Debate among my crew: sand between coats or just knock down high spots?

We were finishing up a 2,000 square foot basement in Akron last Tuesday. My lead hand insisted on sanding every coat smooth. I told him it was a waste of time on a garage ceiling that was getting texture anyway. We went back and forth for 10 minutes until the GC walked in and sided with him. Now I'm wondering who else has been over-sanding jobs and who skips it without issues.

2 comments

2 Comments

riverm4810d ago

Used to skip sanding all the time but that GC changed my mind quick lol.

black.mark10d ago

What did that GC actually catch you on that made you change your mind? Was it a visible defect after paint or did they just give you a lecture about adhesion and feel? I've had inspectors who will run their hand over a wall and if they feel any texture from the drywall joints they'll flag it, and I've had others who just want to make sure there's no dust left behind for the primer to stick to. In my experience the type of sanding people skip is usually the 220 grit pass between primer and paint, not the initial 120 grit on mud. Take this with a grain of salt but I'd bet the GC was more worried about your dust control than the sanding itself, the old timers hate seeing a room full of airborne joint compound.