How to Spray Paint in an Apartment

Spray painting needs patience and a great passion for painting. And if it is about doing indoors, it is not a mere job. You cannot just grab a spray can and start coating your apartment.

Make sure it is allowed to paint in your apartment to avoid an unpleasant situation. Then you can jump on to scrolling through this How to Spray Paint in an Apartment because it surely will add value to your spray painting planning!

How to Spray Paint in an Apartment

How to spray paint indoors

First things first, prepare for your paint spraying venture real good. Make a list of the things that you need. Once you decide on the color, think about the type of finishing you want. Do you want it matte or shiny? Get a top-notch spray can for painting your apartment which is durable and give your desired finishing. If you have a problem with the strong smell, choose an odour free paint spray.

Prepare an orbit sander, a wire brush, a plastic bucket, water, a sponge and a primer. Do not forget to put your glasses, a mask and gloves on because spray painting can be hazardous.

Ventilate and cover-up

Now, keep the doors and windows of the apartment wide open. You should choose a day where rain or stormy wind will not disturb the painting. Rainy cold weather may cause a damp outcome while debris from crazy wind may interrupt the finishing. Picking the weather with gentle air flowing inside the house will ease up the drying process.

Cover up the areas and things that you do not want the spray paint to reach. Paint spray can spread very far.

Prepare the wall


You should know how to set up an area to spray paint. As we move to prepare the wall for painting, it is mandatory to have a nicely cleaned surface. Take the sander, and clean the wall. Wet sanding is a nice way to clean properly. Use the water and sponge more often while sanding. Pat dry with a cotton cloth or blue wipe. Brush up to remove any tiny bit of dirt or debris.

Prime the surface


And yes, we cannot skip one important step, priming. So, add a good quality primer to your shopping list! Once the cleaning is done it is time to prime the surface for the paint to be stuck smoothly. Done with the coating of primer? Wait until it dries completely before layering with the paint.

Painting begins


Shake the spray paint before painting. Hold the can a foot away from the wall. Remember always to put the spray nozzle upward. Now start moving your hand before you press the spraying button and then keep moving your hand.

Motion is the key to having blast in spray painting. You will have to stop spraying before you stop moving. What will happen if you stop moving and spray still? Drip will happen. If you spray for a fraction of a second without moving your hand the paint dot will start dripping.

If your spray can is too far away from the surface it will spread everywhere.

Wait for the wall to dry as per the given instruction for the paint. Coat another layer after drying if the first layer doesn’t seem ok to you. Let it dry completely.

How to spray paint with a gun

Spray painting is much easier with a spraying gun. If you are considering using a spray gun for your painting, go for it. Just make sure you are buying the right gun and the thickness of the pain is perfect.

The paint should not be too thick or too thin, ask for the appropriate thickness from the shop expert for the particular gun you are buying. Slightly thicker paint is suitable for pressure fed spray guns whilst the thinner paint is good for gravity and suction fed spray guns.

You have to set the fluid nozzles and air caps as per your spray paint. You can read the instruction on the coating label to learn which nozzle or air cap to use for the best outcome. If your gun has one option only, then just go for a gun adjustment. Practice well to get your grip on the trigger.

Always keep your gun 6-8 inches far from the surface you are painting. At an even pace move forward and backwards while spraying with the gun, do not sway your wrist and remember to keep the gun perpendicular. You can overlap each pass by 40 percent.

How to spray paint furniture in an apartment

Spray painting furniture works impressively on almost all types of furniture. It requires less hassle and an extremely fast process than painting furniture with a brush.

Spray painting on your furniture is nothing different than painting your wall. You have to sand and clean the surface properly before coating.

To spray paint the wood furniture you have to prepare the piece. Sand, vac and tack to prepare your wood piece. But to avoid those hassles buy a paint that doesn’t need to sand or prime your wood, then why not opt for it? But I reckon, you would not love to skip the vac and tack parts. Vac is to clean up the surface with a brush or vacuum and then tack is to wipe off the surface with a clean cotton cloth or wipe.

You can start spraying the furniture on a smooth and dry surface. On an important note, do not consider skipping sanding and priming where the surface is way too bad having flakes or uneven texture. Use a bonding primer to make sure the old paint doesn’t bleed and make a mess. Once you are done with the first coat, let it dry completely and then go for a second coat and let it dry.

In terms of metal furniture, enamel paint will be the best choice. Remove and clean the furniture with sandpaper and a metal brush. Make the surface even and smooth by cleaning with a soft wipe or microfiber cloth. Put a primer that is made for the metal pieces. Let the layer of primer dry. Now you can apply the paint. Do a light coat, let it dry and layer it again if for your desired shade.

Wrap up

Painting your apartment is pretty exciting even though you will need to save your furniture, every little object, lights, bulbs, fan blades, and clothes from the splash of color.
Cover up everything with clothes and keep them in the middle of the room away from the walls. How to spray paint in an apartment also reminds you not to forget to put painter tapes around doors, windows and trims. That’s pretty much it!

About Lewis Traylor

Lewis Traylor is a certified Paint Sprayer Specialist who has been in the business for over 10 years. He has worked on both residential and commercial projects, and has a passion for making sure every job is done right. He takes pride in his work, and it shows in the quality of his finished product. He is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure his customers are happy with the end result.

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