Mom-ninja. Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Has anyone used electric paint sprayer to paint the interior of their home? Wondering if it works better than rollers and brushes and less mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Not less mess. Not in our case, anyway. Rolling/brushing went much faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 We've used an airless sprayer http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Magnum-262800-Airless-Sprayer/dp/B0026SR0FW As long as you do lots of prep work by encasing the room in plastic, it is great. The finish is flawless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 It might depend on what you're painting. Flat walls are probably fine. Cabinets were tricky, we found it too difficult to manage the angles and properly control the spray so there were no drips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 It was loud, messy and the ceiling was a disaster. I like rollers better-- But I really, really, really hate prep and clean-up. I never tape (I just got really good at making straight lines) and I use as few tools as I can to avoid cleanup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 We paid someone to spray our house thinking that it would have a nicer finish. Worst decision ever. I went back and resanded everything they did and went over it with a roller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 My husband is a prof painter and he NEVER sprays a house someone lives in. He does spray new construction and he rolls each wall after. A much better finish with the roller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 My husband is a prof painter and he NEVER sprays a house someone lives in. He does spray new construction and he rolls each wall after. A much better finish with the roller. I could have written this pist, my dh is a prof painter as well. Those cheap sprayers are junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 I used a sprayer years ago. Once. I had paint everywhere except where I wanted it (it was even in my hair and splattered on my arms). I have never made a mess like that with a brush & roller, not even when first learning how to paint!! The machine was also a *&^% to clean----WAY more effort and mess to clean than rollers and brushes. It is still sitting in a box in my attic 15 years later. I really should toss it. By "less mess", so you mean drips and spatters, or cleaning? I actually don't clean my rollers after one use if I can't finish the job in one day or I know I'll need a second coat---- I wrap the roller & brush in cling wrap and just pick up the next day. I have even left rollers 'wrapped' for up to a week and have no issues when I go to use them. I also use a bit of liquid fabric softener when washing brushes & rollers, as it helps the paint slide off and leaves the rollers nice and fluffy. This reminds me that I should go buy some, as I'm going to paint dd's room soon. I am in the middle of painting my entire house right now-- I use dawn dish detergent to clean the equipment. Doesn't the fabric softener cause the roller to not hold the paint the next day? I hate cleaning and will take any hints on cleaning-- this sounds too good to be true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 19, 2014 Author Share Posted July 19, 2014 Thanks so much. I never would have thought of wrapping rollers/brushes in plastic wrap. Slap head moment. We started putting primer on and then remembered we need to sand the baseboards. Sigh. We're so bad at this home improvement stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Years ago we had a power roller. Loaned it out and never saw it again. That thing was awesome. It attached to the paint can and kept a steady flow of paint to the roller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 20, 2014 Author Share Posted July 20, 2014 I would love to take credit for the cling wrap thing, but I read it in a book and thought it sounded like a great shortcut! What are you doing to your baseboards that you need to sand them before priming the walls? I just pretend to know what I'm doing when I paint, so I'm curious--- all I have ever done is wipe them clean and paint, so I'm :bigear:. Our baseboards throughout the house are awful. The paint is peeling and chipping off. If I just bump the baseboard with the vacuum paint chips off. I don't know what the heck the contractors did or didn't do to them. Anyway, we have to get all the old peeling paint off so we can repaint them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 We've used it when we had a large area to paint the same color but generally it isn't worth the set up and clean up. We are painting a boat load now, lots of blue tape, various brushes, rollers and edgers. Generally it turns out well, although I'm sure pros do it better. Fwiw we just did the baseboards of the room we painted and it took longer to tape it than to paint it but it looks great now. I so wish we had the rest of the house done but so don't want to do it we've still got the hall, kitchen and 1 bedroom to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I've never used a sprayer, but I've done LOTS of interior painting over the years. I wrap the rollers and brushes in a double layer of plastic wrap, too. A professional painter told me about that trick. I also never tape off anything. Ever. I use an angled paint brush to cut in around baseboards, windows, doors, and ceilings, and always keep a wet rag handy to immediately clean any paint off the woodwork, or any drips. I'm pretty good at cutting in with a brush after all the practice I've had, so it's not much of a problem. Another trick I learned is to put the paint into a large bucket, like a five gallon bucket. Then use a metal screen thing instead of a paint tray. You dip your roller into the paint, and roll it off onto the metal screen before painting the wall. So much easier than pouring the paint into a tray! It hangs on the side of the bucket. This is what I'm talking about: http://www.thepaintstore.com/Metal_4_Sided_5_Gallon_Bucket_Grid_p/arm416.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I have heard of people that never tape....I just can't imagine being able to do it. I always seem to go over lines no matter how hard I try. :( Also, what's the best way of getting out a bristle from the paint brush that gets stuck in the finish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I have heard of people that never tape....I just can't imagine being able to do it. I always seem to go over lines no matter how hard I try. :( Also, what's the best way of getting out a bristle from the paint brush that gets stuck in the finish? Hmm, I've never had a paint brush bristle get dried into the paint finish. Here's a guy showing how to cut in with a brush. I do it pretty much the same except I don't use a small roller the way he does. I just paint down a few inches and smooth it out with my brush. I never have a problem with it not blending in after I've rolled the whole wall. Don't put too much paint on your brush. Just dip the edge of the brush in...maybe an inch...then scrape off the excess. Let the edge of the brush make the line. I find this much easier to do with an angled paint brush. Mine is about 2 inches wide I think. It does take some practice. I've been painting walls for thirty years. ETA: at about 5:00 into the video, he shows a close up of cutting in. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xdSm_kDYwsg Sometimes I go over the lines, make a little goof. That's what the wet rag is for. Wipe it off right away. It's still way easier than taping, at least for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 PSA: if you get latex paint on favorite clothing, you can remove it with some isopropyl rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush. I just scrubbed the paint gently and it quickly began to let go of the cloth. Then I put it in the regular laundry and it came out great! HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 My husband is a prof painter and he NEVER sprays a house someone lives in. He does spray new construction and he rolls each wall after. A much better finish with the roller. Our neighbors are professional painters and they would say the same thing. Even when spraying exteriors, they will follow with a roller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I have heard of people that never tape....I just can't imagine being able to do it. I always seem to go over lines no matter how hard I try. :( Also, what's the best way of getting out a bristle from the paint brush that gets stuck in the finish? I never tape either, I use this brush — it gives you a lot more control because it's short and flexible and fits in your hand better, and the bristles are angled to give you a sharp edge. I keep a tub of wipes with me to immediately wipe off any mistakes. As for bristles... do you mean when the paint is wet or after it's dried? If the paint is wet, I just pick up the bristle with the edge of the brush (or my finger) and wipe it off on a rag. If you miss one and the paint already dried, you can carefully lift the end with a razor blade and then peel it off, sand lightly, and touch up the paint. ETA: I've accidentally left a roller wrapped in cling film for over a month (totally forgot about it!), and the paint was still wet when I found it. I also keep brushes in a ziplock baggie overnight, or when I'm taking a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 Dh and I watched that exact video before we started painting yesterday. We watched a few others as well. We always taped in the past. This time we didn't because it's takes so much time and we have a lot of other stuff to work on in the room. So, I suggested we watch the videos and give it a go. We are not good painters. My dh especially lacks the attention span for detail. However, we did it! We didn't tape and I have to say that this paint job looks much better than any we've ever done with tape. I'm so proud of us. Even my dh was surprised at how well he did and how good it looks. My hand is achy, but worth it. I can't wait to see how the room looks in the morning in the morning sun after it's dry. We've wrapped our brushes and roller in plastic wrap just in case we need to touch up. Now, the trim. Oy. Were we supposed to paint the trim first? Cause I forgot to ask before we started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Young House Love blog has a detailed review with pictures. I've never tried myself, but I remember reading their post(s?) on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 When we remodeled a house years ago we put up new drywall in 5(3 bed, living, dining) rooms. Dh used a sprayer. We didn't have much time, the new carpet was coming in 2 days. So he was able to primer, and paint (total 3 coats) very quickly. Mainly because we didn't have to worry about it getting on carpet, outlets etc.... It was beyond messy. We were covered, the floor was covered, the air was full of it. We also went through 2 sprayers. So not cheaper, way messier but much quicker and less "pain" (I have a back injury and can't do rollers or hold a brush for very long). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 ETA: at about 5:00 into the video, he shows a close up of cutting in. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xdSm_kDYwsg Sometimes I go over the lines, make a little goof. That's what the wet rag is for. Wipe it off right away. It's still way easier than taping, at least for me. Thanks for that video! So you cut in first before rolling. Then roll while the paint is still wet. This is good to know, one time we tried this and I basically cut in the whole room before DH came in to roll. I think I also have been using the wrong brush. We are about to move and know I will be painting....so this is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Thanks for that video! So you cut in first before rolling. Then roll while the paint is still wet. This is good to know, one time we tried this and I basically cut in the whole room before DH came in to roll. I think I also have been using the wrong brush. We are about to move and know I will be painting....so this is awesome! Well, there have been times when I've painted a room by myself and I know some of the cutting in was dry before I rolled the walls. It didn't seem to matter. After the paint dried I couldn't tell. As I said before, I never used a small roller the way the guy in the linked video did...but I do always paint down a few inches and smooth it out with my brush. Good luck! I have some bedrooms that need painting. Most recent DD to move out painted her room purple and I'm painting it pale blue green. Oy! We'll see if the paint with primer included covers that in one coat. Maybe not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I've painted ten rooms in the past two months. I love rollers. Ooh and those neat little rectangles with two wheels that edge ceilings perfectly. I was warned off of sprays as too much mess but no personal experience there. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Well, there have been times when I've painted a room by myself and I know some of the cutting in was dry before I rolled the walls. It didn't seem to matter. After the paint dried I couldn't tell. As I said before, I never used a small roller the way the guy in the linked video did...but I do always paint down a few inches and smooth it out with my brush. Good luck! I have some bedrooms that need painting. Most recent DD to move out painted her room purple and I'm painting it pale blue green. Oy! We'll see if the paint with primer included covers that in one coat. Maybe not. After for different kinds of paint, try Behr. It's the best coverage I've used so far but you still might need two coats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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