In this article, we will learn how and with what to grind walls, what tools and materials to use, get acquainted with interesting nuances that we may encounter during work. The same operation is also called wall sanding.
Why you need to sand the walls
All the procedures that we did before: plastering, puttying - these are all procedures for leveling the wall. Plaster - rough, putty - thin. And now the process of sanding or polishing the walls begins.
Even after applying a thin layer of putty, in any case, small bumps remain on the wall, tubercles, formed mainly by the sharp ends of the spatula, which remain when we disperse the putty and connect one part of the putty wall to another.
That is why when puttying it is better to use a large spatula so that the wall leveling area is maximized. But the joints, no matter how hard we try, are still traceable. Therefore, after you puttied the wall, you need to let it dry (at least a day) and you can start sanding the walls.
IMPORTANT!
Do not try to accidentally prime the wall after puttying! Grinding begins immediately after puttying!
What tools and materials are needed in order to sand the walls
So, let's look at what we need to have in order for wall polishing to start.
For sanding walls, a sanding block is usually used:
In addition to the bar, for grinding it is necessary to have sandpaper or a grinding mesh, which are fixed into the bar before starting work:
Sandpaper on the left in the picture, sanding mesh on the right.
What to be guided by when choosing a bar and grinding material (sandpaper, mesh)
Grinding mesh
The advantage of the sanding mesh is that it does not get clogged with putty dust during operation. The mesh itself is perforated and all ground putty will pass through the mesh. It must be changed during natural wear and tear, which is determined by appearance used grid. If the mesh is torn in places or you already feel that grinding is not going as efficiently, change the mesh to a new one.
Usually the mesh is sold in ready-made pieces right to the size of the bar and you just need to install it on the bar and work. But, you need to remember that the size of the bars is also different, as shown in the picture. Therefore, taking the grid, immediately select the bar for its size. Mesh is more expensive than sandpaper.
Sandpaper
Sandpaper during operation will become clogged with ground dust and the sandpaper will have to be changed more often than the mesh. You need to be aware that sandpaper, although cheaper than mesh, is also not a cheap material. It is for sale in various options: large rolls, small rollers, rectangular pieces.
If you decide to sand with sandpaper, then you need to figure out how you will cut it, taking into account the size of the bar, so that waste is as small as possible. Of course, you can refuse to cut the sandpaper, and buy cut pieces directly ready for the bars, but it will be more expensive! There is a concept of granularity sandpaper(paper with different grains).
In order not to blow your mind on this topic, buy paper with a grain of 60, 80 and 100 in a small amount in the store and try to work with it. There is no exact recommendation on which grain to take. But it’s better not to take less than 60 for sure, because it will be a very rough sandpaper. More than 100 is also not very good, because it will be very clogged with dust during processing and will have to be changed very often.
IMPORTANT!
The walls that you will be sanding usually go further either for wallpapering or for painting. In the case of painting, the wall must be absolutely smooth, I would even say polished. In this case, the craftsmen grind the wall 2 times. The first time, for example, with 60 sandpaper, in order to remove obvious large frozen pieces of putty, and the second time they take an even thinner sandpaper, for example, with a grain of 120, and already polish the wall with it. But in the case of wallpaper, this is clearly a redundant operation. For wallpaper, it is enough to go through the wall once.
Grinding stones catalog
Grinding process
The sanding process is much simpler than, for example, puttying or plastering. All you need to do is to take a bar, fasten a piece of sandpaper or sanding mesh to it with special clamps and start working. This is what the sanding bars look like, ready to go. On the left is a bar with sandpaper installed, on the right - with a sanding grid installed.
It can be seen from the figure that the size of a piece of sandpaper or mesh should be longer than the plane of the bar itself, just as long as it is possible to fix the sandpaper or mesh with the help of bar clamps on both sides.
IMPORTANT!
Remember, wall sanding is a very dusty job! Be sure to read the recommendations in the article before you start working.
When you have installed the sanding material on the block and have taken all protective measures against building dust, you can start working. It is best to start sanding the wall from the corner and go towards the other corner. I always sand the walls from top to bottom in small strips (about a meter wide). We polished a strip a meter wide from top to bottom, moved on to the next one.
How to sand walls? Take the bar in your hand and start with a little pressure to pass it along the puttied wall. Movements: up-down, left-right. The main thing is to make sure that in the place where the wall is already smooth, you do not need to continue rubbing for a long time. You must remember that if you rub for a long time, then you can thus wipe off all the putty, which of course is not included in the plans. We made sure that the section of the wall was smooth, almost polished - we went further.
It happens that you come to a section of the wall where for some reason a deep hole has formed. In this case, you do not need to rub a lot and for a long time around the hole in order to grind off the putty around the hole to its bottom. Leave this small area alone. Then, when you sand everything and prime the wall again, you just take rubber spatula, which I mentioned in the article and once again putty this hole with a thin layer of putty flush with the wall.
IMPORTANT!
Of course, I must tell you that wall sanding can be done faster if applied.
When you're done, pick up building level and stick it to the wall. At any position of the level, its plane should fit snugly against the wall along its entire length. There should be no gaps. If, nevertheless, gaps are formed, then you put too much putty in some places. Identify these places and try to grind them off with the same bar.
That's all. In this article, we learned how and with what to grind the walls. However, do not rush to paint the wall or glue the wallpaper. After grinding remained. Did you have sanding problems? How often did you change the sanding on the bar?
How to sand the walls after puttying? Without sanding the wall after putting putty on it, the finishing process is considered to be of poor quality. This work is necessary to give the surface a perfectly even coating, for further decorating it with other finishing materials.
The article offers to get acquainted with how and with what to sand putty when repairing a house.
Everyone who begins to make repairs in the room should understand that the surface of the walls (see) is painted only after the putty has been cleaned. This process is one of the main stages of finishing the premises - the embodiment of design ideas into reality will depend on its quality. But it is quite difficult to determine what kind of skin is needed for grouting putty, so that after painting the surface is flawless.
Abrasive sandpaper for putty should have the following features:
- Paper abrasive when leveling surfaces with putty material is the main tool for final cleaning of walls and ceilings before painting or wallpapering them. To perform such work, certain knowledge and skills are required.
Tool movement when sanding walls
The instructions for leveling the walls suggest carrying out the process in several stages:
- It is applied to the surface, which allows you to eliminate large flaws in the plaster layer.
- After it dries, the finishing ball of putty mixture is laid in order to get a perfectly flat plane.
Tip: Even the most the best masters will not be able to get perfect after puttying flat surface, without streaks from a spatula. To remove these flaws, the last ball should be completely sanded until the plane is as flat as possible.
Sanding is carried out with a special grout mesh or paper abrasive. This is done with your own hands or using special electric grinders, which will be needed to finish large areas, but at the end of the operation you cannot do without sanding by hand.
Advantages of the machine method:
- speed of work;
- convenience.
But in the end, the machine cannot achieve quality, as with the manual method.
Advantages of abrasive mesh:
- The presence of perforations on the surface. In this case, building dust passes freely through the holes, which allows the mesh not to clog, like sandpaper.
- Pieces of material as they wear out are easy to replace. The degree of wear is determined by such characteristics as:
- the mesh is torn;
- work efficiency decreases.
- Material purchased right size , this excludes additional refinement of the product. The main thing is to choose the right piece in size.
The disadvantage of the abrasive mesh is the high price.
When using sandpaper:
- The disadvantage is the constant clogging of the material when grinding the surface with building rubbish, which increases paper consumption compared to the mesh.
- Advantages - a wide range of goods. It can be purchased:
- in pieces;
- in rolls;
- small rollers.
Tip: When purchasing ready-made cut pieces, you should keep in mind that the cost of sandpaper will be higher.
What tool is needed for grouting putty
Before sanding the putty, you need to purchase the necessary tools:
- Reliable ladder.
- Carrying, to illuminate the surface.
- Sandpaper or abrasive, which is installed on the skinner.
- Skinner manual type.
- Sanding sponge, with pre-cut corners.
- Small spatula.
- Items to protect the master when performing finishing work:
- gloves;
- respirator;
- headdress.
When choosing an abrasive mesh or sandpaper, you need to consider some of the nuances:
- Starting grinding should always be done with coarse-grained sandpaper.
- Fine-grained devices are used for finishing.
Sandpaper according to grit is divided into several types that have a special number according to FERA standards:
- Macro sizes are numbered #20 through #240.
- Micro sizes correspond to numbers from #240 to #2500.
Wherein:
- For grouting the first layer, most often, sandpaper is used under numbers from 120 to 180, which depends on the state of the surface to be treated.
- When sanding the finishing putty, smaller sandpapers are usually used, with numbers from 240 to 280.
- The process of leveling walls for painting can be performed with materials with a higher grain size.
Tip: Keep in mind that the higher the grit number, the finer the sandpaper has.
Abrasive meshes are also divided into numbered models.
For example:
- Large irregularities can be eliminated with a format whose indicator is 60. It is used when sanding the walls after applying the first layer of putty.
- For finer processing of the wall, as for wallpaper, such a skin with a number from 100 to 120 is selected for grouting the putty.
- For painting, the skin number can be taken from 120 to 150.
How to sand wall surfaces
The surface grinding process consists of several stages:
- The puttied surface is inspected for voids.
- The presence of dry areas is determined.
- Before starting work, protective attributes are put on.
- Walls or ceilings must be sufficiently illuminated: a portable lamp is connected and installed.
- Large bumps are removed with a spatula.
- Primary polishing in progress. The process starts from the top, gradually the tool descends to the bottom.
Tip: When fumigating, areas must be treated small area, approximately 1-1.5 meters.
- Sanding should be done by two types of tool movement, while uniform rounded hand movements are performed as in the photo:
- "up down";
- "left-right".
It is impossible to grind the same place for too long, as this may cause irregularities on the surface. When a depression forms on the wall, it can be skipped and puttied in the future.
- After sanding the main area of the wall, attention is paid to the corners and other hard-to-reach areas. For their processing, special skins with bevelled corners or bent sandpaper are used.
- All debris in the room is removed, wet cleaning is done.
- The surface is checked for flaws, deep depressions, if necessary, puttied.
- The final sanding of the walls with a finer abrasive grain is in progress. Hand movements are softer than before. At this stage it is necessary Special attention to give surface illumination, after fine grinding, the quality of the surface finish is determined.
- Garbage is removed.
- The walls are primed (see).
- The final decorative coating is applied.
Sanding putty is not too complicated and expensive process. Using simple tools, you can perform all operations no worse than mechanical devices. What to skin finishing putty how the process is performed correctly, the video in this article will tell.
Sanding wood by hand, although it requires a lot of labor, in return provides a number of important benefits: less aggressive treatment, better process control and high surface quality in hard-to-reach places ah - in the corners, on smooth bends and other reliefs of any complexity.
Manual technique is indispensable for interlayer grinding finishing coatings, because it provides the most delicate work and eliminates the risk of rubbing the applied finish. When using the same abrasive, manual sanding guarantees a better surface than sanding with a grinder, grinder or drill.
About sanding pads and making them yourself
Sanding pads (sanding pads) - indispensable assistant in the carpenter's arsenal. These simple devices ensure uniform contact of the sandpaper with the surface to be treated, increasing the speed and quality of the work performed. Using such pads, you will significantly improve the quality of grinding, extend the life of the abrasive, and avoid irreparable defects in the form of recesses and rounded ends.
To acquire such a grinding tool, there is no need to spend extra money. It will not be difficult to make it with your own hands from dense foam or wooden scraps. Check out some easy sanding pad projects in our gallery.
With this sanding block, which is easy to make from leftover wood scraps, you will not waste time changing sanding paper. Wedge retainers are a simple and functional alternative to traditional clamps. A simple corner block will avoid accidental rounding of edges when grinding the ends. For sanding smooth curves, use curved pads made from scrap wood or foam. For grinding recesses or wooden products with a round section, such as balusters, use an additional soft underlay. Do not rush to throw away the trimmings of the profile, they will still serve you as a block. Everything ingenious is simple!
How to choose sandpaper for woodworking?
There are quite a few characteristics by which sandpaper is classified. But the main and most significant parameter to be guided by when choosing a skin is the size of its abrasive grains - the so-called. graininess index. For specific tasks when working with wood, a certain type of grain is chosen.
TABLE: SELECTION OF ABRASIVE FOR WOOD WORK
Practice shows that a set of five types of abrasive is enough for the master to perform the main tasks:
- P150; P180; R240(treatment of wood before applying the finish);
- P280; P400(interlayer and final grinding finishing coatings).
You can read all about the intricacies of choosing sandpaper at.
Dry or wet sanding?
For intermediate sanding of finishing coatings - stains, varnishes, polyurethane, etc. Traditionally, two techniques are used - dry or wet.
Dry grinding increases the effectiveness of the abrasive and gives you the opportunity to better control the work process, which is especially important at the stages of intermediate grinding of delicate coatings. The disadvantage of this technique is the rapid clogging of the skin. This problem is partly compensated by sandpaper with an anti-clogging stearate coating.
At wet grinding wooden products as a humidifier use mineral oil, white spirit or ordinary soapy water. The abrasive with this technology becomes clogged much more slowly and, accordingly, lasts longer. But the mess formed from foam and chips significantly complicates the grinding process. There is a need to constantly wipe the surface and carefully monitor the result of grinding.
How to sand wood properly?
Grinding technique . Wood is sanded with active movements along the grain or at a slight angle, but without excessive pressure on the block. The movements should be as light as possible, on the second or third pass with a fine-grained sandpaper with practically no pressure.
Surface preparation for finishing . When preparing a tree for applying a finishing coating (lacquer, oil, stain, polyurethane, etc.), start working with P120 or P150 abrasive (depending on the nature of the irregularities). After that, go to P180 grit and finish with P240 grit.
Intermediate grinding of coatings . When applying the finishing coating layer by layer, intermediate grinding of each layer is carried out with a fine-grained P280 sandpaper. P400 sandpaper is used for final polishing. To remove the slightest roughness of a glossy finish, use P600 grit abrasive.
Demanding finishing coatings for grinding . Matte types of coatings are not as demanding on the quality of sanding as glossy ones. At the same time, a dark stain will expose all the flaws of an unscrupulously performed polishing.
No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to get perfectly smooth walls after puttying them. In any case, traces of the spatula, uneven transitions of the treated areas, tubercles, depressions and other defects will remain on the surface. That is why you need to grind the walls. Let's figure out how to sand the walls after puttying.
How to sand the walls after puttying?
The first thing to do is to get the right tools and consumables. You will need:
- Several varieties of abrasive mesh or sandpaper.
- Sanding bar.
- Sanding sponge (used for hard-to-reach places).
- Ladder.
- Good lighting: spotlight or pendant lamp.
- Construction spatula small size.
- Personal protective equipment: respirator, goggles, headgear.
Experts recommend sanding the walls after puttying them, before painting the surface or before wallpapering. Often, grinding is carried out with other types construction works. The grinding process is relatively simple, but quite laborious and dusty. How to sand the walls after puttying? At manual grinding you can use sandpaper or a special abrasive mesh. The choice of material depends on the personal preferences of the master.
- Abrasive (grinding) mesh for putty– its advantage lies in the perforated structure. All construction dust will pass through the holes, so when working it does not clog as much as ordinary sandpaper. It is necessary to change the mesh in the course of wear, which can be determined by its appearance: if it starts to tear or you feel that the grinding process is no longer as effective, then it should be replaced. the size of the bars, so you just have to install it and get to work. But remember that the bars are also different, so when purchasing a mesh, consider this factor. The disadvantage of the sanding mesh is a higher price than sandpaper.
- Sandpaper for putty- its main drawback is that during operation it will constantly clog construction dust, so it will have to be changed much more often than the mesh. You can buy sandpaper in the most different options: ready-made pieces, small rollers or large rolls. If you decide to stick with sandpaper in rolls, then you need to decide how you will cut it, taking into account the size of the bar, in order to get a minimum of waste. Of course, you can buy already cut pieces, but such a purchase will cost much more.
In addition, sandpaper has such a thing as graininess, which is indicated by a numbered marking. The choice of grain causes some difficulties for inexperienced craftsmen. The higher the serial number sanding belt, the higher its granularity (the number of grains per square centimeter), and vice versa. For example, coarse-grained tapes are in the following range: from P20 to P220, fine-grained - sandpaper marked from P240 to P2500.
Sanding the walls after puttying is performed in two stages. Here it must be remembered that the first grinding is done with coarse-grained emery, and the final grinding with fine-grained. For execution repair work in the apartment, they mainly use sandpaper with a grain size of P80–P280. Not so often (for "jewelry" processing) smaller abrasives can be used - P320-P360. After treating the wall surface with a starting putty, it is recommended to polish it with a coarse sanding P100–P180. Sometimes emery marked P80 is used for primary processing, but this is too rough material and, for example, it is not suitable for painting. After processing the walls with a finishing putty, the surface is polished with fine-grained sandpaper P220-P280.
How to sand the walls after puttying?
Before sanding the walls after puttying, you should make sure that the finishing layer is completely dry and ready for processing. Take care of in advance good lighting- it is necessary that the light on the treated area falls at an angle and only from one side. Remember to take care of your personal safety, always wear goggles, a hat and a respirator. There will be a lot of dust!
Large protrusions can be removed or trimmed with a small, clean spatula. After that, fix a rough skin on a sanding block. It is always necessary to grind the wall in the direction from top to bottom and from left to right, while not the entire surface is processed at once, but is divided into small sections.
If you have never sanded walls before and are not sure if you have chosen the right abrasive grit, then first be sure to practice on small plot somewhere in the corner. After a short sanding, check the result - if you find scratches on the surface, it is better to replace it with an abrasive with a finer grit.
It is still permissible to use coarse-grained emery for wallpapering, but it will no longer be suitable for painting walls, since even small defects should not be allowed - they will very clearly manifest themselves after painting.
When grouting, you can’t press too hard on the emery bar, although, of course, you still have to make some effort. It is not recommended to grind in one place for too long, so as not to overdo it: sanded, examined the surface for irregularities, moved on to the next section. If large depressions are found during the initial polishing process, then it is better to skip them and treat with putty later.
After sanding the main surface of the wall, you need to start processing corners and other hard-to-reach places. In this case, use sanding bar can only harm the putty layer. Therefore, it is best to use sanding sponges that have beveled corners. In the absence of this material, the corners can be sanded with a sheet of fine sandpaper folded in half.
How to sand the ceiling after puttying?
The ceiling attracts no less attention than the walls, and every flaw on its surface will be evident. The technology of grinding this surface is no different from grinding walls, except that it is much more difficult to carry out work on the ceiling. Therefore, in the question of how to sand the ceiling after puttying, it is better to understand, having in the arsenal.
No matter how hard you put in, you will not be able to achieve perfectly even and smooth surfaces after applying the putty. In any case, traces of a spatula, uneven transitions, bumps or pits and other errors will be visible on the walls.
To avoid such a situation, sanding the walls is carried out, which we will discuss in more detail in the article.
What can be used to paint walls?
It is important to use a mask while sanding the walls to protect your respiratory system.
First of all, you will need to acquire the necessary equipment.
For sanding you will need:
- various types of abrasive mesh or sandpaper of different grain sizes;
- grinding bar;
- sanding sponge;
- ladder;
- additional lighting;
- spatula with a small working canvas;
- individual protection means.
- after applying putty;
- before applying paint;
- before wallpapering.
But, there are other cases when it is impossible to do without sanding.
Grinding surfaces is not a very complicated, but very long process, as a result of which a lot of dust is generated.
For sanding, sandpaper or a special abrasive mesh is used. What you choose depends on your preferences and wishes.
The advantage of the abrasive mesh is its perforated structure, so that all the dust will easily pass through the holes and the canvas will not quickly become clogged. Replacing the mesh is carried out after its wear, which immediately becomes noticeable by outward signs. As a result of wear, the mesh can tear and does not perform its task properly.
Most often, such a mesh is sold in pieces, the size of which can be selected according to the size of the bar. To work, you only need to install the canvas on the timber and begin the transformation of the walls.
We skin the walls of the house ourselves
Please note that the bars can vary greatly in size, so when buying a mesh, accurately measure the dimensions of the bar.
The abrasive mesh has one drawback - the high cost, relative to sandpaper. But the minus of sandpaper is rapid wear, which is why the canvas requires constant replacement.
Sandpaper is sold in completely different variations:
- finished canvas;
- small roller;
- rolled into a big roll.
If you want to buy canvas on a roll, decide right away how you will cut it so that there is not too much waste left. Of course, you can make it easier for yourself and buy ready-made pieces, but their cost is much more than that of an uncut canvas.
Another one distinguishing feature sandpaper lies in the graininess, which is indicated by the number marking. This is what causes many difficulties and questions for beginners who cannot choose the right grit correctly.
Note that the higher the tape number, the larger the grain, and, accordingly, vice versa. Sandpaper with coarse grit is presented in the category from 20R to 220R, and with fine grit - from 240R to 2500.
Sandpaper features are shown in the table below.
Sanding the walls after puttying is necessary in two steps:
- the first sanding is carried out with a tape with a coarse texture;
- the second - fine-grained paper.
Most often, for repair work in apartments, a skin from P80 to P280 is used, and for especially fine workmanship- from 320 to 360R.
When the wall is sanded with a starting putty, its subsequent polishing with a coarse sandpaper is required, the range of which varies from 80 to 180R.
But, please note that this is a very coarse-grained material, and if you plan to paint the walls in the future, you cannot use such sandpaper.
What technology is used for sanding?
Self-sanding the walls after puttying
Before you start sanding the walls, you need to check the finish for readiness (make sure it has dried properly). To make the work comfortable, and the result was positive, get enough lighting. The rays should not be distorted and cast a shadow, the treated section of the wall should be illuminated from all sides.
Do not forget about personal protection that will protect your eyes and respiratory organs from dust, believe me, there will be a lot of it.
If there are large protrusions on the walls, remove them with a small trowel, but make sure it is clean. Then set coarse-grained paper on the bar and start sanding the walls from above, heading to the right side. Such actions will help not to go astray and treat the surface in small areas without missing a single centimeter of the wall.
If you have never sanded a wall before and are afraid to make a mistake with the graininess of the skin, test the selected abrasive on a small section of the wall in a secluded place. If scratches form on the wall during testing, your choice is wrong, so immediately replace the skin with a finer grain.
Once again, I would like to mention that coarse-grained sandpaper is suitable for preparing walls before wallpapering, but subsequent painting of the walls does not allow the presence of even the smallest flaws, which will become more pronounced after applying the paint.
Try not to put too much pressure on the bar during sanding and do not sand the surface for a very long time in one place. After a little circular action, check the result and move on to the next wall fragment.
If during sanding after the initial polishing you find significant pits on the surface, skip these areas, and later treat them with putty.
When the main surface of the walls is sanded, you can move on to more inaccessible parts - to the corners. For processing corners, do not use a sanding block, which will only spoil the putty layer. For such painstaking and delicate work, sanding sponges that have a beveled corner are best suited. If you don’t have such a device, use the same fine-grained sandpaper, folding it in half.
How to skin a ceiling?
We skin the ceiling with our own hands
In the repair of a room, the ceiling requires no less attention than the surface of the walls, because all the defects on it will attract attention not only from the owner, but also from the guests of the house.
Sanding a ceiling is no different than sanding a wall. The only caveat is that it is much more difficult to carry out work on the ceiling. That is why, before you start sanding this area, get a grinder.
If such a miracle machine is used, it is put on a net under No. 60 to No. 80 for rough cleaning, or a net under No. 100 for finishing work.
To easily get to the required surface area, use a ladder or scaffolding, but if you have a machine with a special bar, you can sand the ceiling directly from the floor.
Surface grinding is carried out in circular motions until the surface acquires a perfectly smooth texture. Initially, sanding relieves the surface of major damage, after which the remains of debris, dust are removed and the surface is examined for the presence of minor defects.
When the work has come to an end, you can cover the walls with finishing putty. After the mass is completely dry, the final sanding is carried out with a fine-grained sandpaper. The technique for performing the work is identical, as described above, the only caveat is that the movements should not be so sweeping, but neat.
When all surfaces are sanded, it is necessary to remove the remaining dust, and then prime the walls. It is the application of the primer that will increase the level of adhesion of the base with subsequent finishing materials.
When deciding what materials to sand the surface, and by what technology, it is necessary not only to take into account the advice of more experienced finishers, but still try your hand at a small section of the wall. Although today you can watch a lot of video tutorials on the net, they will not replace the experience of working with a grinder or other abrasive materials that you need to feel with your own hands.
