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The Importance of Drywall Sanding

Tom Xu • Jul 30, 2022

The Importance of Drywall Sanding

Drywall is becoming a popular choice for homeowners because it saves money, is easy to install, and has many other benefits. Every successful drywall installation in Orange County requires five finish levels. Level 4 is when we have the drywall sanding. 


It is one of the most critical steps in putting up drywall. Here, you give the tape and screws another coat of joint compound and sand the dried compound. This is the level you usually use when painting or covering a wall with wallpaper. 


Drywall Sanding: The Process


Drywall is one of the most common things used for walls and ceilings. This durable material comes in sheets. You'd have to cover the seams with drywall tape and mud, and then the surface gets sanded to make it smooth.


This job takes a long time and is messy. If you want to save time and be happy with the end product, hire some
drywall contractors in Orange County to install and finish your drywall. Besides, as a homeowner, you'd have better things to do with your time than spend hours sanding seams to get your walls ready to paint. You can do this yourself (but it won't be easy), or you can hire a professional to do it for you. Either way, you can't skip this vital part of drywall installation.


Types of Drywall Sanding


Drywall sanding can be in two ways: dry sanding or wet sanding.


How Does Dry Sanding Work?


The most common way to finish drywall is by sanding it dry. You can use sandpaper to remedy little faults, but a large sander is best for the entire wall. To do this, you need to put even pressure on the tool and move it across the wall in small circles.


Even though this method works, it is very messy. Dry sanding creates a lot of dust, which will cover everything around your project if you don't keep the area contained. But you can only use this method when the joint compound is dry. If you try to use a sander on the drywall before it is dry, you could damage it. You also need to be careful not to scratch the drywall by pressing it in different places.


How Does Wet Sanding Work?


When the drywall hasn't dried thoroughly, you use wet sanding to smooth it out. Some people like this method because it doesn't make dust or a mess. However, the result isn't as smooth as dry sanding because it uses a sponge instead of a sander. If you want to give your wall a lot of texture, the best way to do it is to wet-sand it.


Wet sanding is an excellent choice if you want to put tile on your wall. You won't have any drywall dust to clean up, and you won't have to wait for it to dry before you can start sanding. But because this sanding method leaves a rough surface, you can't use it on walls that you want to paint. 


Wet-sanded drywall won't let the paint go on smoothly. So, you need to know what kind of finish you want before you can decide which type of sanding is best for your project. 


Why Drywall Sanding?


Even if you are very careful when you apply the drywall mud, the surface will still be rough and gritty. Drywall mud shrinks as it dries, so if you don't sand it carefully, it will leave edges, peaks, and rough spots on your walls and ceiling that you can see.


You can sand your drywall, but it will take you a lot of time and effort to do so. Not only is it hard to reach the whole length of a taped seam, but it can also be hard to get a perfectly smooth seam.


Here are three reasons why you should sand drywall if you want your house to look neat and consistent.


It Fixes the Holes


Professional drywallers use nails, screws, and angles to make sure the job goes smoothly and the walls fit perfectly. But when you use these tools, they scratch, dent, and make holes in the drywall. The good news is that a good sanding will fix these flaws and leave a smooth, even surface.


It Provides a Flat Surface for Painting


The mud used to hang drywall doesn't dry in a smooth way. When it's dry, mud is rough and hard. This makes the surface rough, making it almost impossible to paint on. If you want to paint your house, you'll have to sand down the drywall to make a smooth surface.


It Gives a Uniform Finish for the Whole House


In each room, the installers use different nails, screws, and angles, and how they spread the mud varies from room to room. If you don't sand the walls after putting up drywall, they will look different in every room of your house. Sanding gives your home a uniform look, so it doesn't feel like it's of differing parts.


Why Should You Hire an Expert Drywall Crew?


To sand drywall safely and well, you need tools that exist for a perfect job. If you have the proper safety gear, the fine dust won't get in your mouth, nose, or eyes. Also, you might be unable to sand some spots with a small sanding pad or sponge, but a professional sander will smooth out seams in a whole room more readily.


Without the right tools, it's especially hard to work on ceiling seams. Most pros use scaffolding or stilts to get to these seams easily. It takes time and can be dangerous to move a ladder back and forth. If you decide to hire
drywall contractors in Orange County, they will use dry sanding, wet sanding, or a combination of the two to make seams that look amazing. And while you're at it, you can also check out our article on the reasons orange county homeowners install drywall at home these days. You could find more helpful insight as you plan toward yours!

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The standard drywall is the most economical option on the market. Still, if you are interested in other expensive types, these options may be worth the additional investment in some cases. Moisture-resistant panels: This drywall option is more beneficial for humid rooms, which are most likely your bathroom or kitchen. Mold-resistant panels: If you think the room you're renovating is susceptible to high levels of moisture, then a mold-resistant material could be worth it. However, they're more expensive than standard moisture-resistant panels and still won't cope with saturated or flooded conditions. Fire-resistant panels: This option is advantageous if you want to use non-combustible fibers of different ratings. These are most likely in commercial settings. However, this material is required in a garage if it shares a wall or ceiling with the main home. Soundproof panels: This type of drywall is ideal for music rooms, a baby's room if you want to dampen external noises, or even a teen's bedroom if they enjoy the company of loud music. Eco-friendly panels: If you want a more environmentally friendly alternative, then this drywall is for you. Drywall panels constructed from recycled materials are available in the market, but unfortunately, sustainable materials typically cost more than regular drywall. Drywall Hanging and Taping Drywall installation costs vary significantly in the United States. Typically, residential jobs range from $955 to $2547 with an average of 1,000 square feet at $2,290; the area, contractor, and specs tend to impact the job's overall cost intensely. Adding specialty material such as green board or other brands of drywall for fire resistance or adding features that require special skills such as archways can increase the price. Cities in the northeast, such as New York City and Philadelphia, tend to have the highest labor and material costs in the country, drastically increasing the cost of having drywall installed on your project. On a per-square-foot basis, the average range for drywall installation costs is between $1.60 and $2.35. Meanwhile, with outliers at $1.20 and $3.00 on the low and high ends of the field. Materials When deliberating on the material costs, first, you must answer the question, "what type of drywall do you need for the job?" Three-eighths, half-inch, and five-eights are the mainstays of most projects, with some specialty archways and similar projects requiring quarter-inch. Understanding all of the materials needed for the specs and codes of the project is a vital part of creating a solid estimate of drywall installation costs. Another aspect to consider is how material prices can rapidly change. Generally speaking, you want to lock in prices for your estimate to ensure you can receive that price when it's actually time to build, but it can be a pain requesting a quote from your supplier every time you have a project come up. This extra work is why many contractors fail to get quotes from suppliers. This instance can lead to problems if a sudden national supply shortage following a natural disaster, manufacturing plant fire, or a similar issue causes a shorter supply than is usually available. Labor Costs When choosing the right people for installing your drywall, an experienced one may cost a little more, but you will have the assurance that the project will go smoothly according to plan. An experienced worker will surely know the flow of the project, like how to install an access panel in a drywall ceiling and other processes. 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