Are you getting ready to take on a painting project? Are you trying to decide if it’s better to brush the paint on or use a sprayer? There are pros and cons to both methods that need to be considered so you can make an informed decision. McKay’s Painting outlines some helpful insight below.
What Paint is Suitable for Spraying?
Spraying paint is the fastest way to apply it and is done with an airless sprayer. It will only take minutes to cover an entire wall, but the quick pace at applying paint this way doesn’t always mean the quality will be there. Latex paints are the most common type of paint for spray guns today. Other pros to spraying paint include extremely quick application as mentioned, one coat coverage, a finish that is smooth and free of strokes left behind by brushes or rollers and it easy to apply paint to all those hard to reach areas. With these benefits, you might wonder why everyone isn’t just spraying paint all the time. The cons to spraying paint include the long prep and clean up time, coverage that can be uneven due to applications that might be too thick. Spraying paint can use 2-3 times more paint than brushing and there can be poor adhesion and if it’s windy outside, you can’t paint with a sprayer. If you don’t have experience using a paint sprayer it can make the job more challenging because beginners tend to over-spray that will cause drips, runs and uneven coverage.
What Kind of Paint Do You Use for Dry Brushing?
Using a brush to paint can be a love/hate relationship. Not only is it slow and tedious, it can be messy if you’re not careful, but if you use a good brush, the control you have is excellent. Plus, dry brushing can be done with almost any type of paint, whether it is water-based or oil-based. Other pros when it comes to brushing paint is better adhesion with an even uniform coverage and it can get into the hard to reach places way better than using a sprayer. Looking at these pros will make you think that all your problems with possibly spraying are solved, right? You’ll need to consider some of the cons with brushing before your final decision. Brushing is slower and involves more work on your part, you may need more than 2 coats, brush/roller marks may be left behind and any obstructions can make the job more difficult. Using a brush will create nice straight lines that are impossible to achieve with a sprayer. If you’re doing work that is very detailed, then you’ll need to use a brush.
Brush & Paint Technique
Are you more confused now then you were before? Many times, the way to go might be a combination of the two methods to get the job done. It might be best to spray the paint on first and them go and “back-brush”. When you back-brush, you’ll be brushing over paint that has been applied with a sprayer or a roller. This does seem like it will take longer but if you choose to back brush, you’ll be applying more paint quickly and then brush it in before it dries. In the process, you’ll be forcing the paint into all the nooks and crannies and it also evens out the paint. This will give your paint better adhesion and will make the paint job last a lot longer which means you won’t need to do it again for a long time!
Interior & Exterior Painting & More in Ventura, Ojai, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills & Santa Barbara California
Take the decision making out of your hands and contact McKay’s Painting to determine what will work best for your home and perfectly apply the paint for a flawless finish.
