Sanding

Sanding is part of almost every job of preparing for paint. On walls, filled patches are sanded so they do not show under the paint, and old glossy paint is sanded to key the surface so the new coat grips. On wood, sanding removes old paint and varnishVarnishA clear or semi-transparent finish for wood that lets the grain show through and protects it from sun, rain and wear. and the grey, weathered top layer until sound wood shows.

It is done by hand with sandpaper or a sanding sponge, or with a power sander on large areas. You start with a coarse grit and finish with a finer one, and on wood you always sand along the grain.

Sanding makes a lot of fine dust. Furniture and floors are covered, and the dust is cleaned off before primingPrimerThe thin first coat that goes on before the main material. It binds dust, seals the pores and helps paint or waterproofing stick firmly., because paint does not bond to dust. Very old paints may contain lead; those should not be dry-sanded without protection.