jenny_coleman•1mo agoProlific Poster

How curved walls changed my sanding approach

I always did hand sanding for drywall finishes. But on a project with curved walls, it was taking too long and leaving lines. A friend told me to use a pole sander. I was skeptical but gave it a go. It cut the work time and gave smoother results. Now I use it for all curved surfaces. This small change felt like a big win. How do you handle sanding on tricky walls?

4 comments

4 Comments

lucas7351mo ago

Man, that reminds me of trying to sand this super old plaster ceiling that was all wavy. I fought with a regular sander for an hour before I just used a sanding sponge in my hand. Sometimes the basic tools just work better on weird surfaces.

nelson.rowan1mo ago

What was the sander doing wrong, @lucas735? Just vibrating too much?

matthews211mo ago

On my last project, the orbital sander cut through the old ceiling bumps in minutes. Yeah it vibrates, but that action lets you cover more area without pressing down hard. A sponge would have taken all day and still left ridges.

sarah5311mo agoMost Upvoted

Ever notice how the weight of the tool itself messes with you on a bumpy ceiling? Like, an orbital sander wants to drop into every single low spot and just grind there, so you're fighting to pull it back up. Your arm gets tired just from trying to keep it level. A light sponge doesn't have that same pull, so your hand can just follow the curves without fighting gravity.