Should I buy a paint sprayer

[Gimesalot]

My husband and I just bought a house.  Since it currently is a rental, the paint is dirty, and baby poop color, the entire thing needs to be repainted.  It has about 4200 sq feet of living area divided into three apartments. 

Should we get a paint sprayer to make the work easier?

I have seen some air-less models on craigslist for around $150.

[Nords]

My husband and I just bought a house.  Since it currently is a rental, the paint is dirty, and baby poop color, the entire thing needs to be repainted.  It has about 4200 sq feet of living area divided into three apartments. 
Should we get a paint sprayer to make the work easier?

I did fine with a paint sprayer for outdoor work, but indoors it's hard to control the overspray.  You also need a much better respirator-- maybe even full-face-- for working indoors.  The time you save on spraying will be eaten up by the time you spend on cleanup.

I think the best indoor painting tool is still a roller with an extension handle.  Maybe one of those pump rollers would speed things up a little, but I have yet to find one that works as well as a regular roller. 

[deborah]

A roller is good, doesn't take long to paint a room, is quiet and relaxing. Treat it like meditation (roll up as you inhale, and down on the exhale)!

Paint sprayers are more expensive and noisy.

[Ashyukun]

When we refinished my old house's bathroom to use an epoxy coating to cover the horrid pink tile with white epoxy, I picked up a decent sprayer. It definitely got the job done quite well- but it was as stated a LOT of work to make sure and protect against overspray, which didn't always end up working the best. If you've got REALLY large walls to paint and outdoor stuff (thinking if we paint our new fence the sprayer will be perfect) it could make sense- spray the large inner portion of the walls and use normal tools to do the edges would probably be how I'd handle it.

You will need a hefty filter mask though- but they can be gotten cheap from Harbor Freight.

[Milspecstache]

For 4200 sqft I would absolutely buy a paint sprayer.  My preference is the Graco line and I think I have the x7 which cost me about $400.  I primed and painted my 2000sqft in 1.5 days.  Then did the outside (2-3 coats) in 2hrs/coat.  This is all assuming you are doing everything one color.

Yes, it is a pain in the rear to tape everything and use drop cloths but I use this thing every year to paint something outside (exterior, buildings, etc).  Also, you are buying a rental property which means you may end up using it frequently when people move out.  Just make sure if you do you protect your investment by cleaning it well and storing it with the right fluid inside it.

I was leary of CL and preferred to buy it new because I planned on keeping it forever.

[JustTrying]

I read on Young House Love (a blog) that the paint-sprayer may not be worth it (I think because it requires quite a bit of set up with taping things off, etc). If I was in your shoes, I'd still with boring ol' rollers!

[luigi49]

I have a paint sprayer and it worked really well.  Taping is not so bad.  Really not.

[Snowboard junkie]

Buy an airless sprayer off Craigslist if you can.  They hold their value well and you can sell it again when your project is done. 

Get a unit that sucks the paint from the pail, not a handheld canister. 

It's not that much extra work to tape properly, and in the end it is worth it. 

Nb. You will still have to backroll, so labor is not completely eliminated, but at 4200 square feet, your project will go much faster and likely have better quality with a sprayer.

[Spork]

As others have said: if you go this route get a mid range name brand.  Graco is also what I have.  I think I paid ~ $300.  It pays for itself in one paint job.

Do not underestimate the amount of time prep is going to take.  It's huge.  I painted my entire downstairs* when my house was new -- trim, ceilings, walls, primer -- the works.  The downstairs is about 1700sqft.  I could run from one end of the house to the other and paint it all in about 20-30 minutes.  But:  I spent probably a week (almost full time) masking every little tiny thing, filling holes, sanding/cleaning, carefully cutting the masking off... etc.

There is also a pretty significant start up/clean up time... so it's great if you can batch things.  I.e, it's much easier to paint every single surface that is the color "sage green" than to go room-to-room and swap colors.

While I'm on the subject: I had good luck with the Graco sprayers.... but ... their power roller attachment was just the biggest waste of time/money I've ever seen.  (I made such a stink that Home Depot took it back even though it had been used.)  It is heavy and hard to balance (much more so than a regular roller).  It also seemed to have a metal in it that reacted to the paint.  At the far left/right of the paint roller, my light colored paint would turn dark gray and leave dark gray stripes everywhere.  I painted one room... and then had to repaint it with the sprayer to kill the first coat.


*I didn't finish the upstairs at the time... and I'm still in the process of that.

[Woodshark]

I only use paint sprayers indoors during new construction. Before any flooring is down or the doors installed, I prime everything with a sprayer (walls, trim, ceiling) at once.  Then, using a shield to protect the walls, I spray the ceiling. Then the walls. The trim is then painted with a brush.

I would never use a sprayer to repaint a room. It takes a LOT of time to prep for spraying. When you consider the time and materials to prep a room for the sprayer, prep the sprayer, spray the room, and then clean the sprayer I could have painted the room with a roller, had lunch and probably taken a nap. 

Roll it. it will be cheaper and easier in the long run. 

[Gimesalot]

Updating here:

I decided to use rollers, and it has been a pain!  The walls are so textured that I have to paint a lot of the surfaces using a paint brush.  However, since there is no overspray to worry about, I am painting one wall every couple of days.  Since we are living in the unit we are fixing up, paint sprayer would not have been possible.  Our exterior needs to be rebuilt and then repainted.  When we do that, I am most definitely buying a paint sprayer.

Thanks for all the help.

[oldtoyota]

I read on Young House Love (a blog) that the paint-sprayer may not be worth it (I think because it requires quite a bit of set up with taping things off, etc). If I was in your shoes, I'd still with boring ol' rollers!

I read the book and used paint rollers to paint a door. A contractor told me a paint sprayer is the best way to go because you don't leave marks from the brush or roller. It might make sense for him since he probably does a LOT of painting.

If I use a roller, I don't have to remove my doors and take them outside to paint them. For me, the answer is rollers. For you, it sounds like a sprayer makes sense given the large area you want to paint.

[mpbaker22]

Updating here:

I decided to use rollers, and it has been a pain!  The walls are so textured that I have to paint a lot of the surfaces using a paint brush.  However, since there is no overspray to worry about, I am painting one wall every couple of days.  Since we are living in the unit we are fixing up, paint sprayer would not have been possible.  Our exterior needs to be rebuilt and then repainted.  When we do that, I am most definitely buying a paint sprayer.

Thanks for all the help.

What kind of roller are you using?  I'm certainly no expert on texture walls but maybe lambskin vs. synthetic could cause a difference?  I've had an awesome experience with lambskin.

[Jack]

Updating here:

I decided to use rollers, and it has been a pain!  The walls are so textured that I have to paint a lot of the surfaces using a paint brush.  However, since there is no overspray to worry about, I am painting one wall every couple of days.  Since we are living in the unit we are fixing up, paint sprayer would not have been possible.  Our exterior needs to be rebuilt and then repainted.  When we do that, I am most definitely buying a paint sprayer.

Thanks for all the help.

What kind of roller are you using?  I'm certainly no expert on texture walls but maybe lambskin vs. synthetic could cause a difference?  I've had an awesome experience with lambskin.

The other aspect to consider is the roller 'nap' (or thickness). The more textured the surface, the thicker you want it to be.

[Bob W]

I only use paint sprayers indoors during new construction. Before any flooring is down or the doors installed, I prime everything with a sprayer (walls, trim, ceiling) at once.  Then, using a shield to protect the walls, I spray the ceiling. Then the walls. The trim is then painted with a brush.

I would never use a sprayer to repaint a room. It takes a LOT of time to prep for spraying. When you consider the time and materials to prep a room for the sprayer, prep the sprayer, spray the room, and then clean the sprayer I could have painted the room with a roller, had lunch and probably taken a nap. 

Roll it. it will be cheaper and easier in the long run.

Agreed,  I sprayed new construction.  I roll on remodels.   I can roll a typical bedroom in a very short time.   You'll want to watch a you tube video on the how to do so.  Lowes and Home Depot also have classes at times.    If you're wanting any kind of fancy finishes you will definitely, roll, sponge or brush depending on the cool look you want.   

Be sure to clean the walls with a little dish soap and water a day or so ahead of time as grime tends to accumulate over time.

Painting is a skill like anything else so there will be a learning curve.  Start in the closets.   Be prepared for drips and spills and use plenty of drop clothes.

On color selection it may be worth it to pay for a professional home interior person who specializes in paint to help you choose colors.  It might cost you a few hundred but IMHO it is well worth it.   Other than the fancy finished rooms IMO people shouldn't really notice the paint colors so I usually go with a white with a slight brown tint, often called "China White." 

Buy good quality paint and good quality tools.  Especially brushes and roller covers.   

The rolling technique is a skill.  So watch the videos carefully.   Use a 5 gallon bucket with a side screen, not the trays. 

I don't tape much as I am pretty good at cutting in with a brush.   

Prep is very important and may take longer than painting.   Cleaning the surfaces,  repairing drywall,  removing cracked caulk and caulking,  sanding.

I find it best to paint on sunny days.  You can paint at night with super bright lights if you like.   On the walls where you like to colors, I find it easiest to remove a 1-1/2 inch sample and have the paint store color match it. 

It also seems that paint manufactures over estimate their coverage.  Seems the "covers 300 sq ft usually does 250 sq ft."

You can clean your rollers and store them tightly in a plastic bag if you will be using them soon enough.   Be sure to clean your nice brushes very well. 

Be sure to have the stores shake the paint but then always stir if you aren't using it within a few hours. 

Flat ceiling white for ceilings,  egg shell or satin for walls,  semigloss for doors and trim.

If you are repainting standard doors,  it helps to remove them and lay them flat on some supports in the garage.  This avoids runs.  Doors tend to get drippy where the panels come together. (like on 6 panel doors).

By the time your finish the house you will be a real pro!

That's probably too much advice!  lol
Happy Painting!

[jordand1986]

With the amount of painting I am likely to do, I've not invested in a large sprayer. I am currently accumulating detailed painting jobs around the house (kitchen cabinets, 6 panel doors, lattice) until I have enough to justify the purchase of a HVLP handheld sprayer. When I painted my house I used mostly free friend labor.

[ChrisLansing]

No need for a sprayer.    You'll make a mess and spend more time masking and unmasking than you'll ever save.   
And very likely you'll get paint where you don't want it, requiring clean up.   

Learn how to roll.   Do NOT buy a pump roller.   Just learn to load your roller, it takes some time to learn but will be a useful lifelong skill. 

I used to be a painter and I can tell you I can usually roll just as fast as someone else can spray -if you count all the masking/unmasking time.      You won't be as fast as a pro but your speed will improve considerably with practice.   

[Reddleman]

I'd have to agree with the majority here.  As a former painting contractor, spraying is only really practical on interiors as new construction.  Once there are any kind of furnishings involved, the masking, prep and other work negates this. 

For large scale interior, either go with a screen in a 5 gallon paint setup.  If you are doing larger expanses and not changing colors often, going with an 18" reframe and cover setup can really save some time.  Also buy good quality roller covers, matched to the texture of what you're painting. 

When you start doing a lot of repetitive work that you can remove, like batches of doors or furniture,  a good Hvlp setup can make a lot of sense, but not really for walls and ceilings.

Exterior is where airless or air assisted spray is really worth it.