How to paint exterior walls with a paint sprayer

Paint sprayer offers a more efficient means of painting large areas compared to the brushes or rollers. Through paint spraying, you will save on time and even ensure efficient usage of painting material. However, using a paint sprayer is not as easy and simple it seems in words.

You need to follow some guidelines if you want to achieve appealing and professional-like results. Below is a guide on how to paint an exterior wall with a paint sprayer.

What You Require

• A paint sprayer
• Desired painting spray in enough quantity
• Masking tape
• Paint solvent
• Spray tips with varying width
• Body protective equipment like a dust mask, goggles, and gloves
• Adjustable ladder
• Buckets for holding waste
• Tarps

What to do Before you Start Painting your Exterior Walls

Clean the walls off any particles and dirt to prevent clumping of paint and development of dark stains on your wall. Pressure washing can get rid of almost every unwanted element on your wall. Give the wall time (few days) to dry before you paint to avoid peeling.

Use the tarps to cover the windows, doors and the ground near the wall you are about to paint. You should also move any outdoor furniture away from the wall you are planning to paint. Look at the surfaces on the wall that you don’t want to be painted and apply plenty of masking tape to protect them.

If you have never used a paint sprayer before, use a disposable surface to practice.  This will help you to become familiar with this spraying unit and even learn how to control it. When you are comfortable using the paint sprayer, its time to paint your exterior wall.

Getting the Job Done

When painting the exterior walls, start from the top and work your way down because the paint will drip down. Use a ladder to reach the high points of the wall. Besides the dripping factor, when you start from the bottom, it means you will keep on adjusting the height of the ladder hence wasting time.

If you want to get a smooth finish, start with corners and move to other parts of the wall. This will give you a painting path which makes it easier and fast to paint the wall. When start painting, avoid pausing in between the process to avoid getting uncoordinated or uneven spray pattern. Stay in constant motion and don’t release the trigger.

The sprayer is touching the corners regularly which means you should be careful to avoid over spraying. The sprayer should be at least 30cm from the wall if you want to get a steady stream.  You should always keep the sprayer at an angle of 90 degrees from the wall. To paint the bottom of the wall, keep the sprayer few inches from the ground.

Precautions to Observe

When you are changing the direction of spraying, don’t put the spraying unit on the ground to avoid paint build-up.

You always wear protective clothing to avoid coming into contact with the high-pressure paint. You should never place your hands on the nozzle while the sprayer is working.

Don’ spray your wall during the wet days to avoid fast peeling of the paint. Don’t remove tape masks until you are sure the paint is dry enough. Use enough paint to avoid performing a shoddy job.

After painting

After you are done with the painting job, clean the sprayer and the area around the wall. You should clean the sprayer immediately to prevent the painting material you were using to dry which can make it hard to clean. Proper maintenance is essential for the longevity of the sprayer. Also, remember to return the objectives you have moved before the job to their respective places.

Conclusion

Your exterior wall can give a good or bad impression about you depending on how it looks. If you are planning of painting your exterior walls, give them a beautiful appearance to communicate a good message about you to your visitors and neighbors. Only a paint sprayer can help you achieve that. Remember to follow the above simple procedures to get quality and smooth finishes on any exterior wall.