How to Reduce Dust When Sanding Drywall

Drywall sanding is a common project, and most probably, you do this frequently. Usually, it is done at the time of painting a new wall for the first time, remodeling, changing the color, and some other purposes. And it is always dusty, and the wall emits dust while sanding. There is no doubt that it is annoying to everyone. But the most important is how to reduce dust when sanding drywall?

I can give you some solutions. I don’t give you the guaranty it will not produce dust completely, but you can manage and eliminate the dust in some convenient ways. After all, you will be able to reduce the dust and can work in a better environment.

Some Effective Ways of Reducing Dust When Sanding Drywall

Somebody advises getting more protection while sanding drywall. I’m also agreed with them, but you should remember the protective equipment gives you better protection they won’t reduce the amount of dust. Just follow the methods below and reduce the drywall dust.

Using Low Dust Drywall Compound

If you have enough budget, you can definitely invest in a low dust drywall compound for reducing drywall dust. It is the compound that gathers the fine dust particles with each other to make it heavier. After that, the heavier dust particles easily settle down on the floor instead of floating in the air.

It is also important to know, using the low dust drywall compounds is a bit difficult than the standard joint compound while sanding. So, it is needed to be an expert.

Create negative Pressure to Pull out The Drywall Dust

This process is very easy, and it is much effective also. To apply this technique, you need to use a box fan that will pull out the air from the room inside. Thus, negative pressure will be created just after a few moments.

The drywall dust is fine dust, and they float in the air. After creating the negative pressure, the fine dust will be easily polled out from the room along with the air. If you apply this, your working area will have the minimum dust, and you can work more comfortably.

Wet Sanding

Wet sanding is another way of reducing drywall dust. If you just talk about the process of reducing the dust, then this procedure is really a good option for you. But to be honest, it also has some benefits along with some problems also.

Firstly, it isn’t sanding at all. It is just smearing the drywall compound away. And this process is not ideal for the large project I mean for the entire room. If you just need to sand a small area, then it is really best.

Compared to the other processes, wet sanding also takes much time, and it also requires much effort. But if you can do the task perfectly, you will get an excellent finish quality with wet sanding. Remember, the drywall compound needs to be water-soluble; otherwise, wet sanding is not possible.

Drywall Vacuum Sander

According to most of the users, using a vacuum sander is also a good option, and they also tell it is one of the easiest methods. And they like this method.

It is a special method, and a special type of sander is also needed for the drywall sanding in this process. You need the right attachment (hose) to apply this method. The connection of one end of the hose to the sander and the other end is put in a water-filled bucket is established.

The dust enters into the hose and will be accumulated in the water-filled bucket. As a result, the dust doesn’t float in the air. Thus the amount of dust is reduced.

If you can ensure you are stronger and active, you can go for this procedure as it is a bit difficult to move the sander because of the suction effect.

Summary Line

The most effective processes are presented above. Remember, the processes eliminate dust mostly but not completely. And no other procedure is available for eliminating dust completely while sanding drywall. That is why you must need to wear a protective mask, gloves, cloths, and googles. So, take complete protection first and then go for drywall sanding.