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Using An Airless Paint Sprayer - tcm96-1128824
Using An Airless Paint Sprayer - tcm96-1128824
Airless Paint
Sprayer
Look for equipment
that will move the
heaviest coating
you’re likely to use
by Jason Seltin
A s a remodeling contractor, I go
through 100 to 150 gallons of
paint per year. My early efforts at paint-
ing with consistency and efficiency were
frustrating, and my first attempts to use
a paint sprayer only made things worse.
Dealing with thick clouds of overspray,
runs, clogged sprayers, and impossible
cleaning chores nearly convinced me
that spraying was better left to the full- Contractors who do multiple medium- can be applied in the same day with the
time experts. size renovations or their own painting — right materials. Once you’ve gained ex-
It wasn’t until I actually watched a real or who want to add painting to their arse- perience, getting into corners, cutting in
pro carefully spray around windows with nal — should look into purchasing and around borders, coating complex sur-
almost no overspray that I realized how learning how to use an airless sprayer. faces, and providing consistent, high-
much more there was to choosing and quality results become second nature.
using the equipment than I’d thought, The Benefits of Spraying Properly applied spray finishes are
and how powerful a tool this could be for Spraying is two to four times faster than higher in quality than roll or brush fin-
a remodeler. brushing or rolling, and multiple coats ishes, without the lap and stroke marks
common to other application methods. sprayers. Many promise the ability to a sprayer, because it directly influences
Spraying doesn’t have to be limited to spray “thick liquids” or show smiling the tip size and the materials you can
coating wide expanses like house exteri- homeowners flawlessly one-coating their spray. Although stores or manufacturers
ors or blank walls, either; all the trim for homes. “Thick,” of course, is in the eye of might tout pressure or unit hp, what
a house can be laid out and sprayed at beholder. What we’re really after is the matters is being able to properly atom-
once, or all the balusters on a porch or ability to apply the correct amount of the ize materials without thinning or having
deck can be finished in far less time correct material. to use maximum pressure. Proper
than by brush. Overall, spraying can be Airless sprayers operate with a con- atomization helps reduce problems like
a profitable addition to your standard stant amount of paint in the hose and overspray.
painting offerings. gun, held under high pressure. When The easiest way to determine how large
you pull the trigger, the pump pushes a unit you need is by finding the heaviest
Selecting a Paint Sprayer against the paint, atomizing it and forc- coating you might apply — generally a
Walk into any professional paint store or ing it through the tip. Application rate in professional latex or even a masonry
home-improvement warehouse and you gallons per minute (gpm) is one of the waterproofing paint — and looking at the
will be faced with a bewildering array of most important criteria when selecting instructions on the back of the paint or
stain container. Manufacturers typically sizes larger than what’s required to move These brands typically have better, long-
provide a tip range for spraying the the type of paint you normally use. The er-lasting motors, require less service,
material (see Figure 1, page 2); for unit will have a larger pump, which and outperform less-expensive brands.
instance, Sherwin-Williams A-100 calls means that you can more effectively fine-
for a .017-inch-diameter tip. tune the rate of flow. Price and Selection
Once you know the tip size, you can Pump types. There are two types of I recommend that anyone considering
determine what flow rate the sprayer will pumps used for airless sprayers: piston buying an airless spray unit visit a profes-
need in order to successfully atomize the pumps and diaphragm pumps. In gen- sional paint store that supports a large
paint; in this case, you’d need a unit with eral, lower-end models use a diaphragm selection. In addition to having more to
an effective flow rate of .31 gpm. Where pump, in which an impeller revolves, choose from, you’ll get professional ad-
did I get that number? From the back of pushing the paint along. Piston pumps vice. Models sold by professional suppli-
the tip package. So you’d want a unit that are found on higher-end models, like the ers tend to cost more than those bought
supports that size tip at a minimum. pro-duty sprayers from Graco (www. from a catalog or Web site, but a good
I also recommend that you buy a unit graco.com), SprayTech (www.spraytec paint store should be able to help you
that will support a tip at least one or two sys.com), and Titan (www.titantool.com). select the right equipment for your
intended applications, as well as provide
service work when needed. And, as with
any professional tool, buying job-specific
4 x 2 = 8-inch fan width equipment will generally deliver more
consistent results with less aggravation.
17 = .017-inch orifice diameter Also, don’t forget that there is a host of
accessories for airless units: extensions,
rollers, special tips, mobility carts, and
additional-length hoses. Before buying,
check with the sales department to en-
sure your unit will support a longer hose;
more length means more paint to keep
under pressure, placing greater demand
on the motor. Once you learn the basics
of your system, items can be added to
make the job easier, such as extensions
and roller handles.
associated with breathing the vapors of a nail gun, one slip could cause perma- surfaces, paint types, and items to be
the materials you’re using. While the haz- nent damage. sprayed around.
ards of breathing fumes from oil- or Always remove pressure from the sys- In almost all cases, the gun should be
alkyd-based products are well-known, tem before moving it around, cleaning held straight up and down, parallel to
most people don’t realize that long-term the tip, or making other adjustments. and 12 inches away from the surface.
exposure to water-based finishes can also Move your whole body along the sur-
cause lung problems. Spray Technique face, not just your wrist and gun; they
At a minimum, appropriate paint res- On home-improvement shows, the act should stay in the same fixed attitude
pirators and safety glasses must be worn, of spraying tends to be oversimplified. while spraying (Figure 3, page 4).
and great caution should be exercised Spraying is both a technique and an art; When spraying, activate the trigger
when using an airless system. Just as with you must take into account the different before moving over the receiving surface,
then continue moving beyond it before
releasing the trigger. Application speed
must be consistent; moving too fast or
pulling the gun away leaves too little
paint on the surface; moving too slow or
angling the attack so that the gun is not
parallel to the wall can lead to overappli-
cation and drips. This is the art of spray-
ing; getting the right results is a matter of
knowledgeably gauging various factors
— speed, material, surface.
We typically spray big areas first, then
move to the smaller parts, using different
tips to cut into corners and around win-
dows and protrusions (Figure 4). We al-
ways make generous use of paint shields
and drop cloths (Figure 5, page 6).
Overspray. I hear a lot of complaints
about overspray. The problem could be
caused by a number of different factors:
Figure 4. Maintain The material is too thin or has been
a vertical wet thinned for spraying with a smaller
edge when you’re sprayer; the wrong tip or gun is being
spraying a second used; the pressure is set too high.
coat; it’s a good
If you’re getting a lot of overspray, go to
way to keep track
of what’s already a larger tip and increase your application
been sprayed. speed while decreasing the sprayer’s
pressure. If the tip isn’t specifically sup-
ported by the sprayer used, it’s probably
too small to obtain good results with the
material you’re using.
Most common spraying problems can
be remedied by making adjustments in
technique or equipment. Tailing, for
instance — small, parallel paint marks
above and below the main spray pattern
— occurs when the gun is held too far its ability to provide fast, consistent qual- the paint and cleaning it; I immerse it in
from the surface, the pressure is too high, ity — a result that comes from practice, a 5-gallon bucket of clean, warm water. I
or the tip is clogged. not from back-rolling everything. In my then remove the tip holder and pump
Spattering results when there’s insuffi- experience, once you get the right the remaining paint in the hose back into
cient pressure or a problem with the tip sprayer and know how to use it, back- the paint container. As soon as the paint
— it’s either worn or too big for the unit. rolling is not necessary. flow lessens, I switch to rinsing. General-
Orange-peeling happens when material ly, 1 or 2 gallons of clean water pumped
is sprayed on a too-hot surface like alu- Cleaning and Maintenance through the hose and gun provides com-
minum siding. Cleaning seems to be a major problem, plete cleaning.
especially for users of older or poorly While still pumping, I take apart and
To Back-Roll or Not? designed units, which can be a pain to clean the gun, handle, tip, and filters. Last
Among professionals, this is the big take apart and clean correctly. Make of all, I oil the unit, particularly the piston,
question — and there’s no uniform sure to ask about cleaning and mainte- in preparation for the next time I use it.
agreement on the answer. Both methods nance before purchasing an airless Total cleanup time? Usually 10 minutes
have advocates. spraying outfit. or less.
Many believe back-rolling is necessary Nowadays, some units can be connect- After choosing a good solid airless
to force the paint product into the sur- ed directly to a garden hose for fast clean- spraying unit and learning how to use it,
face. But at delivery pressures of 2,000 psi ing. With others, you have to disassemble contractors who handle their own paint-
or greater, the material should adequate- several components, remove the paint ing can expect to improve both their time
ly embed in the work surface. from the system, and then run an appro- line and their bottom line.
Others argue that rolling is necessary priate cleaner through the system.
to achieve a smooth, consistent paint To clean my unit, I generally start by Jason Seltin is a remodeling contractor in
application. But the beauty of a sprayer is removing the paint pick-up tube from Saint Johns, Mich.