Wall painting with a spray gun is very easy and comfortable. But for this you have to select the best paint sprayer for walls. This article will show you the way.
What is in the article
- Pros and cons of spray painting
1.1. What are the weaknesses of spray guns?
- Model selection: types of spray guns
2.1. Pneumatic spray guns
2.2. Electric tools
2.3. Manual paint sprayers
The usual, traditional painting of walls with a brush or roller is considered not very expensive, the easiest way to transform the base. However, the rudimentary nature of such work is relative: in fact, it is a long, demanding a rather time-consuming process.
But this is not the only disadvantage of working with these tools: time, effort and thoroughness of work do not always guarantee the desired result.
For this reason, more and more owners for repair work choose an alternative-a best professional paint sprayer or a spray gun, a device that is convenient, effective and economical.
This tool can perform several different operations. However, any job requires experience, knowledge of the technology and precise adherence to it.
Choosing a suitable product, painting the walls with a spray gun, the specifics of the operation, its advantages and disadvantages — topics that the future master should get acquainted with before starting surface decoration. Only in this case, the house or apartment will be provided with a perfect interior.
Pros and cons of spray painting
Everyone knows that painting walls with a spray gun is relatively easy, and its speed is impressive. Therefore, the advantages of this method are obvious, and there is no doubt about it. However, all technologies have disadvantages, so this point can not be ignored either.
What are the weaknesses of spray guns?
The first disadvantage is the high price of the most convenient paint sprayers. For example, the pneumatic “weapon” is characterized by a low cost, it will cost less than 1000 rubles.
However, its operation will require a compressor, which already involves serious costs. The price of electric models starts from about 2000 rubles, but we must understand that the possibilities of such inexpensive equipment are very limited.
But there are other weaknesses in spray guns. Hand tools will be cheaper, but working with them is difficult to call comfortable. The master will definitely need an assistant, the most even application of such a spray gun can not guarantee, it works only with water solutions. The complexity of using the equipment is another claim to it.
Before starting work, you need to dilute the mixture, adjust the shape of the torch-paintwork particles that fly towards the painted surface. During the process, it is necessary to monitor the air pressure, adjust the supply of paint. The most” capricious ” in this part of the working process is electric paint sprayers and, especially, pneumatic models.
Read More: How much paint do you need for one wall- Paint Calculation Formula
Model selection: types of spray guns
All tools are divided according to the principle of feeding the dye composition, according to the type of drive:
- Pneumatic tools. They are connected to an external compressor.
- Manual, or mechanical. In this case, a handle is used to pump the mixture.
- Electrical appliances that work “independently” require a minimum of effort from the owners.
Spray guns are characterized by ease of operation, performance, the ability to use compositions that differ from paint, and price. The next difference is the method of spraying the compositions: it can be airless and airless. Both methods can be used in electric tools. In pneumatic, a combined, electrostatic method is added to the air method. Often choose the airless principle, which makes it possible to spray a thicker mixture.
Pneumatic spray guns
These tools are favorites because they are characterized by high performance and the same quality of painting. The models are powered by compressed air, which is pumped by a compressor.
The principle of their operation is air, combined, and electrostatic. The first is more often used for interior decoration, the second method is used quite rarely. The third option is intended only for painting metal surfaces.
The best choice for painting works will be a model that has a lower, small tank for paint. With an impressive work front, the most suitable equipment will be a pressure tank connected to the spray gun with a hose. To buy a complete “ammunition kit” – a device and a compressor-you will need at least 10,000 rubles.
If the farm already has a supercharger, then serious costs can be avoided. Pneumatic paint sprayers are the best option for craftsmen who plan to work with it often and in large quantities.
Electric tools
This network-powered equipment is suitable for painting walls, floors and ceilings, for decorating furniture and fences. The devices can have an air or airless spray system. In the first type of equipment, the supercharger is either a remote mini-compressor or a built-in turbine.
Airless electric paint sprayers are divided into manual, used in everyday life, and semi-stationary devices used by professionals. Their main differences are the price (3000 and 30000, respectively) and performance.
Household appliances spray 300 ml/min, paint installations — 1200 ml/min. In the uniformity of the coating, they are slightly inferior to the air ones.
Battery-powered devices are the last type of equipment that can be used in any area where there is no power supply. Plus, the devices are versatile, allowing them to be powered by electricity, if possible.
The disadvantages are more: the significant disadvantages include a high price, more weight due to the presence of the battery, autonomous operation, limited to 20-30 minutes, as well as the low power of battery tools.
Manual paint sprayers
As a rule, such tools are purchased if the work front is small, and the composition for painting is water-based paint — water-based emulsion or whitewash.
Manual spray guns can not boast outstanding characteristics, they are only air-powered. Their capacity is a maximum of 250 m2 / h, working pressure-0.5-0.6 Pa.
This “modesty” of manual devices does not make it possible to use them for working with viscous materials — with putties or lacquers. But they will become irreplaceable assistants if it is necessary to protect materials with flame retardants, antiseptics, or to save garden plants from pests.
Advantages of mechanical devices — autonomy, disadvantages-low quality of work, low productivity. For finishing a house or apartment, they are not the best option, but for places where there is no electricity, where high quality is not a priority, they are indispensable.
Preparatory work
At first, glance painting the walls with a spray gun is as simple as possible, but the operation will be successful only in one case: if all its stages are performed flawlessly. Therefore, to paraphrase a well-known proverb, we can say that good preparation is half the victory.
Tools, materials
To ensure the work without the slightest delay, you must first collect everything you need. The set includes:
- masking tape;
- spray gun and paint;
- container for its dilution, measuring utensils (ruler);
- drill with a mixer attachment for mixing (tinting) the solution.
You will definitely need a thick plastic film (newspapers) to protect the surfaces from paint. To check the operation of the equipment, you will need cardboard, plywood (drywall).
Preparation of walls
Before any repair work, this stage is mandatory, painting the walls with a spray gun is no exception. To prepare the surfaces, perform several operations:
- first, completely remove the old coating;
- the walls are leveled, correcting all existing defects;
- sockets, switches are taken out of the mounting boxes, then they are sealed with masking tape, the wires are insulated;
- the prepared surfaces, if necessary, are degreased, then a layer (two or three) of the primer composition is applied to the walls.
The primer is applied with a wide brush or roller. Corners and hard-to-reach areas are treated with a narrow brush. If the surfaces are dedusted with soil several times, the first layer must dry before the second stage of treatment begins.
After the operation is completed, wait for the primer layer to dry. Otherwise, the consequence will be the appearance of defects on freshly painted walls.
Paint sprayer assembly
After completing the work with the base, they proceed to the preparation of the equipment. To do this, perform several steps:
First of all, the handle and nozzle are attached to the body: the elements are rotated, waiting for the click. Connect the hose intended for the air supply. Make sure that no kinks are formed in its sections.
They are engaged in adjusting the position of the nozzle for feeding paint vertically and horizontally.
Last of all, set up the controller, or during the work will change the head of the supply of paint and varnish material.
Preparation of paint, ceiling, baseboard, floor
Painting the walls with a spray gun involves a large number of activities before starting the main work. First, dilute and stir the paint, observing the proportions, which can vary greatly.
In this case, they are guided by the manufacturer’s recommendations, they are available on the product packaging. Special attention should be paid to the preparation of paint for tinting. The required amount of solution is calculated based on the area of the treated surface.
Water-based paints are diluted with distilled (better), distilled or filtered water. Different types of enamels require a solvent. It can be White spirit, solvents-P-12 and 646. Accurate information about the best option is easily found on the packaging of the material.
The proportions depend on the concentration of the composition: the ratio (diluent to paint) can be very different — from 1/10 to 1/1. The optimal consistency is considered the one that resembles fat kefir.
To protect the ceiling, which already has a finishing finish, paint tape is pasted around the perimeter. As a rule, this mini-operation is limited to experienced painters.
If such protection is not enough for an amateur master, then it is better to do something else: cover the entire ceiling surface with paper. Similar procedures are carried out with flooring, skirting boards, windows and doors.
| The room where the walls will be painted should be able to be well ventilated, but during the operation, drafts, on the contrary, are a contraindication. If finishing works are planned outside the house, then you need to wait for optimal conditions — windless, dry weather. |
Protection of the amateur painter
The smallest splashes of paint are a threat not only to the appearance but also to the eyes, as well as to the respiratory organs. This is another point that some masters miss.
In order not to face problems, especially when working with paint coatings made on the basis of solvents, a person needs protective ammunition. It includes a respirator (mask, half mask), gloves, glasses that fit snugly to the face, and a special jumpsuit designed only for painting work.
Painting the walls with a spray gun
After completing all the preparatory stages, they proceed to the main operation — to spray paint. First, the mixture is cleaned of impurities: with the help of a filter (nylon stocking), it is poured into the tank. If the solution is filtered in advance, then the container is then closed, since even diluted paint will dry relatively quickly.
Preliminary testing
Before you start painting the walls, you are advised to test the composition: this precaution is necessary to check the shape of the torch, the uniformity and distribution of the solution. For testing, any “unnecessary” surface with dimensions of 500×500 mm is suitable.
For example, an unfolded newspaper, a piece of packaging cardboard or plywood. Test spray — a second press of the trigger. If there is not enough paint on the surface, then the material supply is increased, and vice versa.
Optimal torch size
If the skills of such work are not yet available, then the shape of the torch requires the special attention of the master. Large, flat surfaces are painted with the adjusting screw open to the maximum because the large size implies an even and even distribution of the solution, a minimum number of passes.
| Partial repairs, as well as hard—to—reach places (corners, joints of walls with the ceiling) – reasons to reduce the nozzle to a minimum. Experience in this case is difficult to overestimate: only practice will make it possible to make the” maximum-optimal ” adjustment of the torch size quickly and accurately. |
Painting the walls with a paint sprayer
After the test, the devices go to the main work. To simplify the task, all walls are recommended to be visually divided into sections, their approximate width is a meter. Painting the walls starts from the window so that you can immediately see all the flaws, unvarnished places.
The hand movements should be smooth. The distance from the base to the paint sprayer is 150-200 mm, it is not recommended to go beyond these limits. An exception may be the tinting of walls (stone, brick, etc.), or the creation of decorative splashes on the surface. In both cases, the distance is allowed to increase slightly.
The main task of the master is to observe the uniformity of coloring. The work begins simultaneously with the beginning of the movement of the hand with the spray gun.
Otherwise, you can get a thick layer of solution at the starting point. The average speed of operation is 1 m in 5 seconds, but in this case, everything is decided by the performance of particular equipment.
When spray painting the walls, the coating is quite thin, so it is recommended to make several layers for the most saturated color. For water-based solutions, you need at least three of them. Breaks between sprays (up to 2 hours) are required for complete drying of the previous layer.
Each subsequent one is applied across the direction of the already applied material. For example, the first one is vertical, the second one is horizontal, and the third one is vertical again.
Spray paint on textured wallpaper, on plaster
In these cases, painting the walls with a spray gun is not very different. Since wallpaper is characterized by a rapid “setting” of compositions, it is not recommended to stay in one place for a long time.
More attention should be paid to the corners of the room: it is impossible to allow unpainted areas to remain. Similarly, they work with walls finished with plaster.
Cleaning the “Gun”
To maintain the full functionality of the tool, it must be cleaned after each painting. In this case, the set of devices for bringing the spray gun to “combat readiness” is minimal: it includes a small container, a solvent and a small but convenient brush. The ideal setting is one that includes additional accessories.
Working with a spray gun: recommendations and errors
Only correct work with the equipment will allow you to get an impeccable result, so it is better to get acquainted with the features of this work in advance.
The first rule is a recommendation-a few workouts on cardboard or wooden sheet. In this case, you can perfectly adjust the nozzle, and at the same time get at least minimal working skills. Do not interfere with other tips.
- The correct position of the spray gun relative to the treated surface is mandatory. Any deviation from a straight line will lead to an uneven distribution of the composition.
- The trigger is pressed (or stop spraying) 100-150 mm before the boundaries of the treated area. Otherwise, it will be painted with excess, or, conversely, not well enough.
- Overlap painting is the best option. A new lane is started on a½ or a third of the previous line. The direction of movement of the paint sprayer is classic: either from left to right or from top to bottom.
The work does not involve much complexity, but the “colorful debut” often causes difficulties and problems. It is better to learn about some of them, as well as their causes, before starting a large-scale operation.
- The appearance of smudges on the edges. This is due to the high air pressure. A potential treatment is to use a solution of greater density or to reduce the flow pressure.
- Strong streaks under the middle of the spot. The reason is too much paint. The solution is to reduce the size of the torch or increase the air jet.
Another possible emergency is the appearance of a dusty, matte effect when using a glossy composition. This result is obtained by the master who, when mixing, made a material that is too viscous.
It is easy to get rid of the “plaque” — it is enough to dilute the composition with water (solvent), and then check it on the surface for test spraying.