Just realized I've been sanding my inside corners wrong for years

I was helping my nephew with his first solo job, a small bathroom in Tempe. He was taping and I was watching him sand the inside corner of the ceiling. He was using a regular sanding block, going back and forth like you would on a flat seam. I almost told him to stop, but then I saw the result. It was perfectly smooth, no ridges at all. I've always used a special corner sanding sponge, pressing hard and doing multiple passes. His way was faster and looked just as good. It hit me that I'd been overcomplicating a simple task because that's how I was taught 15 years ago. I tried it on the next corner and sure enough, it worked fine. Has anyone else found a basic technique they were taught that just isn't the best way?

3 comments

3 Comments

gracewebb1mo ago

Ever watch someone do something the "wrong" way and it turns out better? My buddy who does trim work was convinced you had to back-cut miters for a perfect fit, spending ages on each one. His new helper just slapped them together straight from the saw, no back-cutting, and they closed up just fine with a little caulk. He had a full-on crisis in the driveway. Makes you wonder what else we do just because it's always been done that way.

derekjenkins24d ago

Did you ever try caulk on stained wood too?

blakem371mo ago

That "full-on crisis in the driveway" feeling is so real. I used to painstakingly hand-sand wood filler on repairs, trying to get it glass smooth before priming. Watched a painter just slap primer on while it was still a little rough, then sand it. The primer filled the tiny scratches perfectly and it was way faster. Felt like I'd been doing a two-step process for no reason for years.