Are you a do-it-yourself fanatic? You can re-do your own kitchen, install a new shower insert and painting! Well, that’s child’s play, but only if you have the right tools. You might love DIY projects around your home, but if you’re still painting with a brush and roller, you’re making things harder for yourself than needed. Instead, you should invest in a paint sprayer. 

 

Instead of brushing the paint onto the surface, a paint sprayer sprays the paint on the surface, usually powered by air or some other source. This means it takes less time to paint the same amount of space. Paint sprayers work well for repetitive jobs, like painting walls and ceilings, and for paining uneven surfaces, like furniture. As long as you use the paint sprayer correctly, you’ll get a smooth, even layer of paint each time. 

 

Different Types of Sprayers

 

Cup Sprayer

 

These paint sprayers are compact and use electrical power from a wall outlet and not air to expel the paint. After you fill the cup with paint, slightly watered down to get the proper consistency, you just plug it in and pull the trigger. You get an instant paint job in not time at all. 

 

Air Sprayers

 

The paint is propelled out of these sprayers with compressed air, which gives the painted surface a smooth and fine finish.

While these sprayers can handle many different kinds of paint, you will usually have to thin it with some kind of liquid for the best results. Air paint sprayers can be used on both interior and exterior home painting jobs. 

 

Airless Sprayers

 

These sprayers also use a power source to push the paint out of the sprayer. Unlike air sprayers, you don’t have to thin the paint in airless sprayers. However, these paint sprayers are more prone to clogs than the other types of sprayers, usually caused by dirt or dry paint. Cleaning the tip of the spray nozzle prevents this from happening. These sprayers work best on large indoor or outdoor painting projects.

 

High Volume Low Pressure Sprayers

 

Another air sprayer, these use both a high volume of compact air along with low air pressure to create a fine mist of paint. Less paint is wasted with these sprayers, although thick paint, such as latex, will clog it if used. These paint sprayers work best for detailed work and indoor and outdoor painting. 

 

Sprayer Precautions

 

Drop clothes are needed when you use a paint sprayer to paint inside and outside of your home. This prevents paint from staining your floors or furniture. While the paint is supposed to only land on the surface it’s pointed at, some paint will sprinkle onto the surrounding area. Covering the whole floor will prevent this from happening. 

 

Paint masks are also needed when spraying paint. The paint fumes are increased from the nozzle and can damage your lungs if you don’t have the proper mask or breathing equipment. Use a high quality paint mask anytime you use a sprayer for extra protection.