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Sandpaper Grit Chart
Quick answer: Higher grit number means finer paper. Stop at 180 before stain, 120–150 before paint, 220+ for oil finishes. Never skip more than one grit — 80 straight to 220 leaves scratches that only show once finish goes on.
What each grit range actually does, the sanding progressions that work for common projects, and the point past which sanding finer makes the finish worse rather than better.
Sandpaper grit chart
Grit number is the count of abrasive particles per square inch of screen used to sort them. Higher number, finer paper. The number is a sieve size, which is why the progression is not linear and why the useful jumps between grits are proportional rather than fixed.
| Grit | Label | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 24-36 | Extra coarse | Stripping paint, levelling badly uneven boards, floor sanding first cut |
| 40-60 | Coarse | Shaping, removing old finish, heavy stock removal |
| 80-100 | Medium | Smoothing rough surfaces, first pass after milling |
| 120-150 | Fine | Final sanding before stain on most softwoods |
| 180-220 | Very fine | Final sanding before finish; between-coat scuffing |
| 240-320 | Extra fine | Between finish coats, wet-sanding primer |
| 360-600 | Super fine | Wet sanding lacquer and automotive primer |
| 800-1200 | Ultra fine | Polishing finishes, removing dust nibs |
| 1500-2500 | Micro fine | Rubbing out a finish before compounding |
A progression that works
| Job | Sequence |
|---|---|
| Rough-sawn to finish-ready | 60 → 80 → 120 → 180 |
| Milled lumber, ready for stain | 100 → 150 → 180 |
| Softwood before paint | 120 → 150 |
| Hardwood before oil finish | 120 → 150 → 180 → 220 |
| Between coats of poly | 220 or 320, light pressure |
| Stripping old paint | 40 → 80 → 120 |
| Hardwood floor refinish | 36 → 60 → 80 → 100 |
| Drywall compound | 120 or 150, sanding sponge |
Where to stop
Sanding finer than the finish requires is wasted effort, and past a point it is counterproductive. Stain needs open pores to penetrate — sanding to 320 burnishes the surface closed and the stain goes on blotchy and pale. For most stained work, 180 is the right stopping point; 220 on dense hardwoods.
Paint needs less: 120 to 150 gives plenty of tooth. Oil and wax finishes reward going further, to 220 or beyond, because there is no film to hide the surface.
Abrasive materials
| Abrasive | Colour | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium oxide | Brown / tan | Wood, general purpose | Fractures as it wears, exposing fresh edges — long-lasting |
| Silicon carbide | Black / dark grey | Finishes, metal, wet sanding | Sharper but more friable; the standard for wet-or-dry |
| Garnet | Orange-red | Hand sanding bare wood | Dulls quickly but leaves a very clean surface |
| Ceramic | Blue / red | Heavy stock removal | Most aggressive and most expensive |
| Zirconia | Blue-green | Belt sanding, metal | Tough, self-sharpening |
Why paper clogs and what to do
Clogging — “corning” — happens when resin, paint or fine dust packs the abrasive. Stearated papers (usually a pale grey-white coating) resist it and are the right choice for paint and finish sanding. For bare wood, dust extraction does more than any coating: a random-orbit sander connected to a vacuum will make paper last several times longer than the same disc used dry.
Frequently asked questions
What grit sandpaper should I use before staining?
Stop at 180 grit for most woods, or 220 for dense hardwoods like maple. Going finer burnishes the surface closed and the stain will go on pale and blotchy — the pores need to stay open to accept it.
Can I skip grits when sanding?
You can skip one step in the standard progression but not two. Jumping from 80 straight to 220 leaves 80-grit scratches the finer paper cannot remove; they are invisible on bare wood and show up the moment finish is applied.
What grit is best for removing paint?
Start at 40 to 60 grit for heavy build-up, then work up through 80 and 120 to remove the scratches you just made. Use a stearated paper — bare aluminium oxide clogs almost immediately on paint.
Is higher grit rougher or smoother?
Smoother. The grit number counts particles per square inch of the sorting screen, so a higher number means smaller particles and a finer surface. 40 grit is coarse, 400 grit is very fine.