Dear Pat: I have been trying to clean up and refinish hardwood trim in my older home. I went to the home center to buy sandpaper, but there are so many types. Which one is best for what? — Carol R.

Dear Carol: The sandpaper isle at the home center can be a bit overwhelming, sometimes even for professionals. It could be worse though. If you go online sometime and search for sandpaper, you will find your home center offers less than 10 percent of the grades of sandpaper on the market.

It will be worthwhile to do a little research on sandpaper to get a basic understanding of how it works and it some of its uses. The reason there are so many grades of sandpaper is that there are so many different sanding tasks.

Selecting the proper sandpaper can cut sanding time in half and produce the attractive finish you desire. Even for the simple job you are doing, you will need many different types. On some spots, you might want to remove the old finish. On others, you might want to just polish the old finish or do deep sanding to removing scratches.

All sandpaper can be put into one of two categories — opened or closed.

Closed sandpaper has a solid covering of abrasive particles. This is ideal for sanding metal or other very hard materials.

On opened sandpaper, only 40 to 70 percent of the surface is covered with abrasive. The purpose is not lower cost. The open areas provide space for sawdust so the paper does not quickly clog and become ineffective. This is the grade of sandpaper you should be using, especially for the initial sanding of the wood. Dust from sanding wood can be sticky.

The grit number indicates the size of the abrasive particles, the depth of the scratches it leaves and how fast it removes material. There are two grit standards: American (CMI) and European (FEPA). Sandpaper using the European standard often has a "P" in front of the grit number. A higher grit number means finer abrasive particles.

Below 220-grit, the two standards are similar. Above this, the FEPA grit is more coarse. It is important to know which grade of sandpaper to buy. If you find American 600-grit sandpaper works well, buying P600-grit sandpaper will not give the same finish.

Start out with a 220- or 150-grit sandpaper and see if it works for the initial sanding. If you have to step down to more coarse 60 grit, you still will need 220- or 150-grit for the intermediate sanding. For final polishing with a disk sander, grits as fine as P4000 are available.

There are several kinds of abrasive materials with which sandpaper is made.

Aluminum oxide is best for your project. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to find in home centers. The aluminum oxide particles are friable. This means the particles break off and create new sharp edges as the sandpaper is used. This extends its life.

Depending upon the intricacy of the detail in your woodwork, you might find sanding sponges easier to use than folded sandpaper for getting into curved areas. These sponges are available in many grits and thicknesses. Various sponge densities, or stiffness, are also available.

Sanding sponges are inexpensive and last a long time, so you can try several sizes and densities.

Send your questions to Here's How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com. To find out more about Pat Logan and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.