Spraying walls

[Corset]

I am aware this is not strickly a woodworking question but bear with me. I have just bought a new house in a bad way and I am starting to get some work done. Obviously getting my garage/workshop done is a priority before the kitchen,bathroom or other such frivolity (wife not really understanding this) In order to speed up things such as varnishing the skirting I have decided to invest in a HVLP kit, or that is my excuse anyway.
I would like to practise some spraying first and thought it might be a good idea to paint the walls in my garage workshop white. These are brick and my question is what paint could i spray them with. I am aware that i could roller them, but where is the fun in that :lol:
owen
P.s this will start of my Workshop thread.

 

[recipio]

:wink: About 15 yrs ago I had the same idea and bought a Hegner electric spray gun. Big mistake, the clatter from the gun was deafening and painting was ...well slow !
Later I bought an Apollo turbine HVLP gun for varnishing and have given up on that as well. They are fiddly, need the correct nozzle ( 2mm for emulsion I think ) and the resorvoir runs out in a few mins. I simply don't think HVLP guns are suitable for painting.
From reading about them in American mags they really need to be beefy 3 stage turbines to work well.
However I'm certainly out of touch and perhaps decent spraying equipment is available to hire, but I would warn you off a standard HVLP sprayer.

 

[jasonB]

You really want an airless sprayer for walls where the paint is pushed out the nozzel from a container that is presurized. Far less overspray and the paint does not need to be thinned as much.

As for spraying skirtings I think it will take longer to mask it all up and clean out the spray than to do it by brush.

Jason

 

[Steve Maskery]

I can't help you on the HVLP front, Ive only used it once for painting and that was some trellis work many years ago.

But I do have some advice, if it's not too late. If your workshop is empty, consider plastering the walls. It can be a simple snad and lime plaster if you want. I didn't and dust collects in every hook canny and mortar joints.

My brother-in-law plastered his, and as well as being a lot easier to paint, it's a lot easier to keep clean too

Mind you, as he has children I don't think he has set foot in his workshop in the last decade.

HTH
Steve

 

[bodgermatic]

I've just (this week) done our lounge (including ceiling) using an airless sprayer, this one in fact: http://www.screwfix.com/prods/78106/Pow ... CSTHZOCFFI

After reading around I went for an airless rather than an HVLP, as that seems to be the recommended approach for emulsion. The things I noticed:

- It's noisy! I'm sure the neighbours hated it.
- It's heavy, several kilos, plus the weight of ~1L of paint. Remember you're going to be trying to wave it around in a controlled manner at arms length for at least a few hours.
- I found setup initially tricky and fiddly, but once you've got it down refilling and starting up again is no worse than refilling the tray for a roller.
- I had to thin the emulsion ~20-30%. The thinner you make it, the finer the spray, the better the finish.
- Thin coats! Don't try and build up too much in one coat, it'll run.
- (On this particular model) don't use the 'remote pick up' (a tube you connect from the sprayer into the paint) It's not long enough, it's not flexible enough, and the clip to hold the tube in the can isn't good enough to hold it in.
- (Again, on this model) As it comes to the end of the reservoir, the very last thing it will do before it runs out of paint it spurt an uncontrolled spray on your nicely sprayed wall - which I then had to brush out. Just try and be aware of how empty you're getting.
- Mask everything you don't want spraying, including the floor. It's not hard to control, but you do end up with a haze of paint in the air which will settle on everything.

Overall, I'm very happy with the finish, people have commented that it looks better than a rolled surface. I was spraying onto fresh plaster, and once I'd masked it, the whole room and ceiling (10' x 10') took me 2 4 hour sessions. I was able to work my way round the room and by that point it was dry enough to start another coat.

Phew, hope this helps, whichever route you choose!

Chris.

 

[chippypah]

Sounds like a lot of work to spray a 10 x 10 room, think I will stick to the roller and brush.
Cheers
Pete

 

[Corset]

Thanks for that, I think i may well stick with the roller.
The skirting boards and architrave have all been ripped off and I will be starting from new. Therefore I felt that as I could pop them on a saw horse and spray away to my hearts content. I really really hate brushing things as I always get drip marks.
Owen

 

[Mcluma]

I did some large dvd racks and used the Wagner HVLP gun to get them in gloss white and to be honest

NO

Because you have to thin it so much it will open the grain of the wood therefore have to sand it inbetween .

Or you first wack on a sealer and then spray, otherwize just use a brush

 

[Shultzy]

pop them on a saw horse

Laying items flat will usually ensure that you won't get any drips as the paint "flows" flat. Although its a pain to take doors off their hinges and find somewhere to paint flat, I always get excellent results.

 

[Corset]

I am aware this is a little bit obtuse way of coating a wall but i thought it would be a good way to get some spray practise in.
Owen

 

[pren]

There is an easier way: