what grit sandpaper to remove paint from wood
For removing paint from wood , start with 60–80 grit sandpaper. If the paint is thick or stubborn, you can begin at 40–60 grit , then move up to 100–120 grit to smooth the surface afterward.
Quick pick
- Thick, old paint: 40–60 grit.
- Most DIY paint stripping jobs: 60–80 grit.
- After the paint is off: 100–120 grit to smooth the wood.
Best approach
- Start coarse to remove the paint faster.
- Sand with the grain to avoid gouging the wood.
- Step up to a finer grit once the paint is mostly gone.
Small caution
If the wood is soft or detailed, don’t stay too long on very coarse grit, or you can scratch the surface more than necessary.
Meta description: For stripping paint from wood, 60–80 grit is usually the best starting point, with 40–60 grit for tougher layers and 100–120 grit for smoothing.