If you’re sanding drywall and you have holes in the walls or deep gouges, you're better off first filling them in and then sanding over them to get rid of excess joint compound. The number of grit determines how fine the sandpaper is; a higher grit indicates finer sandpaper. Check the edges to make sure they are smooth. When using sandpaper on drywall, ensure that the grit number is not below 100, because as much as such a sandpaper may work quickly, the resulting gouges on the joint compound might be so thick that they’ll still be visible under the paint. The "before" joint has a defined line. Reading Time: 3 minutes How To Sand Drywall Do you have some drywall work on your horizon? Answer Save. Skip navigation ... Joint Compound Joint/Taping Knives Drywall Tape Mud Pans Mixers ... Grit Description. Sand the paneling with 100-grit sandpaper until the joint compound is smooth and flush with the paneling. You want “wet or dry” paper. Compare the "before" joint with the "after" joint. Answer Save. After pole sanding, use a sponge with fine grit to really do a top-notch job. Would I get better results with a drywall screen? As you notice, a sandpaper’s grit number determines the coarseness of its grit. Use sandpaper or drywall screen for sanding joint compound? Sand down the plywood, particularly around the edges where the pieces meet at the seams. Step 2 Use 180-grit sandpaper to sand the plywood. Each sandpaper grit provides a different use. A properly feathered joint is easier to sand, so professional drywall finishers make sure to feather all joint compound applications. Like mentioned above, the larger the grit number, the finer the sandpaper. Feathering drywall refers to angling the blade of a drywall knife so that you don't leave thick edges on the joint compound you apply. Pay special attention to properly sand and smooth the outer edge of the joint compound so that it blends with the existing wall. Once thoroughly dry, use a 100 or 120 grit sandpaper, 150 or 220 grit sand screen or Fine sanding sponge to smooth out the joint compound. To do this, use a 4 inch finish knife. The pores of drywall sandpaper may appear to be clogging during use, but drywall dust actually becomes an additional abrasive to both grind and polish the taped surface, yielding a smoother finish and extending the life of the sandpaper. For drywall, 100 or 120-grit sandpaper is what’s recommended by professionals. This grit range is fairly common and you may already have some sandpaper that matches. Let dry completely, and then re-sand the area. Grit Description Facet Value. All-purpose compound is a pre-mixed mud sold in buckets and boxes. 5 Answers. All-Purpose Compound: Best All-Around Drywall Mud . The article below will give you all the necessary information. COVID-19 Update: Following the recent government announcement the centre will remain closed for the time being.Read More Medium (7) Medium (7) Facet Value. Let the damp taping compound dry fully, then inspect the surface. For most brands of sandpaper, a smaller grit number means the coarser it is. Hard, sharp silicon carbide abrasive cuts fast and produces an extra smooth surface. Once thoroughly dry, use a 100 or 120 grit sandpaper, 150 or 220 grit sand screen or Fine sanding sponge to smooth out the joint compound. For noobs I suggest an all purpose joint compound. Fill these areas with fresh joint compound, smoothing with a putty knife. I've been using sandpaper to sand it. First, it's more than just the grit, it's the type of paper. It can be used for all phases of drywall finishing: embedding joint tape and filler and finish coats, as well as for texturing and skim-coating. Best Results From 150-Grit Drywall Sandpaper. For sanding drywall, choose a finer grit (between 150 and 180) that will effectively refinish the dry surface. Lv 4. Favorite Answer. Relevance. Tag Archives: what grit sandpaper for drywall How To Sand Drywall. The higher the grit, the finer the abrasive. 12 Apply a third, even wider coat of joint compound to the seams. (Follow directions on the spackling container for best results.) Stroke the sandpaper over the plywood in the direction of the grain 3 to 4 times. 6 Answers. As a second option, you can choose a sanding sponge. Most workers get the best results from 150-grit drywall sandpaper. Fine-grit sandpaper ; ... Mark these areas lightly with a pencil. Sandpaper Sheets & Discs by Sherwin-Williams. what grade sand paper is good for sanding light weight joint compound that is put on pretty thick? 9 Allow compound to dry, then sand lightly with 150-grit sandpaper. Close. If the sandpaper is too fine, you will work a lot harder to get the surface smooth. Make sure you get sandpaper specifically made for drywall as the joint compound will clog regular sandpaper. Why? Considering all of the various steps to working on drywall, there will be plenty of different sandpaper grits and types required to correctly complete the multiple tasks. While coarser paper will save you a great deal of time while knocking down raised such a joint compound, it will also cause you more work getting rid of … Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t fill holes with a quality joint compound, but joint compound typically dries much slower than spackle. On drywalls, 120- or 150-grit sandpaper is probably your best bet, and sand using only light-to-moderate pressure. 10 Apply a second, slightly wider coat of joint compound to the seams. Joint compound is a relatively soft material and easily scratched. 11 Allow second coat of compound to dry; sand with 150-grit sandpaper. Pay special attention to properly sand and smooth the outer edge of the joint compound so that it blends with the existing wall. Grit numbers from 100 to 180 perform well with both hand-sanding and power-sanding, preparing bare surfaces for finishes. I’m pretty good at skimming the last (3rd) coat of mud with a wide, 12 inch, knife so I really don’t have to go with heavy sandpaper. Anonymous. Use 80 grit . How do you hide plywood seams? Less dust? 2. Step #5: Than, go over it with sandpaper to give it the smoothest surface possible. 120 will grind down high spots, and is best for "setting type" joint compound like Durabond. The main value of wet drywall sanding is to smooth out and feather those ridge edges. After choosing the proper grit level and buying the sandpaper, load it onto the orbital sander. In fact you may not get the spackling flush with the surface around it. 220-grit sandpaper will make scratches that are barely visible to the naked eye. To check the status of your mudding job, I suggest turning off lights and shining a flashlight at an angle, it will highlight any inconsistencies. Fine (6) loverichard@rogers.com. Step 1 Wipe away any dirt or dust from the plywood before you begin sanding. Norton WallSand 150 Grit Drywall sandpaper for sanding drywall compound and plaster. With regular mud (lightweight all purpose joint compound) i usually use 150 to 220 grit. For sanding drywall or spackling patches, you want to stay with a grit between 100 - 150. Running your finger across this line, you feel a definite ridge. Measure the length of Gyprock Perforated Paper Tape you’ll need for the joint. Recommended Grit Sandpaper Before Painting Walls. Go over the entire surface with medium-grade sandpaper in a circular motion. This grit will help you avoid damage to the drywall. Using joint compound to clean up grooves and gouges will prevent the risk of potentially over-sanding the affected areas. Follow it through with a 100, a 120, a 150, and a 180- grit paper, respectively. Start by sanding the screw or nail heads lightly in the direction of the strip of joint compound. Sandpaper works OK - an random orbital sander hooked up to a shop vac is your fastest solution. Step #6: Once this first layer of mud and tape has been sanded down smooth, apply joint compound again, and spreading it in another thin layer about six inches wide over the taped joint. When the grit number is high, then the action will be more beautiful and vice-versa. See what’s inside…, 50% off annual memberships! More even finish? • 150 grit sandpaper or 220 grit sanding mesh • Soft brush or cloth RECESSED JOINTS For recessed joints use a three coat system as follows: Tape coat 1. 150-grit sandpaper. Step 3: Fill in holes, dents and cracks with a lightweight spackling compound. You will need to choose between two techniques on how to sand drywall lumps, ridges. Find 400 Grit Buffing Compound related suppliers, manufacturers, products and specifications on GlobalSpec - a trusted source of 400 Grit Buffing Compound information. 13 Smooth dried compound with 320-grit sandpaper. What's the difference between sandpaper and a drywall screen when sanding joint compound? Before painting, there has to be a happy median between coarse and fine sandpaper. Finishing it up with a 220-grit sandpaper is incredible. Then, move to less-coarse sandpaper such as 100- or 120-grit to smooth the surface. Relevance. You can use sandpaper (120-grit), to sand down the surface. The finer grits work better with lightweight joint compounds or with topping compounds, which are slightly softer than all-purpose compound and scratch more easily with the coarser grits of sandpaper. Joint compound. It doesn't take much abrasive to remove a lot of it, very quickly. Drywall sanding screen also works well, again preferably with a vac attachment. When the spackle dries completely, lightly sand the spackled areas using 120-grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. 150 grit for smoothing the last coat of joint compound which has a light surface roughness. For ready-mixed, the better choice is 220 grit because the compound is so much softer. For final sanding of joint compound, 120 or 150 does the trick. Usually I can wrap a piece of 120 around a sanding sponge and hit the worst spots and be done wit it. Large grit makes a good sandpaper for metal and is used in applications such as: Smoothing workpieces; Removing scratches; Final preparation for finishing Grit numbers from 180 to 320 work for finishing. At that point, as another answer noted, it depends upon that you're sanding. Joint compound is the better choice for taping and finishing drywall seams whereas Spackle is the better choice for filling in small to large sized holes in your walls. ... 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