Drywall is all about gloss and smooth texture. As time flies by, these drywalls lose gloss and tend to wear away. You won’t want the drywall to look like it has been there for ages, right? To retain the shine and smooth texture, you must start sanding drywall.
Sanding drywall can be easy, and you can do it all by yourself, but there’s a catch! Sanding drywall produces a lot of dust that may get into your nose and may spread into your house making all of the house messy. You surely don’t want that! To eliminate the dust particles, you can wet sand your drywall. It is almost similar to dry sanding, but it produces no dust whatsoever.
How to Sand Drywall Fast (Sanding Patch, Mud, Corners, Ceiling)
Things You’ll Need
Wet sanding drywall can be very easy, but it requires a considerable amount of time and effort. To sand the drywall, you’ll also need some basic drywall sanding tools. These are
- A large bucket full of water
- Drywall sandpaper, a sander, or a sanding sponge
- Fresh dry cloth
Step 1: Take the Bucket of Water
First, you must fill the bucket full of water. Take note that the water will become chalky because of the dust, so you’ll have to change the water from time to time. Try to use a bigger bucket so that you have to change the water less frequently.
Step 2: Choosing the Right Sanding Paper/Sponge
Now you must decide which sanding material you’ll use for sanding drywall. You can use drywall sandpaper or a sanding sponge. These are cheaper and easy to use. If you don’t want to put that much effort into sanding the drywall, you can use a dustless drywall sander. All of these are great for drywall sanding.
Step 3: Wet the Sandpaper/Sponge
You’ll have to rinse the sandpaper or sanding sponge onto the bucket of water. If you’re using a dustless drywall sander, don’t even try to dip it into the water. These drywall sanders can sand through the drywall without producing any dust (it is stored in a bag). By rinsing the sandpaper or sanding paper, you’ll enable a moist surface in which you’ll be sanding the drywall, so there will be no residue dust that protrudes from the drywall.
Step 4: Start Sanding
When you’ve properly soaked the sandpaper or sanding paper with water, you can start sanding the drywall. Start with the coarser grit and slowly rub through the surface. Choosing the proper grit may help you avoid damaging the drywall. Also, try to follow the pattern of the wood grain. This is an essential thing because if you sand from the wrong side, you might scratch the wood.
When the sandpaper or sanding sponge gets clogged or dry, you should soak it in water. Even if you feel that it has not dried up, you should soak the sanding material in the water from time to time to keep it moist.
Step 5: Finishing Touches
Continue sanding till the desired smoothness is reached. When you’re satisfied with the sanding, you must complete the sanding process with a finer sandpaper or sanding sponge. It makes the surface smoother and glossy.
Step 6: Drying the Wall
After the sanding, you should rub the drywall with a fresh and dry cloth. This will remove any dust particles that are sticking to the drywall. You may spray some water onto the drywall and then rub it off. After a few hours, the drywall will dry up, and you’ll have drywall that looks as good as new.
Why Is Wet Sanding Important?
As we’ve mentioned previously, drywall sanding can produce a lot of dust that can cause a lot of mess. These dust particles blow with the air and create a white layer on top of all the furniture and things around it. Not only that, it may go into your nose and your lungs. In a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, it was proven that wood dust gives rise to several life-threatening cancers. In another study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it was said that wood dust causes an increased risk of appendicitis. You’ll find hundreds of such studies, which clearly show you the importance of protecting yourself from wood dust.
Wet drywall sanding doesn’t produce any wood dust, and this is the safest way to sand drywall without causing any mess.
Conclusion
Drywall sanding can be a very easy task if done right. Using a dry sanding material to sand, the drywall can produce a lot of dust which is harmful to the human body. Wet drywall sanding eliminates the risk of wood dust and can give you a cleaner sanding experience.
Always keep the sanding paper or sanding sponge moist while sanding through the drywall. If you’re using a dustless drywall sander, you must use a high-quality sander as these will make the sanding a lot easier and more convenient.
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