Should you use a sprayer or a roller to paint your home’s exterior or interior?
This is a decision that many DIYers have to make. It can be difficult. Paint spraying is quick: nobody can dispute that. What about all the preparation? Although paint rolling is slower than spraying it can be applied thicker coats. You’ll also need less work.
Five Things You Can Transform With Just Spray Paint
There is no one answer. The answer will be specific to you and your situation.
Why you should use a paint roller
You have never used a sprayer before
It’s easy to do-it yourself with rolling the paint. Professionals agree that rolling paint creates a thick layer of paint and great color consistency. Although it may appear easy, spraying paint can be difficult to master. You may not have used a paint sprayer in the past so now is not the right time.
You don’t like masking
Although you may need to mask some areas while paint-rolling is done, this does not compare with the amount of masking required for spraying.
Consider this: paint spraying must cover every square inch you don’t wish to be painted with . You will be painting whatever you don’t mask while spraying. The amount of masking required to roll is greatly reduced by rolling.
You are only limited to painting walls
Do you paint only the walls or the ceiling instead? This could tip the scales in your favor of paint-rolling. It is easy to remove the ceiling when you apply paint. When rolling walls, there is no need for masking film.
You Prefer Simplicity
You will need a roller, roller cover, paint tray and tray liner to roll your painting materials. You can also use the roller method to quickly jump into your painting project and then put it on pause to attend to other things. Spraying paint is a time-consuming project that can consume your entire day. Spraying is a continuous process that requires you to stop and start again throughout the day.
You need to stick to a budget
When paint spraying is done, it wastes a lot of paint. Every drop of paint ends up on the surface when you roll.
Products Finishing estimates that up to 20% to 50% of sprayed spray paint ends up on surfaces other than those intended. This is dependent on the type and cost of the tools. The cost of all rollers is much lower than the price of a paint sprayer.
Covering a dirty surface is essential
It is best to clean your surface thoroughly before you paint. Paint rolling can help if this is the case.
Painting can be done by rolling, which gives you more flexibility if the surface isn’t perfect. The surface bonds better to rolled paint because it is thicker than regular paint. Spraying paint produces tiny droplets that are not as strong as rolled paint.
Tip
Back-rolling is a technique professional interior painters in Auckland use that combines both spraying and rolling. The paint is applied to the wall and then quickly rolled down to fuse the droplets.
Why you should use a paint sprayer
Rolling has its advantages, but paint sprayers are quick. If some of these conditions are satisfied, you may want to use a sprayer.
The Interior is Empty
It is a blank canvas when the room is still in its early stages of construction or remodeling. This canvas is ideal for paint spraying.
Spraying with abandon is possible, but you should only mask a few areas like plumbing stubs-outs and electrical boxes. It is always faster to spray paint than to roll it if a room has reached this stage of remodeling.
Paint an Exterior with a Clear Perimeter
Exteriors with extensive landscaping, sunrooms and playsets can significantly reduce your preparation time.
Clear perimeters mean that you can only mask items within the house and not around it.
If you have lots of details and texture
Paint sprayers can quickly and efficiently paint complex textures such as crown molding, popcorn ceilings or cottage cheese ceilings. Paint sprayers can work in the tightest spaces by applying a thin coat. However, brushing or rolling intricate surfaces can lead to paint drippings and pooling.
