A pole sander helps you reach high areas on the drywall.
It's important to sand a drywall surface after initially hanging the drywall in order to create a uniform smoothness along the fasteners and seams. It's also necessary to sand drywall anytime you repair a dent, crack or hole in it with new joint compound. Use the appropriate grit of sandpaper, or the flaws will be glaringly apparent in the wall or ceiling.
Sandpaper Grit
To sand the joint compound, also called the mud, used in drywall, choose 120-grit or 150-grit sandpaper. The latter is generally the appropriate choice. The grit refers to the number of abrasive particles per inch on the sandpaper surface. The lesser the grit, the more coarse the sandpaper. Conversely, the higher the grit, the finer the sandpaper. A finer, smoother sandpaper creates a smoother finish. A 120-grit sandpaper is medium grit, good for smoothing out surface imperfections and marks. A 150-grit sandpaper is fine grit, good for the final sanding.
Dangers of Wrong Sandpaper
Do not choose a lower grit of sandpaper to sand drywall after installation, under the assumption that the coarser paper will speed up the dusty sanding job. You will cause more damage than good with a 60-grit sandpaper. It will simply roughen up the drywall surface, and the relatively soft joint compound will exhibit undesired sanding marks once you are finished.
Considerations
When sanding drywall, always protect yourself, because it is usually a very dusty job. The dust from drywall is very fine. Wear a dust mask or a respirator, and wear safety glasses that won't fog up and block your vision while you sand. Install the sandpaper on a pole sander in order to sand in high areas and corners of walls, and on ceilings. Otherwise, use a hand sander, which you will likely use for the bulk of the sanding on walls. For repairs, if you do not have a hand sander, wrap the sandpaper around a wood block, and sand the patch.
Alternative
An option to consider when you install new joint compound to repair drywall is using a sponge to sand the drywall patch. Using a drywall sponge takes longer than using sandpaper, but the benefit is that you create less dust in the process. Dip the sponge in water, squeeze the excess water out, and sand the drywall with the sponge, using circular motions. Be sure to rinse out the sponge frequently while you work.
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