bumps, or ridges left by your putty knife. Then, use grit sandpaper to smooth the drywall compound and blend it with the drywall on either side.

Finally, go over the joints with grit sandpaper or sanding sponges. By following this process you will produce pristine drywall joints that are almost impossible to find once the surface has been painted. Search Search for: Search. Table of Contents. Buy Now. We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Check Home Depot. Close Search for: Search. You'll be raising copious amounts of fine, flourlike dust that can also enter the central heating system if you don't cover the grids with plastic sheeting.

You need proper lighting while sanding because defects, which are difficult to see on unfinished drywall, are obvious after you paint. Overhead lighting usually isn't sufficient; you should have a work light shining obliquely on the wall or ceiling from behind you in order to see subtle ridges and depressions. Move the light around while you're sanding -- varying the angle helps pinpoint problem areas. Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities.

Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies. Home Guides Home Home Improvement. By Chris Deziel Updated December 17, Related Articles. Sandpaper typically comes in two different grades. This is not to be confused with the grit number. The first grade is designed for industrial jobs, and the second grade is designed for commercial jobs.

There are three different kinds of commercial sandpaper. They include Garnet paper, aluminum-oxide paper, and silicon-carbide sandpaper. So, which one is best suited for drywall? Aluminum-oxide and Garnet paper.

Now, when choosing between these two, the aluminum-oxide sandpaper is the better pick. Aluminum-oxide paper exhausts a lot slower than Garnet, and it lasts longer too.

Aluminum-oxide paper has a thicker substrate that makes it last longer. As far as grits, choose either grit or grit sandpaper. First, apply the patch over the hole and then apply your drywall mud.

Too much pressure could cause you to press through. Once that dries, use grit or grit sandpaper. If you want to use a sanding sponge, use the medium side. It works the best for drywall patches. To help make sanding your drywall is little easier, try utilizing the tips listed below, so your project will turn out the way you wanted.