How to Keep Dust to a Minimum When Smoothing Joint Compound

by Corey
(Westfield, MA)

My husband and I were remodeling an old farmhouse. We tore out all of the old plaster walls and put up drywall. The dust from the plaster was a nightmare and we were not looking forward to all the dust we would once again have when we sanded the joint compound.

My uncle came over to check out our remodeling progress and shared a tip.

Rather than sanding the joint compound, use a damp sponge to smooth out bumps and lines. The moisture dissolves the bumps in the compound and eliminates the dust since you rinse the sponge. It takes about 24 hours for the compound to dry after "sponge sanding" but the extra time is worth avoiding the extra dust clean up.