Sandpaper Buying Guide

Despite the name, modern sandpaper sheets contain no sand. Sand has been replaced by more effective natural or synthetic abrasives. Materials used to make sandpaper include aluminum oxide, ceramic, flint, garnet and silicon carbide.

Besides abrasive material, different types of sandpaper have two primary characteristics: its grit and its coating type.

• Sandpaper grits measure the coarseness of the paper. The lower the grit number, the coarser the paper. The grit level can go as low as 12 and as high as 600, but most home sanding projects should call for a grit size between 60 and 220.
• Coating indicates the density of the abrasive particles on a piece of sandpaper. Open-coated sandpaper has abrasive grains covering about 70 percent of its surface. This works well with power tools and soft woods such as pine. Close-coated sandpaper is completely covered with abrasive material. It's more suitable for hand-sanding or with hardwood and metal surfaces.

Tip: Sanding generates dust, so wear protective eyewear and a respirator mask. When working with a power sander, wear gloves and avoid loose-fitting clothing that can get caught in the machine.

Aluminum oxide sandpaper is a synthetic material that is often tan, light gray or grayish brown.

• It works well for all types of sanding, especially wood and metals.
• It is effective when used with a power sander.
• Its brittle surface crumbles easily, exposing fresh edges for sanding wood and making it last longer than other sandpapers.

Ceramic sandpaper is a synthetic material that is generally reddish-brown. It's known to be:

• Extremely hard and durable and is best for rough sanding
• Ideal for use with power sanders
• Not as budget friendly as other sandpapers.

Garnet and flint are two popular sandpapers made from natural materials.

• Garnet sandpaper is reddish or golden-brown and features a soft grit. It's the best sandpaper for wood hand-sanding. It requires more upfront investment but produces a smoother surface than flint.
• Flint sandpaper is beige-colored and is best used for rough work on small projects. It is more budget friendly than garnet but not as durable.

Silicon carbide sandpaper is a synthetic paper that is blue-gray, black or charcoal. It often has a waterproof backing. This type of sandpaper:

• Can be used on wet or dry surfaces
• Sharpens itself during use, making it great for harder materials such as metal and plastic
• Is ideal for polishing or using between coats of a finish

Among the other abrasive products, steel wool consists of fine flexible filaments of steel or other metals. It is graded on a numeric scale that determines how coarse or fine it is. For example, #0000 is super fine while #4 is very coarse. Steel wool is great for:

• Finishing, polishing or removing grime from surfaces
• Removing old coats of paint or finishes
• Prepping surfaces to hold paint
• Sanding between coats

There are sanding pads, sheets and screens designed with an abrasive material that's made to smooth and sand drywall joints, plaster or patching compounds. For hard-to-reach areas, you can attach these types of sandpaper products to most drywall sanding tools, such as hand-extended pole sanders.

Tip: Wondering what the best grit sandpaper to use for drywall? For rough-sanding projects start with 120-grit sandpaper and touch up with 150-grit paper.

Abrasive sanding sponges are blocks made of foam with abrasive surfaces of different grits. Sanding sponges or blocks:

• Are ideal for sanding in corners or over unusual shapes
• Permit the user to apply more pressure by hand for a better finish

Follow these tips for more effective sanding and use of sandpaper.

• The open types of sandpaper are often considered the best sandpaper for wood.
• Always sand with the wood’s grain to avoid clogging the surface pores. In most cases, you’ll need to sand multiple times, so be patient.
• Start with coarse paper and gradually work your way to finer sandpaper. Coarse grits can be used to remove large imperfections while medium grits are better for small-to-moderate surface flaws.
• Use a fine grit sandpaper of around 180 or 220 grit for the final step.
• Be sure to clean the work surface when you switch from one grit to another as debris from earlier sanding can interfere with the smoothing process.
• Don’t press too hard. Let the sandpaper do the work.
• The best sandpaper for hard metals such as iron or steel is aluminum oxide. The best sandpaper for softer metals such as aluminum or brass is silicon carbide.
• Determine when to change sandpaper by running your fingertip over the section you've used. If it feels significantly smoother than the unused part, begin sanding with a fresh section.

Consider the following additional tools and accessories for sanding projects.

• A power orbital sander or belt sander can be more useful than hand sanding in time-consuming jobs or ones that involve large surfaces.
• Tack cloth is a sticky piece of cheesecloth that picks up dust more efficiently than wiping with a wet cloth. Wet cloths can also raise the wood grain, making the surface more difficult to stain. Wipe a surface with tack cloth between using different grit sandpapers.
• Sandpaper treated with a zinc stearate coating doesn't clog as much and requires less maintenance. However, don't use it on surfaces with water-based finishes.