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Let The Doctor Solve Your.
DIY Dilemmas: This Week: “Wall to Wall Colour” |
Question: Can you help me my property is detached and has a lot of exterior dashed and sand/cement plastered walls around it. All of these exterior surfaces require regular painting as some are north facing. To maintain all of this exterior paint work I find very hard work also time consuming.
Answer: The simple answer to you question is yes. What I would recommend for this type of situation is spray painting. WHY SPRAY PAINT? Well, two good reasons spring to mind: it is the least costly of the three primary methods brush, roller and spray and it is the fastest application method.
In this issue, Kevin Farrelly the DIY Doctor will look at the job of spray painting, and if completed correctly will add valve to your home. I have tried to simplify the format into a step by step guide. The instruction contained I hope will make it easy for all DIYers to get started on some great home improvement project. This type of format offers you and your particular project flexibility as you may not be required to go step by step through each separate heading depending on the condition of your exterior walls to be painted.
Common Sense
Spray painting is easy to do as outline the golden rule to all DIY its all about common sense.
Safety
To avoid mishaps or injury, always wear protective clothing also gloves, safety goggles as well. Never ever point the sprayer head at your face or body. The powerful jet of paint from a sprayer can force paint through your skin. If that happens, get immediate medical attention. I would always recommend the use of a respirator mask when using any spray gun. This will prevent you from inhaling any paint.
The Debate
When this subject is raised a lot of debate will follow, on the best method to use when applying paint to an exterior surface. Others may argue about whether sprayed surfaces are as durable as brushed surfaces; my own personal opinion is that if the sprayer is used properly, the finish will last just as long as one created by a brush or roller. The most common paint sprayers on the market today are known as airless sprayers.
Benefits
The more irregular the wall shape you are required to paint, the greater the advantage of spray over other methods. Spray painting offers maximum transfer of paint in the shortest amount of time and in a consistently uniform manner. You save money on materials because you are getting the maximum spread rate out of your paint, you are also able to control the thickness of the coating applied whether required thick or thin.
Airless Sprayer
Using an airless Sprayer will save you considerable time, particularly on rough exterior surfaces such as dashing. An airless sprayer consists of the pumping unit, hose and a gun. No compressor is needed because the paint is pumped through the high pressure hose and forced through a small nozzle which breaks up the paint into various size spray pattern. The biggest advantage to airless spraying is that since no air is used to force the paint out, there can be minimum overspray is used correctly.
Preparation
Begin by cleaning down the exterior wall I find using a power washer to remove dirt, mildew and old paint coatings to be excellent for this type of job. Only when the surface in dry and totally clean can you start to spray paint.
How best to proceed:
Never ever use a sprayer on windy or even breezy days. Cover all surfaces some surfaces may require to be carefully masked off for added protection. My advice with this type of project always put down plenty of dust sheets. As in all painting jobs start first with the difficult areas, where you would "cut in" and leave the large mass areas until the end. On all exterior walls you want to start at the door and window openings spraying away from the opening and out towards the large area of the wall. My advice would be to cut pieces of cardboard about 12" wide by about 3ft long and use them as a shield holding them up against the areas you want to protect. Cut several and when one becomes covered in paint lay them aside to dry and you can reuse them later. It's a very good idea to keep a bucket of clean water and a sponge handy too, you are going to slip up and overspray onto something you don't want painted and this way you can clean it easily.
Technique!!!
Test the sprayer on a large piece of cardboard, adjusting the unit to get a uniform spray pattern with a minimum amount of pressure. To achieve a smooth, even coat, keep the gun about 10 inches from the surface and then spray a succession of overlapping strips. Move the sprayer in a smooth motion and at a consistent pace about 3 inches per second. Release the trigger at the end of each stroke, and then pull it again as you begin to reverse direction. Spray straight at the surface, and avoid swinging your arm back and forth. Once you have begun to work, never leave the sprayer idle for more than 20 minutes or the paint will begin to harden.
When you have finished painting for the day or are taking a tea or lunch break of significant length, be sure to clean the paint from the unit, carefully following the manufacturer's instructions including the filter.
Cleaning
Before you clean a power sprayer, turn off and unplug the unit. Then pull the spray-gun trigger to release the remaining pressure in the hose. Clean off the exterior of the gun with a clean cloth or wire brush if required, remember to remove the tip clean it well before replacing it.
Doctors Advise
I think you will agree that an airless sprayer is not only a great time saver but also a very efficient way of applying paint to exterior walls. The result will be a very uniform evenly distributed paint film.
Happy painting!
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