Sanding skirting boards is an essential part of repainting your woodwork. Cleaning and sanding your skirting boards will remove any dust or old, flaking paint, ensuring that the fresh coat of paint adheres properly for a smooth, flawless finish.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to sand your skirting boards, covering everything from how much sanding is needed before painting skirting to the best Gator products for the job.

How to sand skirting boards prior to painting

Did you know you can sand your skirting boards in just four easy steps? Here’s how you do it: 

1. Prepare the room

First things first, put down dust sheets to protect your flooring and make sure that you have enough space to work. 

2. Clean the skirting boards 

It’s important to remove any dust, dirt or fingerprints from your skirting boards as this can make sanding more difficult and affect paint adhesion. Making sure to dilute as directed, apply sugar soap to your skirting boards and wipe them down with a clean sponge. Once the surface has been thoroughly cleaned, rinse with warm water to remove any soap residue. Leave to dry.

3. Select the right product and grit 

We recommend using our Super Sponge sanding sponges to sand your skirting boards. The durable foam core flexes, allowing you to easily sand any curved detailing. Alternatively, our Premium Sandpaper sheets are also good for uneven surfaces, as they can be folded into the shape you need without cracking or tearing. 

For more intricate detailing, our Micro Zip^™ Sanding Block is also a good choice, as the small, hand-held tool is specifically designed for tight spaces.  

If you’re sanding down years of old paint, select a lower grit of around 60 (from the Remove range) for a coarser sandpaper. If you're just making the surface smooth, go for a higher grit number of 80 – 100 (also from the Remove range) or 120 (from the Prepare range).

We recommend starting out with a lower number grit and working up to a higher grit for the best possible finish.

4. Sand the skirting boards 

Now you’re ready to start sanding. Using your sandpaper or sanding tool, sand the skirting boards down until the surface is smooth. Check that the surface is smooth enough by carefully running your hand across to identify any rough areas you might have missed.

Intricate skirting might take longer to sand; this is when you’ll benefit from using the Gator^® Micro Zip Sanding Block for those tricky nooks and crannies.

Once completely smooth, allow the dust to settle before wiping down the skirting board with a clean cloth. Make sure to remove all excess dust, as it will interfere with the paint adhesion.

Now your skirting boards are thoroughly sanded, clean and ready for painting! 

5. Sand inbetween coats

When repainting skirting boards, it's wise to lightly sand the skirting in between coats. Don't worry; this won't undo all of your hard work. Rather, it will simply smooth out any imperfections or brush strokes, leaving you with a smoother finish. 

Look for any grits in our ‘Finish’ range. They range from 220 to 400 grit; a lower number is best if you have a lot of imperfections to even out, while a higher grit offers light-touch finishing. 

From premium sandpaper sheets to our innovative Zip sanding tools, Gator has a wide range of high-quality finishing products in our hand sanding range to suit your sanding project. Looking to sand down your walls next? Check out our handy guide on how to sand a wall prior to painting.