Ask An Expert

Can I Paint Without Sanding?

My name is Tom Lopatosky. I’m the President of LOPCO Contracting(www.LopcoContracting. com) & I’m honored to have the opportunity to talk to you about home improvement on a monthly basis. I love answering your questions! Please send them to tom@ LopcoContracting.com or call 401270-2664. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this column!

Perhaps the most painstaking part of painting, whether exterior or interior, is the prep work.

“Finish” painting is the easy part.

Many folks say that painting is extraordinarily therapeutic, peaceful, almost Zen-like.

Chances are, those with these opinions are not referring to the prep portion of their projects.

It is not unusual to contemplate whether sanding should be involved with the prep process for your particular project.

With few exceptions, sanding is almost ALWAYS necessary. The reason being is that by sanding, you not only eliminate roughness and set the stage for the magnificent paint or stain system you are about to apply, but by doing so, you also allow the surface to be in a position to “hold” your coating system in place for a long time to come.

On the exterior, sanding is often necessary to eliminate the edges of peeling paint, and to make sure that unsightly imperfections are as limited as possible.

On the interior, sanding is necessary to smooth out plaster, joint compound, or spackling that has been applied, to allow for “bite” in between coatings of paint or polyurethane, or scuffing up older finishes to cut down glossiness.

If there is lead paint present (most notably on homes built prior to 1978), it is generally advised that sanding should never be done, unless by a certified professional who has the proper equipment to appropriately work with lead paint removal.

Another instance where sanding should not be done is with certain types of wood decking, and the deck finishes that are associated with them. This is because by sanding certain types of wood that already have tightly dense wood grains to begin with (Ipe as an example), sanding these surfaces would cause the wood grain to tighten up even further, and as crazy as it may seem, prevent any stain applied to its surface (seemingly no matter how thin the stain may be) to correctly penetrate.

As far as what we are all traditionally taught in terms of preparing surfaces, this may appear to be quite the ‘Catch 22!’ There are other nuanced situations where sanding would not make sense, however; these are the exceptions, rather than the rule.

To properly prepare any surface that you will be painting or staining, sanding should be in your plan, in some capacity, nearly 100% of the time.

When sanding, it is important to not only use the proper equipment, but to also wear the proper personal protection (the correct dust mask, eye protection, etc.) that is necessary to help protect you from harm.

When sanding, there are different “grits” associated with the variety of sandpaper you may use. The higher the grit, the smoother the sandpaper (typically used for final sanding or tasks that do not need as rough a paper). The lower the grit, the rougher the paper (typically for tasks that require a “heavier hand” – i.e., exterior surface prep).

It is easy(with good reason) to envision the idea of sanding as being an excruciating task that is neither fun nor relaxing.

While some types of sanding are certainly more of a workout than others, the fact that the act of sanding is an overall vital part of the surface preparation process when it comes to painting, may be the unfortunate realization for any lazy bone that may be approaching a painting project and desires it to come out as best as possible.

About Tom Lopatosky Tom Lopatosky has run his own carpentry and painting business in Providence since 1995; LOPCO Contracting – the “Personable, Particular Professionals” – specializes in carpentry and exterior & interior painting. Recently LOPCO Contracting was named ‘RI’s Finest Painting Contracting Company’ by ShopInRI Magazine. In 2013, Tom was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and a “40 Under 40” award winner by Providence Business News. He is a member of both the PDCA and RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association). Tom has weekly ‘Home Improvement Tips’ that air on the radio on 630 WPRO AM (during the weekday morning news) and on television on WPRI 12 (during the Saturday morning news.