Hanging drywall is a straightforward project, but the main reason why more DIYers don’t install and finish drywall themselves is how much fine dust it produces. You can reduce your dust output to nearly zero using a wet-sanding method.
This process is far from precise. It doesn’t leave you a perfectly smooth surface and is much slower than traditional sanding. But it’s one of the best ways to prevent dust from taking over the space.
What Is Wet-Sanding?
Wet-sanding requires a damp sponge to smooth out and remove excess taping compound after it dries. When moistened with a sponge, the drywall compound begins to dissolve and loosen, and it can then be smoothed out. Wet-sanding is usually done with a very thick, stiff sponge.
The Dust Problem
Drywall dust is so incredibly fine and invasive that the warranties of some house vacuums are considered void if you use them to remove drywall dust.
Even the most careful taping and mudding job requires that the joints be sanded with a sanding screen or sandpaper, and that action invariably creates dust that flies everywhere and gets into everything. It travels into the farthest regions of your home and deep into your clothes and hair.
When cleaning up drywall dust, even good eye protection and a particle mask don’t entirely prevent the superfine powder from entering your eyes and lungs.
Pros and Cons of Wet-Sanding
Many drywall professionals view wet sanding more as “joint smudging” than actual sanding since so much of the taping compound remains on the wall rather than your sponge. But there can be real value to smudging out the edges of the joints because it makes the seams less visible or even invisible after painting.
If you’re interested in speed, wet-sanding is the slower way to go without giving you a perfectly smooth surface. Because you are using a sponge―which is flexible―your finished wall may exhibit gentle waves.
If you wipe down the walls too vigorously with a too-wet sponge, you can dissolve and remove too much of the taping compound, requiring you to go back and apply more mud. But all of these drawbacks may be worth the significant benefit—a joint-smoothing operation completely without dust.
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