A painter told me I was sanding my trim wrong for 10 years

I was out on a job in Austin last month and this old painter names Rick walked by. He saw me sanding this poplar trim I had just hung and said 'you're going against the grain, man. You're making more work for yourself.' I had always just sanded back and forth like a madman. He showed me to sand with the grain in one direction and it cuts the time in half. Has anyone else had some basic thing they did wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorb742d ago

Funny how we all think we're experts until someone walks by and proves us wrong, right @drew965? I bet Rick's got a garage full of half-finished projects he's been "doing right" for 30 years.

drew9652d ago

Hold on, are you sure that old timer wasn't messing with you? I mean, yeah, going with the grain is standard advice, but sanding back and forth like a maniac actually creates a smoother surface in my experience. It might take a little longer, but you don't get those weird scratches that show up under paint when you only go one way. Plus, I've seen guys who swear by the back and forth method end up with way fewer visible sanding marks after the primer goes on. So maybe Rick's trick is just a timesaver for people who don't mind a rougher finish.