"dust is just part of the territory"
Couldn't agree more with this. I remember one renovation where I tried every trick in the book to avoid dust, but it still found its way into every corner. Your damp sponge tip is solid though—definitely makes cleanup less daunting.
I've pretty much accepted dust as inevitable, but one thing that's helped me keep my sanity is sanding in stages—quick pass, vacuum, another pass, vacuum again. Takes a bit longer, but way less mess overall...
"sanding in stages—quick pass, vacuum, another pass, vacuum again."
That's pretty much my go-to as well. Learned it the hard way after one particularly dusty nightmare job... Another thing that helps is using a drywall sanding sponge for final touch-ups—less dust flying around, and way easier on corners.
"Another thing that helps is using a drywall sanding sponge for final touch-ups—less dust flying around, and way easier on corners."
Good tip, drywall sponges are a lifesaver for corners. I've also tried wet sanding with a damp sponge—cuts down dust big time, but takes some practice to avoid overdoing it. Anyone else had luck with wet sanding?
Good tip, drywall sponges are a lifesaver for corners. I've also tried wet sanding with a damp sponge—cuts down dust big time, but takes some practice to avoid overdoing it.
Drywall sponges are definitely handy, but honestly, wet sanding can sometimes be more trouble than it's worth. Yeah, it cuts down on dust, but I've seen DIYers accidentally wash away too much compound—then you're stuck redoing the joint again. If you're careful and patient, great, but if you're new to drywall finishing... might be safer to stick with the sponge method for corners and just deal with a bit of dust elsewhere.
