What You Need to Know about Using a Paint Sprayer

Using a paint sprayer can make a painting task much easier, especially if you are trying to cover a larger area. While using a paint sprayer can give you that professional finish that you are looking for; it does take a little bit of practice. You should always prepare on another surface first before you use the sprayer for the actual task. Here is what you need to know about using a paint sprayer:

Prepping the Paint

One of the most frequent complaints associated with sprayers is that they get clogged quite easily. To avoid this, you need to thin out the paint and mix it carefully so that no clumps remain. Ideally, you should try to thin the paint by 10 – 15%. For paints that are water based, you can use water as a thinner. For those that are oil-based, you will be more successful using turpentine. You can then add this mixture to the sprayer.

The Perfect Environment

If you want your paint job to dry well, you are going to have to wait for the ideal conditions. This means that you should wait for the temperature to be between 45 and 75 degrees. Painting in weather that is too cold will cause it to dry too slowly and cause dirt to get stuck to the paint. Temperatures that are too warm will force the paint to dry too quickly, preventing proper bonding.

Proper Position

Usually, you should be standing about ten to twelve inches away from the wall as you spray. Standing further away means that less paint will be sprayed while standing too close will cause too much paint to be sprayed.

The Spraying Technique

You should always hold the sprayer perpendicular to the wall or the surface. Try to avoid moving the nozzle up and down as the paint will be unevenly applied.
Do not move the sprayer in an arc as the end result will not look even.
To avoid too much paint in one spot, move the sprayer two to three feet each second.
To get an ideal finish, paint in several thin layers rather than one thick layer.
Prevent paint building up on the sprayer tip guard by wiping it frequently with a cloth.

You should always try out your paint spraying skills on a spare surface first. Only once you have successfully tackled the sprayer should you move onto the actual surface.