Sanding Drywall

Overview: Ok you got the drywall hole patched and covered with a coat of spackle (drywall mud). Now it’s time to sand the surface to make a smooth finish before painting.  Sanding drywall can be messy, causing a dusty mess. But it doesn’t have to be if you use the right technique and equipment. Before beginning any drywall sanding be sure to wear a dust mask and eye protection.

To make drywall sanding easy apply the mud in such a way that sanding is minimal. Professional drywall finishers spend very little time sanding because they apply the mud in such a way that it doesn’t require a great deal of time to sand drywall. Their secret is to apply a very thin coat of mud, near water consistency, as the finish coat.  When sanding dry wall always have a filtered shop vacuum cleaner nearby. For a small job a regular vacuum cleaner will do. The vacuum will suck up the dust as you sand the drywall. 

If your drywall sanding requirement is small there isn’t much preparation necessary but if is large you may want to move all furniture and wall decorations from the room to avoid getting them excessively dusty. In addition, use drop clothes directly underneath where you plan to sand the drywall mud. Although most of the dust is collected by the vacuum there is always some dust that will escape. As you sand the drywall hold the vacuum directly under the sanding paper or screen so it will catch most of the dust.

How to Sand Drywall:

For a large sanding job use a pole sander or a hand sander. The drywall sandpaper or sanding screen should be a100 grit for the initial sanding and a150 grit for the finish sanding. If the sanding is very small you can use a wet sponge to wipe the area that needs sanding until it is smooth. This will eliminate any dust.

After the drywall is taped and the mud is applied to all the joints and nail head spots, let it dry thoroughly.  After the mud is dry run a 6 inch taping knife over the seams and nail holes to remove any access mud then apply a second thin coat of loose mud to all the joints and nail holes. This will reduce sanding requirements and give you a better finish.

 After the second or final coat of mud has been applied and is completely dry, lightly sand the seams and nail head spots. Pay particular attention to the edges of the mudded areas so you smoothly blend them (feather) into the surrounding drywall area. When sanding the seams be sure to sand lightly so that you do not sand down to the drywall tape. The same applies to sanding the nail head spots.

It takes practice and patience to sand drywall mud to a smooth finish. The professionals didn’t become experts at sanding drywall the first time. The DY homeowner can do just as well as the professionals. Take your time and if you are not satisfied with the results apply additional mud and do it over.

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Hanging Drywall