HOW TO USE A DRYWALL SANDER
If you have had to renovate, redecorate or refurbish your home recently you’ll know that sanding plaster, drywall or Gyprock can be a tedious, dusty and laborious task. Most walls cover extremely large surface areas and most power sanders can’t handle the fine particles of dust from plaster which can absorb moisture. So, unless you have a product like the new Ozito Drywall Sander, you’re left on your own to manually scrub and sand the whole thing.
BENEFITS OF THE DRYWALL SANDER
As with any DIY job, having the right tool makes all the difference. The drywall sander has been specifically designed to tackle those big plasterboard walls. Benefits include:
Larger surface area
The first thing you’ll notice about your drywall sander is the large, wide base of the sander. This makes tackling those big walls easier as you are able to attack a larger section of the wall at once. The base is designed to handle those big joints in plasterboard in one easy swipe.
Dust extraction
The second major benefit of this drywall sander is the in-built dust extraction. This is designed to collect all those fine plasterboard dust particles away from the motor and then expel them into the attached bag. This handy feature is what makes using an electric sander on plasterboard possible.
THE POWER OF DUST EXTRACTION
Less mess
The added advantage of the in built dust extraction is that all that messy, hard to clean plaster dust is being cleaned as you work, minimising the mess and clean up time you’ll need to do when the job is done.
Cleaner, safer air
Drywall dust (or dust in general) can be harmful to inhale; when you’re sanding large areas manually all of that dangerous dust is kicked up into the air where you could potentially breath it in. Prolonged exposure to dust-filled air is even linked to an increased chance of developing asthma. By accumulating and storing the dust as you go the drywall sander creates cleaner air that is safer for you and everyone in the room.
TIPS FOR SANDING A DRYWALL
Get off to a fine start
It’s tempting to look at the large area and want to use a coarse paper to speed up your job, but most modern plaster is rather soft. Using a heavy-grit paper can potentially leave marks on your wall. Start fine and move to a coarser paper if needed.
Fill In the gaps
Rather than trying to sand out any big ridges or gouges, it can be easier to and a coat of joint compound to even it out. This avoids the risk of over-sanding the areas surrounding the problem.
Shine a light on imperfections
Use a light to expose dings, pits and imperfections, circle them with a pencil as you go and then pick up your sander and re-sand any problem areas.
Prime time sanding
Many over eager beginners will skip sanding after priming but it’s a risky choice. Sanding after priming removes any fuzz or lumps that may cause unevenness in your paint job.
If you have a big renovation planned this is one tool that will make a world of difference, so pick up a drywall sander and ‘Do It With Ozito.’