Paint sprayer vs rollers & brushes

[nerdgirl 0]

Any thoughts on paint sprayers versus rollers and brushes?

Specifically, I’m going to be painting some of the walls & ceilings of my loft. (Some are 30+ feet high/up, so I'm not going to attempt those myself.) The guy at Home Depot, which for the moment I think is the most interesting place, seemed to be pushing a sprayer. I’ve read online reviews that seem to suggest that the home, DIY versions of sprayers are more pain than they’re worth. I’m pretty much starting from scratch as far as investment in painting supplies. I probably won’t do a lot of painting after this.

Anyone have experience with one over the other? If it’s worth it, I’ll happily pay for the sprayer (& disposable 2 micron filter masks).

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[skydiverbry 0]

Pay someone else to do it

Bry

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[wmw999 2,148]

We've painted the interior, including the ceilings of our house (more than once for a couple of rooms) with a roller and brushes. Even the Wagner power roller wasn't really worth the hassle unless we were working for an extended period of time.

This is a 4-BR house, but with (mostly) normal-height walls.

Haven't used a sprayer, but the data point I have is that rolling just isn't that durn hard.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

Pay someone else to do it

Yeah, that would be the easy way.

I don't want to do that tho.'

Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[SARLDO 0]

DON'T TRY TO SPRAY!!

Sorry to yell, but wanted you to hear that. Spray is for pro's who have the time to prep properly. If you do spray, your likely to make a huge mess.

Roll is the way to go. Get a 8" and 3" roller, a pan, and an edge brush. With an edge brush, you won't even have to tape along the edges get nice straight lines.

I've done 4 rooms in my house over the past few months and it's easy.

BTW, Home Depot is like an adult toy store. I love the place.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[skydiverbry 0]

If you ask anyone else here I'm an expert painter(read:hate to paint)
In my exp.limited as it is I've always used brush and rollers.I have no actually hands on with any sprayers other then for automotive application.But I've heard they are the way to go.

Bry

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[micduran 0]

Quote

DON'T TRY TO SPRAY!!

Sorry to yell, but wanted you to hear that. Spray is for pro's who have the time to prep properly. If you do spray, your likely to make a huge mess.

completely agree. what a mess! spraying was "faster" but cleaning up the mess took much more time than if i'd just used a roller.

Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.

[ryoder 1,398]

Quote

Pay someone else to do it

Bry

But that would mean she would need to reveal her secret identity and where she lives.
Then afterward she would need to put on her shades and use her flashy-thing on them.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[d_squared431 0]

Quote

DON'T TRY TO SPRAY!!

Sorry to yell, but wanted you to hear that. Spray is for pro's who have the time to prep properly. If you do spray, your likely to make a huge mess.

Roll is the way to go. Get a 8" and 3" roller, a pan, and an edge brush. With an edge brush, you won't even have to tape along the edges get nice straight lines.

I've done 4 rooms in my house over the past few months and it's easy.

BTW, Home Depot is like an adult toy store. I love the place.

I watched a show on the home improvement channel.(this is what i remember them saying) It cuts the time in half, easier to clean up, easier for non professionals, and sprays an even coat. I remember this cause I was thinking to myself the next time I paint I will get a sprayer. They also said the type of paint is what makes the difference not the items used to paint the wall. If you spend the money and get the better paint you DO NOT NEED TO PREP THE WALLS. Some sprayers also have a setting for 1 or 2 coats.

(the only reason i watched this show was because I was at my sisters house. My brother in law only watches this, how it was made and the cooking channel.)

TPM Sister#130ONTIG#1
I love vodka.I love vodka cause it rhymes with Tuaca~LisaH
You having a clean thought is like billyvance having a clean post.iluvtofly

[TrophyHusband 0]

i've painted using both methods and hated doing it both ways. we recently hired a painter to paint our house and he used a roller and made it look very easy, but he had a 24" roller and a pan the held five gallons of paint. the good thing about rolling is that you don't have to remove everything from a room. i have a sprayer, but it seems best used for smaller projects that i can paint outside. the problem with spraying is that the prep and cleanup takes forever. you have to completely seal off the room and anything in it that you don't want paint on. the one i have holds about a third of a gallon, but i can only use the top half of the resevior without risking air getting into the uptake and sputtering gobs of paint, so i have to refill it several times for just one room. if i find myself wanting to spray a room again, i will invest in a different type of sprayer so i can stick a tube into a five gallon bucket in the middle of the room and not worry about it until the entire room is done. my recommendation for you is to use beer to entice some friends to come help you paint with the use of rollers and extention handles to reach those high spots.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[skydiverbry 0]

Ya,but if I had to paint again I'd sell my soul

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[jonstark 8]

Quote

Any thoughts on paint sprayers versus rollers and brushes?

Anyone have experience with one over the other? If it’s worth it, I’ll happily pay for the sprayer (& disposable 2 micron filter masks).

/Marg

I have plenty of experience with both. Sprayers are best for trim when properly prepped and masked. This takes time but will save hours and hours of "cutting in" with a trim brush. In a very large job spraying walls and ceilings is fine too -but- it too takes prep and the equipment can be very cantankerous.

What I have done and has worked best for me in a quick remodel/flip is to roll walls and ceilings then hire out the trim by a pro. Rolling walls and ceilings goes amazingly fast if you use good quality paint and are not trying to cover maroon with white. You can paint right up and onto the trim for good coverage without having to cut it in. The taping will take care of that later.

Do Not buy yourself a sprayer! Rent a far better one from a paint jobber like Dunn Edwards or Benjamin Moore if you must. I would suggest the model with a pro attached.

jon

[SARLDO 0]

Get yourself one of These and save yourself a lot of trouble around the baseboards, ceiling, and trim. Practice with the amount of paint needed first and you will be amazed at the results later. Also sold at Home Depot.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[wmw999 2,148]

I found that unless I was extraordinarily careful with the edges, and wiped them off just about as often as I dipped, that I ended up with paint off the edge contaminating the wall.

It was almost as easy just to use a brush to cut it in. But maybe others are more careful than I am.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[jumpwally 0]

Sounds like its serious ladder work to me, one simple mistake and well....with this economy you should be able to get some awesome painting prices from the pros,,i'm in healthcare construction and am seeing a lot of contractors doing work a lot cheaper than last year. Give it a try..........its free to ask.

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[councilman24 36]

Quote

I watched a show on the home improvement channel.(this is what i remember them saying) It cuts the time in half, easier to clean up, easier for non professionals, and sprays an even coat. I remember this cause I was thinking to myself the next time I paint I will get a sprayer. They also said the type of paint is what makes the difference not the items used to paint the wall. If you spend the money and get the better paint you DO NOT NEED TO PREP THE WALLS. Some sprayers also have a setting for 1 or 2 coats.

(the only reason i watched this show was because I was at my sisters house. My brother in law only watches this, how it was made and the cooking channel.)

Okay, either something was wrong with your hearing or this show was seriously fucked up!

Cuts time.... for the actual paint application maybe, but prep is much longer

Easier to clean up... WTF Don't bother trying to clean rollers. Even the good ones are cheap enough to throw away. Get the 12" roller frame and covers. Worth the extra and get the bucket style (usually orange plastic) paint container for the roller. Forget the try type they don't hold enough paint. To keep over night forget foil/freezer etc. Get TWO gallon zip lock bags and the roller frame (thing that you put the roller on) fits completely in it. To clean a brush use an old dish brush and dish soap. And a brush comb from. Spin it dry and hang it up. But don't bother with the metal mesh that hangs in a 5 gallon bucket. It rusts and you don't need it. Wash it out in the sink at the end of the day also.

Easier for the non-professionals... This must have been sponsored by the sprayer company. I don't believe it for a minute. My wife and her sister, who grew up in a household where neither her mother or father ever painted a thing themselves and who never had never held a paint brush or roller painted out basement drywall walls to get it ready to sell it. A two minute lesson from me and I let them go. The paint on the walls was fine. The paint on the concrete floor was a little excessive. And they didn't realize that two different color labels ment one was eggshell and one was flat. But it's not rocket science.

DO NOT NEED TO PREP THE WALLS..... This is the silliest thing I've ever heard of. I don't mind painting. I HATE preping. But no matter what paint you buy or what you use to put it on prep is the MOST IMPORTANT step. Paint will do NOTHING except change the color. Every ding, hole, crack, tear, bump, etc. WILL show through.

Get 12 inch frame, right bucket, right nap length better or best rollers, a good 2 1/2 or 3 inch brush for cutting in and your good to go. Don't forget to have the store shake the paint. Much easier than stirring.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

Quote

DON'T TRY TO SPRAY!!

Sorry to yell, but wanted you to hear that. Spray is for pro's who have the time to prep properly. If you do spray, your likely to make a huge mess.

completely agree. what a mess! spraying was "faster" but cleaning up the mess took much more time than if i'd just used a roller.

Thanks for the comments!

By prep and cleaning up the mess, do you mean moving/covering furniture, or the taping/masking, or that the sprayer sprayed all over the place, or that the sprayer was a pain to clean? Or all of the above?

I'm painting before I move furniture so that's not an issue but some of the walls/areas I want to paint have cut-outs or are pillars, i.e., see attached pic. (NB: that's staging furniture not mine.)

Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[nerdgirl 0]

Thanks for the comments. Appreciate the direct comparison and specific examples of problems w/the DIY consumer sprayers.

Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

Quote

Pay someone else to do it

But that would mean she would need to reveal her secret identity and where she lives.
Then afterward she would need to put on her shades and use her flashy-thing on them.

....

Well, if you're really good with IMINT ... or Google Earth, here's the view from my rooftop balcony ... great place to drink beers with friends after painting.

Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Heatmiser 0]

Ok. You have gotten some good advice here. My two cents, (I've been a painting contractor for 14 years): homeowner grade paint sprayers are just that. Homeowner grade. They wear out alot faster due to cheap parts. For a one time project you would do better to get everything ready to spray, then rent one from your local paint store. You ca usually rent one for about 50 dollars a day. As for saving time, it will be 6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other. What you save in paint time you will spend in prep time( covering everything you don't want to paint. Floors, windows, trim, cabinets, tubs etc. Most pros would still spray since there would be no furniture, but you have to remember that the people we pay to mask everything off do it all day, every day, and are very fast at it. On the other hand, if you are making a drastic change in color, you may save alot in material, since you can often repaint in a single coat with spraying. If you need any further advice, just pm me, it's free! Good luck.

What you say is reflective of your knowledge...HOW ya say it is reflective of your experience. Airtwardo

Someone's going to be spanked! Hopefully, it will be me. Skymama

[turtlespeed 212]

Local Rental place - or even national chains - go to Sherwin Williams and ask for their advice - BEST scenario = You rent a sprayer and get it all done in one day - take sprayer back and save 1200 dollars on a painter.

Worst case is that you buy that 5 gallon bucket - put it on the floor - start spraying and pull the bucket over on the carpet. That is expensive and frustrating.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[diablopilot 2]

You're going to use 3 to 5 times more paint with a DIY grade paint sprayer.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[lawrocket 3]

Professional grade sprayers are hard enough to master, anyway. You.ve gotta get the right consistency and keep the right distance from the surface, etc. It's not easy.

DIY grade sprayers, on the other hand, will easily make an difficult job fucking impossible. They are ideal, hoever, if you want the popcorn acoustic ceiling appearance on your walls.

For most purposes, a good roller and some finishing brushes will do you well. Just get the right roller material for the paint and wall surface.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[klafollette 0]

Our current home was a bit of a "fixer-upper". It had smokers and cats. ServiceMaster tried cleaning, but still stunk bad. So we ripped out all of the carpet, I rented a pro 5-gallon bucket sprayer from Sherwin Williams and sprayed Kilz sealer through the whole house. 2 coats on ceiling walls and sub-floors. I went through 35 gallons of it.

Then since I had the sprayer, it made painting the ceilings a snap. You can spray the ceilings and overlap onto the upper wall, if you're repainting all the walls. Sprayed all the ceilings flat ultra white, then did rollers on the walls for color. I would only spray indoors if you were doing the whole room and it was completely emptied. It will get everywhere. Anything you don't want painted you have to do an extra tight job masking. The tiniest pinhole and the paint will get in there.

One word of caution, get yourself a bunny-suit, and a canister respirator. And when you're done you'll look like this...

[VectorBoy 0]

Spray cons: you have to thin the paint with water to get it through the pump ( bad) then the tedious clean up. Sometimes clean up takes longer than the job itself.

You can roll anything and then freeze the roller overnight until you are done with the job then toss just the roller at jobs completion. For high stuff get a long boom handle. I've done two storie exteriors like this. 5 gallon bucket and a screen than hangs on the side of the bucket and never left the ground. No thinning and no clean up.