An alternative to using a roller and paint brushes is spray painting walls. Spray painting indoors or outdoors can be a little tricky, but if you do it right, it can create beautiful results.
This DIY guide to how to spray paint interior walls and ceilings, exterior walls and garage doors will help you to do the job right and keep you and your family safe during your home improvement project.
Whether you’re spray painting interior walls or an exterior wall, preparing the surface first is important or the spray paint may not adhere to the surface. Interior walls should be clean and smooth before you start spraying. Exterior walls should be cleaned thoroughly to remove dirt and grime.
Spray paint is thinner than paint you apply with a roller, so if you want good results, fill all cracks and uneven spots in your walls first. They should be perfectly smooth, because uneven places may stand out after spray painting walls. Exterior walls that are textured won’t show these imperfections as much as interior walls, but they should still be clean and any cracks should be filled.
The next thing you need to do is rent or buy spray painting equipment. Airless sprayers may be better than sprayers that require air. These are easier to use and you don’t have heavy equipment to move from place to place when spray painting walls in different parts of your home. You will also need:
– A respirator, because spraying produces droplets of paint
– Eye protection
– Long sleeved clothes
– Long pants
– A head covering
Spray painting walls is a little different from rolling paint or using a paint brush. The sprayer has to be held away from the wall and droplets of paint may be inhaled or get on your clothes. Having full coverage and a respirator will ensure you don’t inhale the paint or get it on your skin.
Whether you’re spray painting interior walls or exterior walls, this method of painting is different from the DIY house painting you may be used to. That’s because spray painting produces droplets of water, so is not as precise as using a paint brush or roller.
Mask any areas that are going to have a different colour of paint and use drop cloths on the floor. Make sure the drop cloths cover the floor completely, because when you spray lower down the wall, overspray can get onto the floor. Also mask a wider area than you would if you were using a roller or a paint brush, because spray painting covers a wider area.
If you’re learning how to spray paint interior walls and ceilings for the first time, it might be a good idea to practice first on a piece of gyprock or plywood. Start with the lowest pressure possible and gradually increase the pressure until it’s just right. Using too high a pressure will create runs, so start low and increase until you get full coverage.
When spray painting walls, remember to:
– Hold the sprayer about 300mm away from the wall
– Keep the sprayer at a 90 degree angle
– Overlap when spraying by one-third to 50 percent
– Move at a steady pace
– Do not release the trigger
If the sprayer is too close to the wall, you will have drips and runs. If you’re spray painting walls at an angle, the paint will be concentrated in one area. Overlapping will help you to cover more area, but you still may need two coats for full coverage.
When you spray paint, move at a steady pace. If you don’t, the paint will be too heavy and runs will appear. If you release the trigger, the paint may spit out at first and ruin your paint job. Keep the paint trigger on and move at a steady pace, and you will get much better results.
You can also paint a ceiling using an airless sprayer. Remember to wear a respirator that’s rated for the fine particles of paint and wear something to protect your hair from falling droplets. As when spray painting walls, move at a steady pace and overlap your strokes.
If you have 2.4 metre high ceilings, you may be able to work from the floor. If you have higher ceilings, you will need to work from a ladder.
Exterior walls should be free of dirt, grime and debris. It might be a good idea to use a pressure washer on your walls to make sure they’re perfectly clean. Pressure washing will be faster and more effective than using a hose and a scrubber.
You can always hire a professional to pressure wash your walls, but if you’re comfortable with the equipment, it can be a DIY job. Make sure you don’t hold the nozzle too close to the surface, or you could damage it. Start at a distance and work your way in until you remove dirt and grime, but not paint or caulking.
Let the area dry thoroughly before you start spray painting walls outside. If you have a single story home, spray painting can be a DIY project, but think twice before painting a two-story home. Work from high ladders, and there is a danger of falling. You may want to hire professionals for a two-story home. They will have the right equipment and know what safety precautions to take.
Grab a ladder to spray paint exterior walls. Start at the top and work your way down. As when spray painting interior walls, cover an area that allows you to keep the nozzle at a 90 degree angle and then move on and overlap your strokes both vertically and horizontally. Use the ladder to complete the top of the wall and then stand on the ground to complete the rest of the job. As with interior painting, you may need to let the paint dry and apply a second coat.
If you want to change the colour of a garage door, spray painting it can be a perfect way to get an even coat of paint. As with any surface, the garage door should be free of dirt, grease and debris. A garage door is smaller than exterior walls, so you can clean it with detergent and a scrubber. After you’ve cleaned it, wash it down with plain water to get rid of traces of detergent.
Remember that spray paint can overspray, so mask areas around the garage door you don’t want sprayed. Use newspaper to mask a wider area, because masking tape alone won’t be enough.
Spray painting a garage door will give it a beautiful finish and if the garage door has ridges, it’s much easier than trying to paint it with a roller and brush. Spray painting will also give the garage door a smooth finish, which can’t be achieved with a roller and brush.
Spray painting walls can be an efficient alternative to paint brushes or rollers, but it takes some practice. Read our guide to how to spray paint walls or compare quotes for professional painters near you.
Spray paint can be faster and more convenient than painting with a roller, but you’ll also need to take more precautions such as respiratory protection to avoid breathing in the paint and it can be harder to get a perfect finish.
Spray painting walls is an alternative to brushes and rollers, as long as you take steps to protect yourself and the room from paint droplets. When spray painting indoors, make sure the room is well ventilated.
Before spray painting interior walls, make sure they’re thoroughly clean, fill in or smooth down any uneven areas, remove loose furnishings and cover up switches and other fixtures. You should also open all windows and doors to ventilate the room and lay drop cloths to protect the floor and furniture that can’t be moved.
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