In this article, I’m going to show you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- When sanding is necessary<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Which sandpaper grade you need<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How long to allow the paint to dry before sanding<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dangers of sanding latex paint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
When should you sand walls between paint coats?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It’s important to sand your walls, but it’s equally important to know when is the correct time to do so. Sanding too much can ruin your wall, while never doing it could lead to a poor paint finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whenever you are painting a wall
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<\/a>, it will often have a textured appearance. This happens because the paint builds up on a wall while you are painting, usually because you’ve had too much paint on the roller.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPaint build-up is a regular occurrence as people commonly dip the roller into the paint too much as the paint begins to look more textured on the wall, rather than smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more you dip the roller in the paint, the thicker the roller becomes, which makes it work less efficiently and causes the textured or bumpy paint appearance on the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sanding oil-based paints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
One of the most important things to know about painting a wall is that you will need to sand the wall before painting if you are planning to paint over oil-based paint
<\/a><\/strong> with latex-based paint<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is because oil-based paint is usually very smooth, which means that any paint you try to use over the top of it will struggle to stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When sanding your wall, you should wrap the sandpaper around a sanding block
<\/a><\/strong> so that it’s easier to use. You don’t need to strip the wall completely with your sandpaper. You only need to make it rough enough that the fresh paint will stick to the old oil-based paint that is currently on the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat paint is on your walls?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you’re not sure whether your existing paint is oil-based, you can easily find out by using some warm water, detergent, and cotton wool. Wash a small area with the water and detergent, then soak some cotton wool in rubbing alcohol
<\/a><\/strong> and use it to dab the wall with.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf your cotton wool comes away with paint on it, then you have latex-based paint on your wall. But if no paint comes off, then it is oil-based paint. If it is latex-based paint on your wall, then you don’t need to sand it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s not just built-up paint that can cause your wall to become bumpy but roller texture too. Often, people add texture to walls to make them look different, but this can also be removed by a bit of gentle sanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which sandpaper grade should I use between coats of paint?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The best sandpaper to use for sanding walls between coats is 100- to 150-grit. I like this medium-range sandpaper
<\/a><\/strong>, which is excellent for most jobs. It allows you to take more material off by using more pressure or smooth materials by using less pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt’s important to always make sure that you are using the correct level of sandpaper for the job when sanding a wall, as sandpaper that is too coarse can damage the paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With sandpaper, the lower the number, the coarser the grit. For example, 1000-grit sandpaper is extremely fine while 100-grit is much coarser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coarse sandpaper requires much less effort on materials such as wood than higher grit sandpaper does. Higher grit sandpapers smooth surfaces rather than removing a lot of material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it necessary to sand between coats of latex paint?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It’s not really effective to sand your wall between coats of latex paint. This is because it doesn’t just remove the texture from the walls but will remove all of the paint too. If you’ve got brush marks you don’t want on your wall, then you should strip all of the paint off and begin again afresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A foam roller is ideal to use for painting the new coat as it doesn’t leave as many marks or textures behind. Alternatively, you could mix some Floetrol with the paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should still sand your doors and cabinets between coats even though you’re not sanding your wall as it will improve their shine and overall appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s always important to only sand when it is dry and the temperature is between 70 and 80\u00b0F (21-27\u00b0C). It’s also best to do it when the humidity is less than 70%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n