SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/wood-sandpaper-weathered

To repaint bare, weathered wood, the handbook suggests sanding with about what grit?

50 to 80 grit.

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  1. 220 to 320 grit
  2. 50 to 80 grit ✔
  3. 600 to 1000 grit

Why: Weathered wood has a rough, damaged surface that needs coarse sandpaper to cut through. The Forest Products Lab suggests 50 to 80 grit. Never sand lead-based paint; use special precautions if old paint may contain lead.

Huh, didn't know that: In glue tests, aged wood veneer regained good wettability after sanding with 320 grit sandpaper to cut through the dead surface.

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References

Answer: 50 to 80 grit. Weathered wood has a rough, damaged surface that needs coarse sandpaper to cut through. The Forest Products Lab suggests 50 to 80 grit. Never sand lead-based paint; use special precautions if old paint may contain lead.

  1. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (USDA Forest Products Laboratory, 2021) research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/62200
    sand areas of exposed wood with 50- to 80-grit sandpaper to remove the weathered surface
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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