Hi,
I'm looking to paint a pretty large house (4000 sqft). Walls are currently latex. Trim (baseboards, crown molding, cases, doors, window sills, cabinets, etc) are all oil based paint.
With this big of a job (local painting contractors are estimating $20k), I figure that I can afford to invest in some quality equipment, and I don't mind getting a bit more hands on. I am a landlord, so acquiring some painting skills is probably in my best interest.
The first thought in my head is whether or not I should spray. I am not confident in my ability to consistently cut straight lines, nor roll/brush without leaving marks. I've painted some scraps while I was testing colors, and was not impressed with my quality of work. For trim, close enough is probably close enough, but I'm more concerned with producing a quality finish on doors and kitchen cabinets. The home is on the higher-end, so I need that near-factory level finish.
I've got it in my head that it'll be easier for me to figure out how to spray a nice finish versus practicing with a roller and brush until I can get a nice finish.
My other line of thinking is that, if I try to roll/brush baseboards, door cases, etc -- I fear that I'm going to end up needing to tape anyway (again, because I can't seem to cut straight lines by hand). If I'm resigned to taping, why not spray? I assume that putting down tape versus putting down tape + 9" paper (especially with a hand masker) is about the same effort. The only additional work I'd probably have to do is to roll rosin paper over the floors and throw plastic/cloth over whatever little furniture/countertops there are. I might even invest in some zipwalls to control overspray in small sections at a time -- that way I can avoid masking an entire room.
The next question is what kind of paint should I use (on the trim and cabinets). My understanding is that in order to paint latex over oil, I'd have to put on an oil-based primer. Alternatively, I've read some mixed success about using a hybrid waterbourne alkyd paint like Benjamin Moore Advance (all my colors are Benjamin Moore, and I'd prefer to stick with them) directly on oil-based paint after a scuff sand. Or, can I just stick to oil, which I can also apply after just sanding.
While I don't directly care about what type of paint to use, it does seem to matter in terms of what kind of a sprayer I need to buy/rent. My understanding is that an HVLP would have a hard time spraying latex, and I would be better served with an airless sprayer (regular tip for trim, FFLP tip for doors & cabinets). But, if I spray oil-based paint, I might be able to get away with an HVLP. I've also read that Benjamin Moore Advance is pretty thin, and I might be able to get away with minimal thinning with an HVLP sprayer.
It also begs the question -- if I were to spray trim in anything but latex, do I care about masking walls? Is there a concern that the latex that will be rolled on the walls (no spray here) will not cover any oil-based paint or hybrid paint that I happen to get on the walls from spraying? Do I need to be concerned about paint not adhering to any parts that I may have gotten some oil based paint on? Or that it would have a different sheen?
Finally, if I am doing all this spraying, should I also attempt to spray the ceiling? My understanding is that walls are typically rolled to give it better paint coverage and also to produce a good sheen and help hide defects. But given that ceiling are dead flat and are not eye-level, it is still a good candidate for spraying -- as long as you are willing to deal with the masking?
So far, I am leaning towards something like this:
1. Get an 4 or 5 stage turbine HVLP (Something like the Fuji Q5). Pick up a full-face respirator and coveralls.
2. Remove and number all doors, cabinet doors, and drawers
3. Mask floors with rosin paper. Throw plastic over furniture, countertops, and appliances. Mask windows and fireplace. Leave trim, doors, walls, window sills, anything that will be painted again alone.
4. Prep (clean, repair, and sand) & spray 2 coats on baseboards, crown molding, door casings, window sills, etc with BM Advance, BM Waterborne Satin Impervo, or BM Oil-based Satin Impervo). Do not be concerned with getting paint on walls or ceiling.
5. Prep (clean, repair, and sand) cabinet boxes & spray 2 coats of same paint (different color).
6. Mask baseboards, crown molding, door casings, window sills, etc. Throw plastic over cabinet boxes where they are close to walls.
7. Thin and spray BM Ultra-Flat Waterborne Ceiling Paint on the ceilings. This part may be a little challenging for HVLP sprayer and may require more than 2 coats.
8. Clean and repair walls, then cut in with an angled brush (mask is still there because I can't cut straight lines) and roll walls with BM Regal Select Matte. Consider using BM Aura Bath & Spa Matte for bathrooms.
Somewhere in there, I'll spray doors & drawers out in the garage -- again with the Advance, WB Impervo, or Oil-based Impervo.
Lastly -- am I crazy for wanting to spray because I'm afraid of brushing & rolling? Is it easier to get brush/roll technique down than to master spraying? Should I really consider buying/renting an airless instead of an HVLP? Something like the Graco Magnum x5? My understanding is that I can do all of this with an airless as well, but it involves more cleanup and I'm just a little bit wary of the much higher psis in an airless gun.
What haven't I thought of?
Thanks in advance.
I'm looking to paint a pretty large house (4000 sqft). Walls are currently latex. Trim (baseboards, crown molding, cases, doors, window sills, cabinets, etc) are all oil based paint.
With this big of a job (local painting contractors are estimating $20k), I figure that I can afford to invest in some quality equipment, and I don't mind getting a bit more hands on. I am a landlord, so acquiring some painting skills is probably in my best interest.
The first thought in my head is whether or not I should spray. I am not confident in my ability to consistently cut straight lines, nor roll/brush without leaving marks. I've painted some scraps while I was testing colors, and was not impressed with my quality of work. For trim, close enough is probably close enough, but I'm more concerned with producing a quality finish on doors and kitchen cabinets. The home is on the higher-end, so I need that near-factory level finish.
I've got it in my head that it'll be easier for me to figure out how to spray a nice finish versus practicing with a roller and brush until I can get a nice finish.
My other line of thinking is that, if I try to roll/brush baseboards, door cases, etc -- I fear that I'm going to end up needing to tape anyway (again, because I can't seem to cut straight lines by hand). If I'm resigned to taping, why not spray? I assume that putting down tape versus putting down tape + 9" paper (especially with a hand masker) is about the same effort. The only additional work I'd probably have to do is to roll rosin paper over the floors and throw plastic/cloth over whatever little furniture/countertops there are. I might even invest in some zipwalls to control overspray in small sections at a time -- that way I can avoid masking an entire room.
The next question is what kind of paint should I use (on the trim and cabinets). My understanding is that in order to paint latex over oil, I'd have to put on an oil-based primer. Alternatively, I've read some mixed success about using a hybrid waterbourne alkyd paint like Benjamin Moore Advance (all my colors are Benjamin Moore, and I'd prefer to stick with them) directly on oil-based paint after a scuff sand. Or, can I just stick to oil, which I can also apply after just sanding.
While I don't directly care about what type of paint to use, it does seem to matter in terms of what kind of a sprayer I need to buy/rent. My understanding is that an HVLP would have a hard time spraying latex, and I would be better served with an airless sprayer (regular tip for trim, FFLP tip for doors & cabinets). But, if I spray oil-based paint, I might be able to get away with an HVLP. I've also read that Benjamin Moore Advance is pretty thin, and I might be able to get away with minimal thinning with an HVLP sprayer.
It also begs the question -- if I were to spray trim in anything but latex, do I care about masking walls? Is there a concern that the latex that will be rolled on the walls (no spray here) will not cover any oil-based paint or hybrid paint that I happen to get on the walls from spraying? Do I need to be concerned about paint not adhering to any parts that I may have gotten some oil based paint on? Or that it would have a different sheen?
Finally, if I am doing all this spraying, should I also attempt to spray the ceiling? My understanding is that walls are typically rolled to give it better paint coverage and also to produce a good sheen and help hide defects. But given that ceiling are dead flat and are not eye-level, it is still a good candidate for spraying -- as long as you are willing to deal with the masking?
So far, I am leaning towards something like this:
1. Get an 4 or 5 stage turbine HVLP (Something like the Fuji Q5). Pick up a full-face respirator and coveralls.
2. Remove and number all doors, cabinet doors, and drawers
3. Mask floors with rosin paper. Throw plastic over furniture, countertops, and appliances. Mask windows and fireplace. Leave trim, doors, walls, window sills, anything that will be painted again alone.
4. Prep (clean, repair, and sand) & spray 2 coats on baseboards, crown molding, door casings, window sills, etc with BM Advance, BM Waterborne Satin Impervo, or BM Oil-based Satin Impervo). Do not be concerned with getting paint on walls or ceiling.
5. Prep (clean, repair, and sand) cabinet boxes & spray 2 coats of same paint (different color).
6. Mask baseboards, crown molding, door casings, window sills, etc. Throw plastic over cabinet boxes where they are close to walls.
7. Thin and spray BM Ultra-Flat Waterborne Ceiling Paint on the ceilings. This part may be a little challenging for HVLP sprayer and may require more than 2 coats.
8. Clean and repair walls, then cut in with an angled brush (mask is still there because I can't cut straight lines) and roll walls with BM Regal Select Matte. Consider using BM Aura Bath & Spa Matte for bathrooms.
Somewhere in there, I'll spray doors & drawers out in the garage -- again with the Advance, WB Impervo, or Oil-based Impervo.
Lastly -- am I crazy for wanting to spray because I'm afraid of brushing & rolling? Is it easier to get brush/roll technique down than to master spraying? Should I really consider buying/renting an airless instead of an HVLP? Something like the Graco Magnum x5? My understanding is that I can do all of this with an airless as well, but it involves more cleanup and I'm just a little bit wary of the much higher psis in an airless gun.
What haven't I thought of?
Thanks in advance.
