When sanding drywall, its important to use the right grit of sandpaper to achieve a smooth and even surface. Here are the recommended grits of sandpaper for drywall sanding:

• Manual Sanding: For hand sanding, use semi-coarse sandpaper of 100 or 120 grit to sand down rough areas or dried compound, then continue with 150 grit to smooth the areas further. Use sheets of sandpaper for finishing drywall sanding in areas that require a light touch, such as inside corners and around electrical outlets, and use 220-grit sandpaper and sand the areas with a light and easy touch. Avoid using coarse sandpaper below 100 grit as that may damage the drywall.

• Power Sanding: For power sanding, start with a finer grit of around 150 to avoid taking off too much or damaging the surface. Then, finish up the smooth surface with even finer sandpaper of around 180 to 220 grit.

In general, most drywall projects should be finished with sandpaper in the 150-220 grit range, depending on the methods you use. Higher numbers mean a finer grit sandpaper and lower numbers are coarser. If you choose sandpaper with a grit that’s too fine, you’ll have a hard time removing the joint compound on your first sanding attempt, and you’ll add time and effort to your project.