Debate: Did sanding drywall with a vacuum sander actually save me time or just make more dust?

I used a vacuum sander on my basement project and finished in 2 hours flat, but my buddy says hand sanding with a pole sander gives better results even if it takes twice as long, so which method really gives you that smooth finish without driving yourself crazy?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew85416d agoMost Upvoted

Man, I've been there. Vacuum sanders are great for not breathing in that chalky mess, but they can leave a bit of a texture if you're not careful... I'd say use the vacuum for the first pass to get the bulk off, then hit it with a pole sander and some 150 grit to finish. That combo saved me a ton of time on my last job and the walls came out glass smooth.

karen_nelson4016d ago

Oh man, my buddy Dave tried that exact thing on his first drywall job in his basement. He skipped the vacuum pass and went straight to the pole sander with 120 grit and ended up with these weird swirl marks that caught the light like crazy. He had to go back over everything with a wet sponge just to blend it out, took him an extra two days. I swear he was so mad he kicked over his bucket of mud, lol.