That old timer on the job site changed my mind about sanding screens

Last week on a job in Austin, this guy Dave who’s been hanging rock since the 80s told me I was wasting time using sanding screens on every coat. He said a damp sponge for the second coat cuts the dust in half and saves 20 minutes per room. Tried it on a 12x12 bedroom and he was dead right, my respirator filter barely clogged. Anyone else ditch the screen for a sponge on certain coats?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.paige1mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you're telling me a damp sponge actually works better than sanding?

patb121mo ago

Yeah I read something similar on a drywall forum a while back. A guy swore by using a wet sanding sponge for the final pass, said it practically eliminated dust. Never tried it myself but it makes sense.

taylor_hayes251mo ago

Man, Dave sounds like a guy who's been around the block a few times... I totally get where you're coming from though. I was the same way, always grabbing a screen for everything because that's just what you do, you know? But once I tried the damp sponge trick on the second coat, it was a game changer for real. The dust reduction alone is worth it, my lungs thank me every time. Plus it's way faster for those final passes before texture or paint...