3 Tips for Painting with a Spray Gun
Painting exterior walls is easier if you use a spray gun. A compressor-powered, pneumatic spray gun allows you to get complete coverage of your walls much more quickly than you would otherwise be able to. It is particularly great for painting rough exterior surfaces like stucco, concrete, and wood. If you have never used a pneumatic spray gun, there are a few things you need to know. This article explains the best tips and techniques for painting with a gun.
Prep for Overspray and Mask Off
The first thing you need to prepare for when painting with a spray gun is all the overspray. When you are painting outside, even the lightest wind can blow overspray several yards away. This is a serious concern, especially if you have fences or even neighbors close to the wall you were painting. First of all, don't paint on a windy day. You will still need to do a lot of masking off, even if there is absolutely no wind. The most important thing you will need for masking off is painter's plastic. The key is to spread the plastic over everything below the walls you are painting. It is better to be thorough and cover even the things that you don't think the overspray will reach than to have to try and scrub paint speckles off later on.
Paint Like a Pro
If you have never actually painted with a spray gun, there are a few operational techniques that you should know about. First of all, never pull the trigger down when your hand isn't moving. That is, you want to always keep the gun moving back and forth as you are spraying. If you hold the gun in one place for a second too long, the finish might look different, and you could create drips on your wall. The best technique is to paint from side to side, pressing the trigger just as you start moving your hand and then releasing it right before you stop. Repeat this as you come back in the other direction. This gives you a much more uniform finish than you would get if you just hold down the trigger and wave your arm back and forth.
Clean Your Gun
Lastly, if you want to make sure your paint gun continues to work well throughout the entire project, you should thoroughly clean the gun at the end of each day of painting. This way, you won't have any issues with a consistent paint stream.
Painting exterior surfaces, especially those that are rough is much easier if you follow the simple instructions. Talk to a company such as Prestige Painting & Renovation for professional help or for more tips.