TIL I was sanding my drywall joints completely wrong for 3 years

I always did the final sanding with 120 grit and left swirl marks everywhere. An old foreman walked by on a job site and asked why I was trying to polish my drywall like a car hood. Has anyone else been using way too fine of a grit this whole time?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_martin2216d ago

Started off using 100 grit because I figured finer meant smoother but that left me with a dusty mess and swirl marks too. Read an article by some pro who said start with 80 grit to knock down the big stuff fast then go to 120 for a quick finish if needed. Tried it on my last basement job and honestly the difference was night and day no more polishing like a car hood. Now I just keep it rough with the grit and move on to painting way faster than before.

hayes.joel16d ago

Why not drop to 60 grit for really rough drywall patches?

oscarc5315d ago

My neighbor Bill tried 60 grit on a bad patch in his garage last summer. He said it stripped the paper right off the drywall and left deep gouges he had to fill again with mud. @hayes.joel I'd stick with 80 grit if you want to stay safe and save time like mary_martin22 suggested.