The Home Of Occultissimo

Using a spray gun to apply paint can be quicker and easier than other methods and can give a better finish. Some paints – car body finishes, for example – are specially formulated for spraying; other paints can be sprayed provided that they are ‘thinned’ with solvent.

Successful spraying requires a fair degree of skill and knowledge both about the paint you’re applying and the paint spraying equipment itself.

Types of spray gun

There are two main types of spray gun: with separate compressors or airless.

Spray guns with separate compressors

These are the conventional design of spray gun. Originally, they had large compressors plus a bulky ‘receiver’ to balance out fluctuations in pressure. This type of equipment can still be bought (or hired), but the amateur is more likely to be interested in one of the range of smaller guns with separate compressors. The compressor, which is electrically powered, provides a supply of air under pressure to the gun which has a container for the paint. Some of the air passes into the paint container to pressurise the paint; the remainder comes out through the nozzle as a fine stream. When the gun’s trigger is pulled back, a needle valve at the back of the nozzle is opened and the paint passes up from the container past the needle and into the air flow. The paint mixes with the air flow to provide a fine spray from the nozzle. The amount of paint that flows can be controlled by the trigger the further that the trigger is pulled back, the more paint that flows – though in practice the amount is limited by the power of the compressor.

Airless spray guns

Painting is not a difficult art, but there are definitely a number of key things to think about if you want a professional finish. Let’s take a look at them below:

Wash the walls before you start. Don’t just turn up with your paint bucket and brush. Clean the walls with sugar soap before you start unleashing paint everywhere.

Inspect the walls. Check the condition of the walls before you begin. Take a careful note of any dents or cracks. These can be repaired with filler from your hardware store.

Keep the airflow moving. Make sure you paint in a room that has good ventilation. Some paints may contain a number of toxic chemicals which can cause allergic reactions or headaches as a result of prolonged exposure. Due to this, paint manufacturers are now making a considerable effort to reduce these volatile organic compounds in their products.

Label your leftovers. Generally you will always end up with some spare paint at the end of the job. Label this carefully with both the color and the room it was used in. This can be a godsend down the track if repainting is required and you need to color match your previous work.

Never throw away unused paint. In the UK alone, it is estimated that around 56 million litres of paint were thrown away or left unused last year. If the paint is still usable, think about donating it to a local community group or charity. There are many people less fortunate who may have a great use for the paint that you no longer need.