Sandpaper Grit Finder
The right grit progression, starting surface to finish
How to use this sandpaper grit finder
Pick your starting surface and what you’re prepping for, and this shows the grit sequence to work through — skipping grits leaves deeper scratches that show through stain, while using too fine a grit too early just wastes sandpaper without removing material.
General grit reference
| Grit range | Use |
|---|---|
| 40–60 | Heavy stock removal, old finish, rough lumber |
| 80–120 | Initial smoothing, leveling |
| 150–180 | General prep before stain or paint |
| 220–320 | Final smoothing, between-coat scuffing |
| 400+ | Polishing finished coats, fine finishes |
Why skipping grits backfires
Each grit is meant to remove the scratches left by the one before it. Jump from 80 straight to 220 and the deeper 80-grit scratches are still there — stain will pool in them and make every skipped step visible on the finished piece.