Should I use a sprayer?

952 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Billm0066, Dec 12, 2015

Billm0066

Discussion Starter · Dec 12, 2015

Hey everyone, this is my first post. I am buying a short sale home that needs a lot of work, and the first thing we need to do is paint the whole house (interior and exterior). The home is a 2,000 square feet ranch. I've been painting houses for a long time, but I've always used rollers. This time around I'm thinking of using a sprayer since I have to do so much painting over the next 1-2 years. I have never used one, but I have seen them in person being used and it seems like it goes much faster once everything is taped and masked.

The home will be vacant for at least a month before we move in. Which means I'm spraying in an empty house.
I'm replacing all of the flooring in the home so I don't need to cover them.
I'm replacing all moldings in the home. Base, door casing, window casings, etc..
Ceilings will be flat white, and all walls will be flat light gray. Trim will be a glossier white.
I'm reusing the cabinet boxes but will be making new doors at some point. The kitchen will need to be masked off.

The home has vaulted ceilings. They start at about 10ft on the edges, and go up to 15ft at the peak. I do have access to scaffolding if needed.

My questions are. Is the sprayer a good choice? My concern is if it will really save me time since the ceilings are vaulted. I wasn't sure if they made attachments to allow me to spray without having to be on the scaffolding. With extensions I should be able to backroll from the ground right? Or will I be stuck to spraying and backrolling from the scaffolding?

Should I spray the ceiling first without masking the walls? I plan on using flat white on the ceiling, and a flat light gray on the walls in the entire home. I thought it's better to paint the ceiling first since white overspray wont matter on the walls. If I spray the walls first I will get light gray on the ceiling which might show through the ceiling paint. Thoughts?

If I spray the ceiling first, that means I will need to tape and mask a couple feet of it once I spray the walls right?

Is it realistic of me to get a good airless sprayer, tips, wand, etc for $1,000 or less? I will be using it for the interior, then the exterior at some point. After that I will probably sell it on Craigslist. I'm also open to buying a used one from Craigslist to save money too.

For my trim and cabinet work I have an Earlex HV5500 Spray station. I just need something for the walls and ceiling.

The main reason I want to spray is because I painted my townhouse this year that also had vaulted ceilings. The thought of rolling this entire house is killing me. I would love to hire it out, but we are spending enough money on flooring and other items I would love to save money any way I can.

See less See more

Save

1 - 2 of 4 Posts

Billm0066

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 12, 2015

AlphaWolf said:
If it were me I would do as follows:
Spray ceilings to completion.
remove floor and trim
Install new trim slightly above where your floor goes.
caulk prime and spray finish all trim.
buy shoe moulding. lay it on floor spray it in finish
Cut and roll the walls 2 coats no need to prime as there previously painted
install new floor
install shoe mould at bottom of baseboard to remove gap of space as well as add a nicer profile.
run around caulk shoe mould to trim and run a brush across it.
do any wall touchups

I'm planning on doing site finished wood floors, so baseboard and shoe molding were going to be last. Why not spray the walls? If I'm investing the money in a sprayer I really want to get my moneys worth.

blackjack said:
I'd demo whatever you're replacing.
Mask whatever is staying.
Prime whatever needs to be primed (cabinet boxes) you may even want to just finish those boxes and get them masked off, as well as any othet trim thats staying.
Then spray the walls out with your first coat.

Use a hand masker and 12 in paper (or bigger if ya want) and run it at the top of your walls around the perimeter of the ceiling. Shoot and backroll (use a "wand" extension several sizes available. I like the 12" , easy to manage-- especially when you get into the bedrooms and closets and such) the ceilings from the scaffold or a step ladder (which might be easier to manage) get an extension pole (I like wooster sherlock frames and poles 5-10' or 6-12' (depending on how tall you are.) And backroll from the ground.2 coats on the ceilings.

Unwrap. Finish (roll em) your walls. You've already got a nice straight line at the top so it'll go fast and easy. Flat ceilings. Eggshell or satin walls. Satin or semi trim.

Buying a used pump is a crap shoot on Craigs list. Ya might want to ask your PAINT STORE (not box store) manager If he knows anyone selling a pump. Maybe a crap shoot too, but a painter will usually take better care of their pump than a home owner. Ya might even consider buying a used one from the local pump repair place (-best bet-ask the PAINT STORE manager who that is and phone #) sometimes you'll get a much better deal on something someone never picked up. And you'll likely get something more dependable which you'll need for the interior as well as the exterior. They'll also happily instruct you on properly using and cleaning out your pump.( I'd use a 515 or 517 tip inside and out on your home btw...). Buy your paint at the PAINT STORE. Sounds like you've got a lot of work. Don't try to cheap out on the finishes or you'll be sorry in a few years when you're repainting OCCUPIED.
Happy painting.

Thanks. I found a graco sprayer at home depot for about $500, and maybe another $50-$100 in attachments so it seems it's below my planned budget. I buy all my paint from Sherwin Williams and plan on doing so for this house as well. Will 12" typically get all the overspray? I might go wider just to be on the safe side.

It's a lot of work but nothing a little time and money can't handle. Maybe some blood, sweat, and tears too

Save

1 - 2 of 4 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month