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Can You Sand Plaster Walls? (Read This First!)

Plastering is considered a commonly used technique to make the walls of your homes and rooms durable and very hard. However, plastering walls is not easy as it requires an expert to apply an even coat of plaster on the walls. 

In this article, we will discuss if you can sand plaster walls. 

Sand plaster walls

It is possible to sand the plaster walls. Quickly, the sanding process is implemented to make the surface of the wall even and smooth. Sanding the plaster walls can also help you to paint them. To sand the plaster walls properly, you will need to use coarse sandpaper. 

Plastering is considered to be a commonly popular technique used in 20th-century homes. The common characteristics of plaster walls enable them to become strong and durable. 

In addition to that, it will provide you with a long-lasting all that will not get damaged easily. However, plastering the walls is not easy. It requires expertise in plastering, otherwise, the wall surface will not be smooth. 

The plaster walls need to be smooth, otherwise, you cannot stick any wallpaper on top of it or paint them. Smooth plastered walls also help to make the walls attractive. 

That is why, if you want to smooth the plaster wall, you will need to use sandpaper and sand them down to smoothen the wall. Generally, there are two types of wall surfaces available that need to be smoothened by using sandpaper. 

It is recommended to use coarse sandpaper on a rough textured plaster surface. In addition to that, you need to use finer grit sandpaper to smooth the smooth surface. 

It is highly recommended to take time when sanding the plaster walls because if you sand too vigorously, it can cause cracks or damage to the wall. 

Sanding the plaster walls will create a lot of mess and consume time but it is not difficult. Below is a brief discussion on whether you can sand different types of plastered walls: 

Newly plastered walls: 

It is recommended to sand the newly plastered walls carefully to smoothen them. It is recommended to use fine-grit sandpaper to smoothen the walls. 

You should be careful when sanding the plastered walls, otherwise, you can crack them easily. Use coarse sandpaper to get the best results.

Old plaster walls:

When sanding the old plaster walls, you need to be very careful and sand them thoroughly so that you can peel off the previously applied layer of paint or top coat. 

Take your time to sand the plaster walls so that you can get a perfect finish. In addition to that, old plaster walls may need some repairs and add-ons. 

In some cases, you also need to make sure that you sand them perfectly and look for damages that need repair.

Do you sand plaster walls smooth before painting?  

Sanding is an important part to make the walls smooth and even. Generally sanding is done on the plaster walls because the plaster walls are often tended to be rough and edgy. 

However, plaster walls are quite common and popular often seen in 20th-century homes. The plastering is done to make the walls strong and durable. 

In addition to that, it provides you with a long-lasting wall surface that does not require any repair or may need minimal repairing. In some cases, you may want to paint over the plaster walls.

Painting over plaster walls is done to the wall from any type of external damage. In addition to that, it will provide the wall with a top put layer which will increase the strength and durability of the wall. 

So, it is highly recommended to use sandpaper and sand the plaster walls so that they can be smooth before painting. This will help the paint to stick to the walls smoothly and provide you with an even finish.

What kind of sander do I need for plaster walls? 

Plastering is commonly done in every 20th-century house. It is not only done to make the walls more durable and stronger, but also to make them look attractive when an external layer of paint or wrap is provided. 

But the plastering requires expertise in it, otherwise, the surface will become rough. Some specific types of Sanders are required to be used on plaster walls to smoothen them. You can try using round Orbital Sanders to smoothen the plaster wall

They are ideal and recommended sander for the plaster walls. However, you need to be very careful when using the round orbital Sanders on the plaster walls because sanding vigorously can leave marks on the wall. 

That is why you need to be very careful and focused when sanding the plaster walls. In addition to that, you need to spend a lot of time completing the process so that you can get a perfect finish.

How do you sand textured plaster walls? 

For many house owners textured walls are an appealing feature of the house. But it can be very hard and difficult for them to maintain the textured walls. Generally, textured walls are based on plaster walls. 

The plaster walls are used in almost every 20th-century home to make the walls more durable and stronger. In addition to that, the plastering is done so that the walls can withstand any strong external impact. 

So, they have a good amount of impact resistance. Depending on the choice, different types of decorations can be applied over plastered walls. Many people tend to use textured decorations on the plastered walls. 

However, if you are willing to change your feature of the wall, you need to remove the texture from the wall. 

The best way to remove the texture from the wall is to sand them carefully. If you’re willing to sand your textured plaster walls, you can simply follow the techniques below to complete the procedure properly:

Prepare the wall: 

The first thing you need to do to sand the textured wall is to prepare it by spraying warm water. 

You need to make sure that the area is soaked for five minutes. Spray a good amount of water and frequently spray on the wall to prepare it. 

Gently sand the surface: 

Once you have prepared the wall by soaking it with water, now it’s time for you to gently sand the surface. You need to be very careful when sanding the surface because sanding too vigorously can cause serious damage to the wall. 

Sanding is time-consuming work, so you need to be very focused and have patience. In addition to that, you will need to sand the wall properly so that no excess layer on the wall remains. 

Level it using drywall: 

Once you are done with standing on the wall, now it’s time for you to level it by using rival compounds. The drywall compound is needed if the texture is too deep for complete removal.

In addition to that, you need to apply an initial code of drywall compound so that it can conceal the holes and deep depressions. Once it dries up, you can apply the second layer of drywall compound to make it more effective.

How to smooth plaster walls without sanding? 

Sanding the walls is considered a commonly popular technique that is found in almost every 20th-century home. It is done to make the walls look more durable and stronger. 

In addition to that, plastering the walls makes it hard enough to resist any type of impact. Many people tend to have plastered walls in their homes and this allows them to install any type of paint or wallpaper on the top of it. 

It is a very efficient and convenient idea to have plastered walls. In addition to that, the plastered walls require expertise in plastering, otherwise, the finish will be rough and have edges. 

If you’re willing to smooth plaster walls without sanding, you can simply follow the tips below: 

Wet sanding: 

If you’re willing to smoothen the walls without sanding, you can have it, but it will require a minimum amount of sanding for better results. So, you can try sanding which is quite easy and takes less effort. 

Apply drywall mud: 

You can try using drywall mud on your plastered walls to make them smooth and even. This is an easy job and takes less effort for you to complete. 

Use a good primer and paint: 

It is highly recommended that you use a good primer and paint on your plastered walls. This will prevent any type of damage as well as make the wall long-lasting and more durable.

Final Thoughts 

Nowadays other people tend to have plastered walls in their homes. It makes the home durable and strong enough to resist any type of external impact. However, if you’re willing to apply paint or wallpaper on top of your plastered walls, you can sand it down to make it more even.