How to Apply Paint with a Paint Sprayer

Applying paint with a paint sprayer is a fairly simple process. It will require a small bit of practice before you apply it to the intended surface. However, once you get the hang of it you will be well on your way to completing your project in a hurry.

Step 1 - Prepare the Surfaces

Before you can correctly paint a wall you will need to prepare it for the paint. Make sure that it is clean and that any patching is done and sanded before you are ready to begin. Use the tape to apply the craft paper to the walls that will not be painted. Also protect areas like windows, doors and trim that you do not wish to get paint on.

Step 2 - Protect

You need to protect the floor and any furniture in the room from overspray. Move the furniture at least three feet from the walls and cover with plastic or drop cloths. Cover any exposed floor with drop cloths to avoid damage.

Step 3 - Prepare Spray Gun

Get your paint sprayer ready by making sure it is clean and free of any leftover paint. If you have clogs use water or paint thinner to clean them out. Run it through the machine and aim the nozzle into an empty bucket.  Do this until all paint is cleared from the sprayer. Fill the sprayer tank two thirds full of paint and allow the sprayer to pressurize. Check the sprayer calibration and spray paint on to the scrap wood.

Step 4 - Practice

Practice your painting technique on a scrap piece of wood or cardboard. Hold the paint nozzle ten to twelve inches from the surface and start moving your hand the direction that you will be painting. Once your hand is in motion then you will depress the paint nozzle.  You will always want to use uniform strokes and keep your arm moving whenever you are depressing the nozzle. Let go of the nozzle right before you finish a paint stroke then start the next area. Practice until you can get an even coat.

Step 5 - The Room

Using the same series of steps listed above you will start to paint the room from one corner to the next. Complete one corner, ceiling to floor, before you move to the next. Make sure to keep nice consistent strokes and keep the sprayer the same distance away from the wall for the whole project.  

Tips

If you are not painting the whole room the same color then you will need to pain the ceiling first then tape the ceiling off while you paint the walls. It is possible to cut in using a paint brush or edge trimmer but once you understand how your sprayer works then you can acquire the skill needed to use only your sprayer for that job.

Applying paint with an airless or compressor liquid sprayer will help to conserve paint and time. You will use less paint to cover the same space of wall than with using a roller or brush application and your painting time can decrease by as much as half. With the time and paint saved you might be able to finish that next room faster than you thought.