"Messy, but at least I know when it's done..."
Yeah, that's exactly how I felt. Tried wet sanding for the first time last weekend—loved the lack of dust, but kept running my hand over the joints wondering if it was smooth enough. Ended up going back over it dry just to be sure. Guess it's a confidence thing? Anyway, glad I'm not alone in second-guessing myself on this stuff...
I totally get that hesitation. When I redid the guest room walls in my old Victorian, I tried wet sanding thinking it'd save me from the dust apocalypse. And yeah, it was cleaner, but I spent twice as long obsessing over every little bump and ripple. Eventually, I realized that if I angled a flashlight along the joint, imperfections jumped right out—maybe too clearly sometimes, ha. But at least it gave me a solid reference point beyond just touch...
I hear you on the flashlight trick—it's like a blessing and a curse. I remember doing a remodel on this mid-century ranch a couple years back, and the homeowner was super particular about smooth walls. We tried wet sanding at first, thinking it'd be the golden ticket to avoid the dust nightmare. And yeah, it definitely cut down on dust, but just like you said, it magnified every tiny imperfection. I swear, I spent hours chasing shadows and ripples that probably no one else would ever notice.
Eventually, we switched gears and went back to dry sanding—but with a twist. We rigged up a shop vac attachment right onto the sanding pole. It wasn't perfect, but it captured maybe 80-90% of the dust before it could escape into the room. Saved us from the worst of the mess without sacrificing too much speed or sanity.
Another thing that helped was using a skim coat of thinned joint compound as a final step. It sounds counterintuitive—adding more mud—but applying a thin layer over the entire surface and then sanding lightly gave us a uniform texture. It hid those subtle imperfections that drive you crazy when the light hits just right (or wrong). Sure, it's an extra step, but honestly, it saved me from obsessing over every little bump.
At some point, though, I've learned to accept that drywall finishing is as much art as science. You can chase perfection forever, but sometimes stepping back and looking at the bigger picture helps put things in perspective. Most guests aren't bringing flashlights to inspect your walls anyway... well, hopefully not.
Have you ever tried using one of those dustless drywall sanders—the ones with the built-in vacuum hose? I've been curious if they're worth the investment. I mean, your shop vac hack sounds pretty clever, but does a dedicated tool make a noticeable difference in dust control or finish quality? I'm tempted to rent one next time just to see if it saves me from chasing shadows all day...
I rented one of those dustless drywall sanders a few months back when finishing my basement, and honestly, it was night and day compared to my usual setup with a shop vac. The built-in vacuum hose really does keep the dust down significantly—like, I didn't have to tarp off half the house or spend hours cleaning afterward. Finish quality-wise, I didn't notice a huge difference, but the convenience alone made it worth it for me. If you're already tempted, I'd say renting once is definitely worth a shot...
