So I paid someone to finish my drywall. He "completed" the job while I was at work, so I didn't get a chance to look at it. When I got home I noticed that he had only sanded with 100 grit paper, and there are sanding lines everywhere!

Is this standard practice? I have always used 220 grit, and its as smooth as a baby's butt when I am done. Am I too perfectionist?

I'll be calling him back for some other touchups.. was thinking of having him sand it a little better. When I hired him, he did say "paint ready smooth walls" how much of that will priming hide?

Thanks!

BM

First of all, 80 grit is most often used to sand drywall joints. Generally this does not leave sanding marks. If you see a lot of sanding marks he must have use something courser. Sanding to 220 is an extreme, that's furniture finishing, no reason to go "baby but smooth". Weather or not the paint primer coat will hide the scratch marks depends on the depth of the scratches, probably not. My prospective is that drywall finishing is complete after the primer coat of painting is done and the "pointing up" is done.

Thanks HK,

I guess in looking at the joints.. the scratches aren't really that deep. I can only see them when looking at the surface closely. I read somewhere that if you can't see it while standing 4-6 feet from the surface, then you are good to go.

You said that pointing up is done after the initial primer coat is sprayed.. should I have him come sand the few high spots prior to primer.. since it is like 10 times harder to sand that crap after the primer is on there? Or just have him get the few high spots I noticed when he comes to do the pointing up?

Thanks BM