Tips on Internal Spray Painting

KG_SouthTipp

Hi All,

It looks like I will have to paint my new build myself!

Its two storey about 2,300 sq ft.

I have had the walls taped & jointed and to be fair the guy looks like he has done a good job.

I am happy to paint the entire place off white (colour not decided yet) and I assume spraying would be the quickest way to do this?

Could anyone who is in the business or done this before (and was happy with the results!) give me some advice and tips on how to do this as professionally as possible.

I am handy enough but I have painted very little over the years and have little knowledge in this area.

Is there a technique required? How far should the spray gun be from the wall? I assume horizontal movements is best?

Thanks a lot,

KG

mad m

Practice on the walls where your going to put wardrobes, it wont take you long to get hang of it. Becarefull where you point it though.

slimjimmc

Wouldn't you be as quick with a roller?
I imagine a lot of the time would be spent ensuring everything (wood, glass, fireplace, stairs, fixtures) is protected against over-spray, that's a lot more taping than for a brush and roller.
You're a novice and therefore it will take time to get used to the equipment and the technique, and possibly with varying results.

Buford T Justice

Remember, the first coat of paint should be watered down to form a scratch coat before you use a colour on the wall.

White is generally best for it because its cheap.

reilig

You need at least 2 spray coats of watered down white on top of new skim as it soaks it in well. Don't attempt to paint until the skim is on for at least a month.

You have to do it lightly in order to prevent drips or runs of paint which will only leave a mess. Properly sprayed on paint is as good as 4 coats with a roller. remember the first coat that you put on is what will determine the quality of your final paint finish.

cardwizzard

Yeah all good advice above.

You want to make sure you do a great masking job. If you can get it done prior to switch plates, spotlights going in, rads on, etc, it will make a huge difference to you time wise.

How far you spray from the wall will depend on your spray tip size. I'd say you may be looking at a 517 or something similar for your walls and ceilings as you have quite a space to do. If you are renting a machine, try and get a Graco 395 or a Titan 440i. These machines will be ideal for the size of your home, as they will have the power and finish you will need.

As far as the taper and jointer is concerned you wont be long realising if he has done a bad/fair/good job as soon as you put the first coat on.

Spraying techiques vary, but spraying vertically or horizontally are generally accepted. You should be aware that trying to finish your walls with spray is hard, as overlapping, misses, and in general the finish is pretty difficult to achieve. Maybe finish your ceilings and apply one coat on the walls and then cut and roll your top coat for walls.

Spraying woodwork is a lot more complicated and shouldn't really be tried in a project this size. You may make a real mess of it.:eek:

Hope it all goes well for you.

KG_SouthTipp

Hi All,

Thanks a lot for all your comments.

I do think half the work is in the preparation so if I do that well I should be ok. From trawling through boards it looks like spraying the first 2 coats and then rolling the last is the way to go.

I thought I would only have to do 2 coats but some say 3?

As it has been mentioned above the first coat will tell me a lot!

KG

reilig

KG_SouthTipp wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks a lot for all your comments.

I do think half the work is in the preparation so if I do that well I should be ok. From trawling through boards it looks like spraying the first 2 coats and then rolling the last is the way to go.

I thought I would only have to do 2 coats but some say 3?

As it has been mentioned above the first coat will tell me a lot!

KG

the guy that spraypainted my house did it all in a day (2000 sq ft). The walls got 2 coats (with 2 hours to dry inbetween) and the ceilings got 3 coats - they are finished - I have not had to paint them since we moved in. he then rolled on 1 coat of the individual colours in each room. It was only €300 for the spraypainting alone - so it might not be worth your time and effort masking everything up and then hiring out or buying a spray gun if you could get it professionally done for €300. I know that I couldn't justify the cost of doing it myself anyway.

KG_SouthTipp

Thanks Reilig,
When I was researching this I saw some of the quotes people had and yours was amazing and he was excellent! I asked 5 professionals to quote, they all came to the house and three weeks later I have only 3 quotes! All painters were recommended to me. The cheapest was €600 to spray or €1,000 to paint / roll and this was labour only and for two coats to ceilings and walls. Another guy said €1,200 to spray 3 coats everywhere and this included paint. Most people think that is good value but I don’t think so when it only takes a day or two plus I don't have €1,200 to spend!

cardwizzard

KG that seems to be a problem. If a guy done a 2000sqf home for 300euros, he robbed himself. I lose a lot more spray jobs than I get because people don't really understand whats involved. Lots of people just want the cheapest and go with them. So foolish in the long run.

reilig

cardwizzard wrote: »

KG that seems to be a problem. If a guy done a 2000sqf home for 300euros, he robbed himself. I lose a lot more spray jobs than I get because people don't really understand whats involved. Lots of people just want the cheapest and go with them. So foolish in the long run.

I'm sorry but that's bull.

My guy spray painted my house for €300. He arrived at 8am, spent till 12 masking and covering in every room. He started to spray at 1 and had the whole house finished at 4.30. He spent the last hour washing his machine. He got €300 cash for his skill, labour and for the use of his machine. Several people came to look at the job that he did and agreed that it was excellent quality. He spray painted for several other boards.ie posters on my recommendation and these people came back to me to thank me for referring him to them. All were impressed with the quality of his work and several told me how the painters that they had brought in to do the final coat on their interiors commented on the quality of the spray painting and how easy it made their job.

There was nothing foolish about anyone getting him to spray paint. He is a professional and he does a professional job.

Are you just per-chance trying to justify your own high charges??

cardwizzard

My point Reilig, is that you went with the cheapest price and didn't know what you where getting. In fact you probably would have went with a quote of 200 euros, am I right? I never said that the guy did or didn't do a good job, just that he badly underpriced his value and service. Maybe he had no work and was in need of it, which I can understand.By the way this is in all of painting not just spray.

Yes I do charge higher than the average painter, but I bring a lot more to the table than the average painter. What I am saying is that price is only one part of the equation. Expertise, relability, confidence. I'm in demand because quality is part of my flagship for our reputation. Full reference list and fully guaranteed. You got any probs with our work I'll be back it up for 3 years.

People are being more careful with there money, no doubt. However people want quality and value. These are the clients we have and hope to have for many years to come.

Back to the orginal post. Good luck with who ever you choose.

reilig

cardwizzard wrote: »

My point Reilig, is that you went with the cheapest price and didn't know what you where getting. In fact you probably would have went with a quote of 200 euros, am I right? I never said that the guy did or didn't do a good job, Maybe he had no work and was in need of it, which I can understand.By the way this is in all of painting not just spray.

No,

I got the guy to do the spray painting because of his reputation for spray painting rather than his price. He was recommended to me and I recommended him to other people. He paints private houses only and has months of work ahead of him. Even in boom times he charged €300 for spray painting any size of a house up to 2500 sq ft.

just that he badly underpriced his value and service.

He's not a rip off artist, he just wants to earn a living. And you're saying that €300 for a day's work is underpricing??????? The day of ripping off people is over. In boom times, people were prepared to pay a premium as I'm sure you charged for good service. Now that people haven't got that money, you have to reduce your prices in order to attract custom or other people that provide a quality service in the same line of work as you will under cut you and you could end up with very little work and loads of time to post your complaints onto the internet.

Just because the guy charges less than you do does not mean that his work is of a lesser standard than yours.

cardwizzard

Of course he might be as good as me, but it's impossible to compare unless you have seen both our works? Correct? I sprayed for 6 years day in day out, internal, external, fine finish, airless, air assisted, hvlp. I'm not saying i'm better than him, but I probably am.

If everyone else charges at least 600euros according to the OP how is this guy not undervaluing himself. Truth is he isn't running a business just earning a wage and putting it in his pocket. A lot of people you included seem reluctant to pay a tradesman over a certain amount, which is fine if thats the way you think.

What you are saying as regards reducing prices etc is wrong. Just a race to the bottom IMO. You will end up with crap work and then complain. Which companies that you know are making reductions? What you are saying I think in essence is give me a low price and do a great job.

Broke my arm while skiing, hence why i'm on here, thats is if thats OK with yourself.

reilig

I'm not saying i'm better than him, but I probably am.

That's just making assumptions in order to justify higher prices to the OP.
He's probably far better than you. He has been spray painting for the last 20 years. 11 years he spent in the USA. He brought the equipment home with him. How can you say that he is undervaluing himself when other people around here with little or no experience charge the same amount?

Its not really a race to the bottom when this is the price that he has always charged - even in boom times.

cardwizzard wrote: »

Of course he might be as good as me, but it's impossible to compare unless you have seen both our works? Correct? I sprayed for 6 years day in day out, internal, external, fine finish, airless, air assisted, hvlp.
If everyone else charges at least 600euros according to the OP how is this guy not undervaluing himself. Truth is he isn't running a business just earning a wage and putting it in his pocket. A lot of people you included seem reluctant to pay a tradesman over a certain amount, which is fine if thats the way you think.


Broke my arm while skiing, hence why i'm on here, thats is if thats OK with yourself.

What you are saying as regards reducing prices etc is wrong. Just a race to the bottom IMO. You will end up with crap work and then complain. Which companies that you know are making reductions? What you are saying I think in essence is give me a low price and do a great job.

So you're telling everyone here that you charge the same price now as you did in 2006/7 ??? Every company involved in construction has had to reduce their prices in order to beat competition - not just painters. Its supply and demand. It doesn't mean that standards are going to drop.

Well everybody gets ya now. You charge twice as much as some others so your work must be twice as good. I really don't think it works like that. People can pay twice as much if they want to but a game like that doesn't last forever - people soon cop on.

cardwizzard

Yes, I do charge the same prices as in 2006/7. Just like your spray friend does. :eek:

You seem to be up on your high horse, and haven't listened to what I have mentioned. So no point trying to educate you on this. Sorry if this sounds condensing, please don't take it the wrong way.

The OP mentioned that €600 was the lowest price he/she got for a price to spray up their home. Your guy charges €300. Now I no this is basic but if he charges €300 x 5 per week thats €1500. If he charged €500 which is still below the nearest quote he only needs to do 3 per week to match that. That is why is undervaluing himself by so much. Especially if he is as good as you say he is!!

And yes my work is twice as good as guys who charge as half as much as me. You might not want to hear that which is fair enough, I understand not everyone will go with me. Thats why I don't aim my business at clients that are so price sensitive that this is the number one factor in their choice. I don't offer champagne work at lemonade prices.

Jesus I was only offering the OP advice as they were going to do it themselves, and feel like im defending myself here.

reilig

cardwizzard wrote: »

yes my work is twice as good as guys who charge as half as much as me. You might not want to hear that which is fair enough, I understand not everyone will go with me. Thats why I don't aim my business at clients that are so price sensitive that this is the number one factor in their choice. I don't offer champagne work at lemonade prices.

But that's only your opinion. You could be a useless and messy spray painter for all we know. Anyone can talk themselves up. I know that my guy does a great job.

You suggested that he is not as good as you because he charges less than you. Utter self opinionated claptrap in order to justify your higher price.

You didn't listen to what I said. There are loads of people around here charging Eur300. So my guy is competitive around here.

cardwizzard

Ok,

Truth is this. You probably haven't seen more than 1/2 houses sprayed in your life. You don't know what to look for in terms of finish. Haven't a clue about spray patterns, overspray underspray. You have got one job done which you think is great, but you have nothing to compare it to. Maybe he did do a good job which is super. I never compared him to me it was you who did that.

However trying to rabbit on about how much I should charge etc when you haven't seen one of my jobs is nonsense. Thats like me trying to tell you what to charge for a bull or what crops to grow in a certain field.

Please don't talk crap when you have no idea what you are talking about. Some people buy a Fiesta some want a Mercedes.

reilig

cardwizzard wrote: »

Ok,

Truth is this. You probably haven't seen more than 1/2 houses sprayed in your life. You don't know what to look for in terms of finish. Haven't a clue about spray patterns, overspray underspray.
Please don't talk crap when you have no idea what you are talking about. Some people buy a Fiesta some want a Mercedes.

That's only assumption by you. Truth is I know an awful lot about it but you assumed that I haven't a clue. But sure you think that I don't. You think that you do a better job than other people because you charge more too. So you must be right. Come down off the high horse amhac!!

cardwizzard

Reilig,

Have to say you have got under my skin, which I rarely let happen. I have forgotten more about painting than you remember.

You haven't a notion. Everything I have said you have tried to better me. Like a dog with a bone.

I charge more than other people because I DO a better job than others.

reilig

cardwizzard wrote: »

Reilig,

I charge more than other people because I DO a better job than others.

Yea Right!!!!

I haven't tried to better you in any way. You just claimed that you do a better job than people who charge less than you and i refute that. I'm not saying that you do or you don't. But you say that you do without knowing what other people do.

Brian Cowen gets paid more than other Prime Ministers because he does a better job too.

cardwizzard

Very good. Thing is he's out of a job tomorrow, while my company which has being going for 13 years will be still going in 13 years, still trying to educate people like you. Have a good day;)

reilig

cardwizzard wrote: »

still trying to educate people like you. Have a good day;)

Oh I thought it was painting that you were doing.

cardwizzard

You are a great man for splitting sentences in half to suit your arguement.

Think its going to have to be an agree to disagree on this one. :pac::pac::pac:

mckenman

reilig wrote: »

the guy that spraypainted my house did it all in a day (2000 sq ft). The walls got 2 coats (with 2 hours to dry inbetween) and the ceilings got 3 coats - they are finished - I have not had to paint them since we moved in. he then rolled on 1 coat of the individual colours in each room. It was only €300 for the spraypainting alone - so it might not be worth your time and effort masking everything up and then hiring out or buying a spray gun if you could get it professionally done for €300. I know that I couldn't justify the cost of doing it myself anyway.

Hi there, would you send me on the number of the guy who did your painting, sounds like a great job. Thanks

sollar

cardwizzard 1500 per week is 80,000 a year - a damn good wage in 2011.

If guys are getting paid 600 for a days work thats 160,000. Is a painter worth that sort of money?

cardwizzard

You want to reread the thread. I take it your not self employed??

tfer

can anyone recommend a painter for spraying my house in Tralee area. 2300sq ft T/F taped and jointed