"Switched to a sanding sponge recently and it's been surprisingly effective...less dust, smoother finish."
I've had similar luck with sanding sponges—definitely easier cleanup. Also found that using a handheld LED work light at different angles helps catch imperfections early...saved me from some frustrating touch-ups later.
Sanding sponges are decent, but honestly, I've found wet sanding with a damp drywall sponge even better. A few years back, I was redoing our guest room and got fed up with dust everywhere—even with sanding sponges. Tried wet sanding on a whim, and it was a game changer. Almost zero dust, and the finish was super smooth. Only downside is you gotta be careful not to overdo it or you'll soften the joint compound too much...but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty foolproof.
"Tried wet sanding on a whim, and it was a game changer. Almost zero dust, and the finish was super smooth."
Totally agree with you on this. I remember the first time I tried wet sanding—I was skeptical at first, thinking I'd just end up with a soggy mess. But after spending days cleaning drywall dust from every corner of my house (seriously, how does it even get inside closed cabinets?), I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a shot. It took a bit of practice to find that sweet spot between smoothing things out and accidentally washing away half my joint compound, but once I got the hang of it, I never looked back.
One thing I'd add is to keep a bucket of clean water handy and rinse the sponge often. Otherwise, you end up just smearing around the compound instead of smoothing it. But yeah, it's definitely worth the learning curve. Glad to hear someone else had a similar experience—makes me feel less crazy for ditching the sanding blocks altogether.
Same here, wet sanding was a total lifesaver when I redid my basement. Honestly, I don't know why more people don't talk about it. One tip I'd throw in—use a good quality sponge that's firm enough to keep the surface flat but soft enough not to gouge your joints. Cheap sponges just crumble and leave bits everywhere... learned that one the hard way.
"Cheap sponges just crumble and leave bits everywhere... learned that one the hard way."
Totally agree on avoiding cheap sponges—been there, done that, never again. Another thing I've found helpful is using a bright work light at an angle to spot imperfections early. Saves a ton of headaches later. Curious though, has anyone tried those sanding screens instead of sponges? I've heard mixed things, wondering if they're worth giving a shot next time around.
