So, are you concerned about using excess paint with your paint sprayer? Does a paint sprayer really use more paint than necessary? Does it add up to your painting budget? And is it better to paint with a brush or roller than spray guns? Whatever question from the above you might have in your mind, you have landed on the right page.
Spray paint guns are great options for doing big projects, like- a home or a three-room apartment painting. They consume less time and do a faster job with less effort than any other paints method. Therefore, they are very popular among painters.
But it is a concerning matter if the gun consumes more paint. So, we’ve decided to do detailed research on that. You may find the answers to your questions below.
Does a paint sprayer use more paint?
Though the paint sprayers are a huge time saver, it comes with a great opportunity cost. They use more paint than a traditional brush or roller painting.
To be honest, you can overspray with it. Also, painting a narrow or small piece of work is really tough and wastes paint when done with spray guns.
So, despite being a handy and time-saving tool, where does a spray gun lack to waste more paint? Let’s find out in the next part.
Why Do You Use More Paint With a Paint Sprayers?
You need to consider the following factors whether they are the reason for you to spend more paint while using a paint sprayer-
High Air Pressure
Believe it or not, when you use a pneumatic paint sprayer, in a high pressure, the air gun releases more paint than usual. When the pressure level is higher than necessary, you are most likely to use more paint than required.
Also, with the high pressure, the paint doesn’t appropriately stick onto the wall, rather it bounces back into the air. Therefore, you should use a controlled flow of paint when you do your painting. project
Wind
The wind is a great factor for all the excess paint job, you may need to paint your home exterior and sometimes the interior as well. So, when you’re spray painting in a windy condition, it will blow away most of your spraying paint.
So, consider the factor and pick a time when it is calm outside. And if you’re painting the interior, switch off the fan and all the possible ways that can cause a windy situation.
The angle of the Spray Nozzle
When you keep the nozzle horizontal, there is a great chance that the paint can spread on the part where you don’t need it, especially if the surface is narrow. So, it is important to keep the spray nozzle at a vertical position rather than horizontal.
The reason behind this is to cover most of the workpiece fast and with the least paint required. Also, this way the paint will hit the target and won’t spread on the side.
Gap Between the Work Surface and the Sprayer
If you don’t maintain the required gap between the spray nozzle and the surface when you’re painting, you can either overdo or underdo the job. There is an ideal distance between them.
There’s a greater probability that it is mentioned in the spray gun manual as it may differ based on the type of gun you’re using. But the rule of thumb is to maintain a position that is not too close nor too far from the surface.
Spray Pattern
When you paint in the wrong pattern you waste a huge amount of paint. Besides the angle of the spray, it is equally important how you paint the object.
Therefore, you need to change the splash pattern based on the surface area you have to paint. On a narrow object, you shouldn’t spray sideways. Otherwise, you’ll lose a lot of paint.
As you’ve learned about the reasons behind excessive paint use with a sprayer, let’s learn how you can reduce that.
How To Avoid Using Excess Paint With A Sprayer?
So, what steps can you take to reduce the excess use, more importantly wasting all that additional paints that you could use somewhere else? However it’s unavoidable to use more paint in a sprayer than usual painting, you can reduce the amount you use. There are some measures you need to consider before you start using the spray gun. Here are some tips on saving paint with a spray gun-
- Take preparations before paint spraying. Cover up all the surroundings that are not supposed to be painted. So that you can focus on the target area and use the least time and paint.
- Set precise pressure. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert painter, starting with a lower pressure lets you get control over spraying the paint evenly. Moreover, you can always set a higher pressure if you feel necessary as you adjust with the initial flow. And thus you avoid over spraying and using more paint.
- Use airless paint sprayers for bigger projects that have large surfaces. We advise not to use a spray gun for small-surfaced projects.
- The interchange between smaller and larger tips when handling smaller and bigger paint surfaces.
- Don’t paint in windy weather and turn off the fan when working with a spray gun the indoor.
- Check the sprayer occasionally and replace any broken parts. As the broken parts might leak paint.
- Clean up all the parts of your spray gun, inside and outside, possibly after every use to maintain the quality of work and prevent paint from drying up inside it.
- The last tip is to use a combination of both spray paint and traditional paint methods, like- brush paint, roller cabinet etc. in the places where one is necessary.
Most Common Faq’s Regarding Using Paint Sprayer
Which is better: roller or sprayer?
Paint spray can be faster but it takes time to prepare – masking or covering or protective films. Rollers are slower to complete the task but put on an excellent coat with consistent color.
Do paint sprayers use more paint than brushes?
No! Your paints may last three times more when working on a sprayer than with a paintbrush.
Which is the best paint sprayer for interior walls?
Airless sprayers are designed for coating overhead areas. So you can definitely take advantage of it for spaying your interior walls.
How do I calculate the paint amount?
Rolling leaves a thicker film but your spray is the softest possible: no brush strokes or overlap marks. As against overhead sprays, the roller drips are negative. From experience, you could use from 33% up to 100% better (double the painting) using an airless paint sprayer. The rolls and brush are typically smaller and these take time longer than paint sprayers.
How do I calculate the paint amount?
It might be difficult to calculate the gallon of paint material required to complete the project. As a sprayer uses more paint you will also have to update the above factors to get to the final number. From the location of those installations and the spray gun used, they can be predictable with one additional quantity of paint.
Conclusion
Even though paint sprayers use more paint than a roller, you can certainly crop up the quantity. Using the best paint sprayer for furniture or home makes a lot of difference. Also, taking certain measures is helpful to reduce the waste and cost of spray paint.
And lastly, as you’re using a spray gun, don’t forget to wear coveralls, shoe covers, and respirators to prevent breathing in paint.
