Airless or Low pressure spraying which is better

[Rimmer]

I have a a lot of high wall around my three rai plot (three meters high in some places) and it needs painting, thought about spraying it but know absolutely nothing about mechanics of it or what paint to use or how much to thin it.

 

Wife wants it a light gray color so that's all I have got confirmed so far.

 

Any help or input greatly appreciated

[Mister T]

Not worth the hassle in my opinion. Buying the gear, mixing, cleaning gear, wind/over-spray.  Just buy acrylic outdoor paint and a couple of good rollers, be sure to clean and prime the surface.

[Kwasaki]

Paint is paint just the same with a correct mixture of thinners is for spraying the same as brushing. 

 

I re-sprayed a previously painted wall borrowing a sprayer years ago I did the job myself in no time,  basically the difference was cost you tend to use twice as much paint & thinners I reckon going by what the paint should of covered in square metres. 

 

Best get quotes after measuring the metre squared area of the wall. 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

36 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

I have a a lot of high wall around my three rai plot (three meters high in some places) and it needs painting, thought about spraying it but know absolutely nothing about mechanics of it or what paint to use or how much to thin it.

 

Wife wants it a light gray color so that's all I have got confirmed so far.

 

Any help or input greatly appreciated

Airless is technically the better option BUT and as you can see it’s a big but it’s also prohibitively expensive to do it right for a one-off job.

 

To do it well you want you need a spray gun with a 4mm tip possibly even bigger and a pressure tank to supply the paint. 
 

it’s not going to be cheap or worthwhile unless you plan on using the equipment later on. My personal setup Is probably capable is not airless and may have cost over 70,000 

 

it’s far cheaper to get some locals to do the job with rollers. It’s probably worth investing in a pressure washer to get the walls clean before you start.

[sometimewoodworker]

Actually I’ve just looked up online on Lazada and Airless may not be as expensive as I thought.

 

It seems as though you can get something that might do the job for about 7000 Baht  to about 20,000

how good it is I don’t know.

[Kwasaki]

25 minutes ago, Mister T said:

Not worth the hassle in my opinion. Buying the gear, mixing, cleaning gear, wind/over-spray.  Just buy acrylic outdoor paint and a couple of good rollers, be sure to clean and prime the surface.

My walls are not smooth so it's worth a mention that a brush and roller has to be used to get into those crooks an cranies. 

[SomchaiDIY]

Cheap small tank diy airless spray not good idea for these large area job 

 

Power spray pump direct from paint pot best for these big job

 

Cheap chinese pump start about 5000 baht quality brand maybe 20000 up

 

Many video on youtube to show paint mix and spray method for airless spray

 

I think rollers and good rollers tray best idea for this job 

 

Always clean prepare area well use best acrylic paint like jotun jotashield or toa supershield

 

Jotun cito primer to make stable the weak or powdering area of the old paint

[sometimewoodworker]

10 minutes ago, SomchaiDIY said:

Cheap small tank diy airless spray not good idea

Cheap and airless is an oxymoron ????  but even so airless small and cheap are also an oxymoron.

 

and completely useless for large jobs and often not great for smaller ones.

 

as @SomchaiDIY says the only way to go is a pump from the bucket jobby as pictured in my post above

 

[KhunLA]

If you already have a compressor, or think you use in the future, then spray.   I bought a cheap compressor just for all the tires I have to keep filled, and is very convenient.

 

One off spray attachment wouldn't be too expensive, and painting a wall is very forgiving, so not that technical.   I've painted a car, and have to get the viscosity and application just right, to avoid runs, and to get a gloss.  Wall will have none of that to worry about, and you should save on paint & time, doing 3 rai.

[EVENKEEL]

17 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

If you already have a compressor, or think you use in the future, then spray.   I bought a cheap compressor just for all the tires I have to keep filled, and is very convenient.

 

One off spray attachment wouldn't be too expensive, and painting a wall is very forgiving, so not that technical.   I've painted a car, and have to get the viscosity and application just right, to avoid runs, and to get a gloss.  Wall will have none of that to worry about, and you should save on paint & time, doing 3 rai.

Problem with using an air compressor and paint pot is you have to thin the paint too much for sprayer to handle. 

As mentioned before the airless doesn't get the nooks and crannies well.

 

Invest in a good pressure washer, and use rollers. 

[Rimmer]

I already have three pressure washers, paint rollers and brushes up the g****, plus 2 full size climbing frames, 2 small standing frames, roller extension sticks a low pressure compressor and several various size spray guns including the big spray gun that throws rock particles at the wall, have used them all one time or another,  but what I have not done is used an airless sprayer or a low pressure sprayer for spraying large areas.  

 

I need to know if it will be economical, how many coats it will need will an airless sprayers be a better proposition than a low pressure sprayer or a roller and lot of exorcise.

 

I can do one panel in about five minutes with a roller but its the cutting in that takes the time and painting the fancy bricks along the top of the wall, I'll see if I can take a picture...

 

I have a lawn tractor with a big carry box on it so not really a problem moving stuff to the paint site

 

 

[MJCM]

@kamalabob2

 

Care to comment?

[Mavideol]

42 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

I already have three pressure washers, paint rollers and brushes up the g****, plus 2 full size climbing frames, 2 small standing frames, roller extension sticks a low pressure compressor and several various size spray guns including the big spray gun that throws rock particles at the wall, have used them all one time or another,  but what I have not done is used an airless sprayer or a low pressure sprayer for spraying large areas.  

 

I need to know if it will be economical, how many coats it will need will an airless sprayers be a better proposition than a low pressure sprayer or a roller and lot of exorcise.

 

I can do one panel in about five minutes with a roller but its the cutting in that takes the time and painting the fancy bricks along the top of the wall, I'll see if I can take a picture...

 

I have a lawn tractor with a big carry box on it so not really a problem moving stuff to the paint site

 

 

do you have a work permit  555

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

Problem with using an air compressor and paint pot is you have to thin the paint too much for sprayer to handle. 

As mentioned before the airless doesn't get the nooks and crannies well.

 

Invest in a good pressure washer, and use rollers. 

I really don’t understand your comments on spraying, it sounds as if you have equipment or experience problems as nothing you are saying matches with my experience.

 

I have a pressure pot along with under gun and beside gun paint pots, also a Ford cup. I have sprayed everything from shellac (it’s very thin) all the way through to regular latex paint & the maximum thinner needed is from zero to to a maximum of less than 10% thinned .

 

I have never found a finish (even pure alcohol) that is too thin for one of my spray guns. Of course you can’t expect a 4mm tip to do a good job with a really thin finish it would just lay down too much product, neither can you expect to spray latex with a 0.8mm tip. Match the tip to the product, basic spraying 101.

 

as to airless or even regular guns I haven’t sprayed rough surfaces but not getting into nooks and crannies sounds like a technique problem not an equipment problem. Sometime I probably give it a test to confirm.

 

As to the pressure washer since you can get an adequate one for under 2,000 Baht it’s a wise investment.
 

With rollers and because I’m generally finishing furniture, I can get a superior finish in a fraction of the time with spray guns or brushes 

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, Rimmer said:

I already have three pressure washers, paint rollers and brushes up the g****, plus 2 full size climbing frames, 2 small standing frames, roller extension sticks a low pressure compressor and several various size spray guns including the big spray gun that throws rock particles at the wall, have used them all one time or another,  but what I have not done is used an airless sprayer or a low pressure sprayer for spraying large areas.  

 

I need to know if it will be economical, how many coats it will need will an airless sprayers be a better proposition than a low pressure sprayer or a roller and lot of exorcise.

It sounds as if you probably have greater spraying experience than I have though I’m not sure what you mean by a low pressure compressor. Mine is something over 90psi and I just regulate it down at the filter or gun.

 

but addressing your actual questions on airless.  (FWIW YouTube is an excellent source of information & I’ve been watching it for a few years along with some forums)

 

economical; much better than regular spraying, but not as good as brush/roller

 

coverage: totally dependent on your acceptable level of the final look along with the paint you use.

 

FWIW if you decide to spray, you will either need to do a reasonably good job at masking or hope that SWMBO likes light grey flowers and foliage ???????????? 

 

personal viewpoint if I had to do the job;

I would airless spray

I absolutely would not air spray that area.

I absolutely would not use a roller/brush

But I would for preference, assuming a one time job, pay the family/relatives/neighbours to do it for me

 

if you can spray pebbdash walls you can spray any surface 

for a smoother surface 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I really don’t understand your comments on spraying, it sounds as if you have equipment or experience problems as nothing you are saying matches with my experience.

 

I have a pressure pot along with under gun and beside gun paint pots, also a Ford cup. I have sprayed everything from shellac (it’s very thin) all the way through to regular latex paint & the maximum thinner needed is from zero to to a maximum of less than 10% thinned .

 

I have never found a finish (even pure alcohol) that is too thin for one of my spray guns. Of course you can’t expect a 4mm tip to do a good job with a really thin finish it would just lay down too much product, neither can you expect to spray latex with a 0.8mm tip. Match the tip to the product, basic spraying 101.

 

as to airless or even regular guns I haven’t sprayed rough surfaces but not getting into nooks and crannies sounds like a technique problem not an equipment problem. Sometime I probably give it a test to confirm.

 

As to the pressure washer since you can get an adequate one for under 2,000 Baht it’s a wise investment.
 

With rollers and because I’m generally finishing furniture, I can get a superior finish in a fraction of the time with spray guns or brushes 

So, you've painted houses with air and a paint pot? I have and it's not the way to go. As for airless, painting smooth walls it's great, spraying exterior stucco I didn't have a good experience.

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

So, you've painted houses with air and a paint pot? I have and it's not the way to go. As for airless, painting smooth walls it's great, spraying exterior stucco I didn't have a good experience.

Of course not, it wouldn’t be a good use of time and material. I would either use rollers, brushes or an airless sprayer.

 

However as I said I have put everything from the thinnest of finish through to quite thick acrylic through my guns. I have never found finish that was too thin to put through a spray gun. So I continue to say you either have an equipment problem or an experience problem (though it could be that you have a problem in communication ) if you can’t spray a thinned finish. Even more so if you are adding more than between 5% ~ 10% of thinner

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I would airless spray

I absolutely would not air spray that area.

I absolutely would not use a roller/brush

Error

should read 

 

I would airless spray

I absolutely would not air spray that area.

Or I absolutely would use a roller/brush

[bluejets]

Pay some locals to do it.

Any spray gear is going to have some overspray .

Locals...brushes and rollers...done.

[EVENKEEL]

7 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Of course not, it wouldn’t be a good use of time and material. I would either use rollers, brushes or an airless sprayer.

 

However as I said I have put everything from the thinnest of finish through to quite thick acrylic through my guns. I have never found finish that was too thin to put through a spray gun. So I continue to say you either have an equipment problem or an experience problem (though it could be that you have a problem in communication ) if you can’t spray a thinned finish. Even more so if you are adding more than between 5% ~ 10% of thinner

You are so intent on finding fault, I said in the beginning with air and a paint pot spraying paint used for houses you have to thin the paint to much to be sprayed through the gun. I don't know what you're going on about. I used the same gun to spray my truck. 

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

You are so intent on finding fault, I said in the beginning with air and a paint pot spraying paint used for houses you have to thin the paint to much to be sprayed through the gun. I don't know what you're going on about. I used the same gun to spray my truck. 

The point remains that I have been able to spray house latex paint you may be complaining of with minimal thinning through one of my guns.

 

I have never found a paint or finish that was too thin to put through one of my guns.

 

the conclusion is that either the paint is not designed for spraying, gel paints are like this and may never be suitable for spraying, so materials problem.

or if the paint is able to be sprayed your equipment is inadequate for the job, as I have posted my spray equipment is able to spray the thinnest of finish so your statement that you have to thin the paint too much to be able to spray through a gun makes no sense.

 

Thick paints need a massive tip (currently my biggest is 4mm) thin paint or finish needs fine tips (under 1mm) 

so it sounds like you don’t have a range of tips so can’t adapt to your materials. 
 

it also doesn’t make sense (unless it’s a gel paint that will never be suitable) that you have to thin the paint too much, just don’t thin it as much seems the logical answer.

 

attempting to use the same spray gun to do automotive stuff and house paint, unless you have a really wide range of tips and needles, is a recipe for bad finishes. 
There certainly maybe some guns that are capable but then you are going into the ฿10,000 ~ ฿20,000 range just for the spray gun itself.

guns designed for automotive spraying have tip/needle combinations in the 0.8 to 1.6 range.
 

For house paint you need 2mm and up and an air spray gun while it can do the job is a very poor choice for large areas. These are roller blind covers spray painted with domestic latex paint 

and cabinet parts with a similar paint, so it can be done 

 

but as I have been saying airless is the best choice for large areas.

 

Finally I am not intent on finding faults. I am trying to understand how I am able to do something reasonably easily that you say is impossible. So I’m confused by your statement.