10 Things You Need to Know Before Using a Paint Sprayer

Painting is the easiest way to give a new look to your house. Modern inventions have gradually eliminated the use of traditional brushes and rollers. These instruments have been replaced by spray painting which has been widely used in recent years. Paint sprayer makes painting work easier than before as well as saves time.

Using spray paint is not the same as painting with rollers or brushes. It requires keeping in mind some factors while painting anything. For that, in this guide, we will go through some essential factors that you should know before using a paint sprayer. These things will assist you to know getting the smooth finish that you wish.

Why Should You Use Paint Sprayers Instead Of Rollers Or Brushes?

Compared to brushes or rollers, painting with sprayers is very fast. Apart from that, using paint sprayers has several advantages. Some advantages of using paint sprayers have been pointed out below.

• Paint sprayers let you print broad surfaces faster with less effort than rollers or brushes. You can paint a 4-foot by 8-foot area of a wall in only one minute, while a roller requires five minutes.
• With paint sprayers, overriding bumps, gaps, cracks, and other surfaces will be easy, whereas painting with rollers or brushes will be challenging.
• Detailed work can be done easily with a paint sprayer. Thus, most corners and trim work on cabinets can be painted easily with a paint sprayer.
• You can get a more even coat than rollers or brushes through a paint sprayer. But you should be aware of overlapping when working with paint sprayers.

Things You Need To Know Before Using A Paint Sprayer

There are several things you should know before using a paint sprayer. Some significant things have been described here that will help you get a good idea about the paint sprayer.

Different Types Of Paint Sprayer

You will get five types of paint sprayers on the market. These are airless, LVLP, HVLP, compressed air, and gravity feed.

• Airless: Airless uses high pressure up to 3,000 psi to deliver paint through a spray gun and a tip. The tip is designed so that the fluid paint can be evenly divided into tiny droplets. Using an airless sprayer will be good to apply a perfectly smooth finish to woodwork, doors, and cabinets.
• LVLP: LVLP means Low volume Low pressure combined with conventional air spray and HVLP air spray. It uses a low-strength air compressor that is good for semi-professional tasks.
• HVLP: This paint sprayer uses a high air volume at low air pressure. This combination helps reduce the forward velocity to create a softer spray. The softer spray allows sticking to the metal surface without any waste.
• Compressed Air: This sprayer uses compressed air to split the paint into smaller droplets. The spray has two valves to start and stop the compressed air and liquid flow.
• Gravity Feed: Gravity feed spray gun uses high volume and low pressure for high output with minimal overspray. This spray features volume control and an adjustable fan pattern.

Safety Tips

Although spray painting is quite simple, you should be aware before starting a project. For example, when you breathe in a lot of paint fumes, it can impact your health like dizziness and light head. Knowing how to get paint fumes out of your lungs will help you if something happens like this. In addition, always keep away from heat like stoves or electric tools and appliances. Wearing gloves during the painting will help to eliminate the hands’ mark on your painted surface.

Using Special Paint

Although most paints work perfectly with paint sprayers, some may not be suitable for thick paint. In that case, you have to pick the suitable paint for your paint sprayer. You will also find some paint sprayers that can handle thick paint. So, you should first decide what type of paint you want to use and, accordingly, choose a particular paint sprayer.

Painting Surface

Paint sprayers are suitable for almost all types of surfaces, including ceramic, fabric, metal, and wood. Always paint something in a small area without sprayers and use a very thin coat while painting on the ceramic surface. Sand out any rust to get a smooth finish before using a sprayer to paint on metal. You can also use paint sprayers on wooden decks or fences in need of painting.

Air Compressor

Air is necessary for every paint sprayer, even if a compressor is unnecessary. Typically, air helps to get a fine finish on your desired surface. And the air compressor atomizes the paint through the sprayer’s compressed air. For example, HVLP is an airless sprayer that doesn’t require an air compressor.

Overlap 50 Percent

When you paint anything with a sprayer, overlap 50 percent with each pass along with the previous pass. This is because overlapping just a little will result in heavy and light coverage stripes. To get a smooth finish, you should overlap 50 percent and avoid leaving lines or light areas.

Important Parts Of A Paint Sprayer

A paint sprayer is designed with different components. You should know about some essential parts to discover their functioning process.

• Airhead: Airhead is the most crucial part of a paint sprayer. It directly impacts the quality of your work as well as the amount of paint used.
• Flow Regulator: Flow regulator is placed in the handle or trigger of a paint sprayer. It controls the amount of paint coming through the nozzle.
• Nozzle: Liquid paint comes out through the nozzle. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, enabling you to adjust the amount and shape of the paint coming.
• Trigger: Trigger allows the paint to come out through the nozzle when you press it.
• Tank: A tank where paint is usually kept. While most paint sprayers are not attached to a tank, some are connected to a bottle.

Don’t Overspray

When more paint is used than required to cover a specific area, it is known as over-spraying. It is one of the most common problems that cause most of the time with paint sprayers. Over spraying can ruin your total paintwork. So, you should ensure that your painted surface is evenly painted.

Prepare The Surface Before Using Paint Sprayer

A clean surface helps to get better paint adhesion to the surface; this will enhance the paint look finish and prolong the paint. Conversely, the paint may break away if the printed surface is improper. This condition will worsen when the surface is directly exposed to moisture, rain, and sunlight. For that, always sand off your surface properly before applying a paint coat through a paint sprayer.

Cost

You will find different types of paint sprayers on the market, and their prices widely vary. You can get a paint sprayer for $20 to $700. Even if you buy the most expensive paint sprayer, they do not guarantee the best results. The smoothness of the paint completely depends on the user. However, make sure that the paint sprayer you buy has a good track record of lasting a few years.

Conclusion

Using a paint sprayer is an excellent way to spread paint faster than any brush or roller. Unlike using a brush or roller, using a paint sprayer is completely different. Without too much effort, you can easily paint anything. It requires several things to keep in mind while painting any surface. For your help, we have presented some significant things in this context that you should know before using a paint sprayer. These will assist you to get an overall idea about paint sprayers.