Using a paint sprayer

Summary: Learn how to use a paint sprayer, spray paint a wall and use a spray painter to paint a ceiling.

Painting anything requires a neat and evenly spread finish. The benefits of using a spray gun are numerous. Not only can you achieve a quality finish, but the job can be completed much faster and with less effort than the conventional way of using brushes and rollers. Although expensive to buy, spray guns can be hired.

Painting with a paint sprayer

Spray guns can also be dangerous tools. Due to the high pressured ejection of paint; any contact with skin or eyes can cause serious harm. Make sure you take the necessary safety precautions.

  • Before you start painting, you need to cover all areas that you do not want painted. Due to the fact that the paint is sprayed, clouds of paint can end up further afar than the surface area you are wishing to coat.
  • If you are spray painting outdoors, never attempt it on a windy day. Vehicles, plants and other vulnerable areas should be protected from loose spray.
  • If you are using an airless spray gun, when filling the bucket with paint, pour it through a strainer first to remove and lumpy bits. You will also need to thin the paint to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
  • Make sure you are fully protected from the paint as it will inevitably cover you. It is important to protect the eyes, so, as well as a full body suit; you should wear a face mask that includes goggles. These are widely available in hardware stores.
  • Start at the top corner of a wall and make your way down with each stroke of spray paint. You do not want to hover over one patch for too long otherwise you will apply the paint too thickly. It is better to paint several lighter coats rather than one heavy one as this will look blotchy.
  • When doing the next line, make sure you overlap your previous section of paint by 1-2in.
  • When spraying the ceiling, you should have the gun about 1 foot away from the surface. To do this you may need an extension of some kind. Also, if you do not want to let paint get on the adjacent wall, you will require a spray shield.

How to use a paint sprayer video

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