Here's a quick article on Spray Painting and it's lack of use in the UK;

As a very experienced spray painter working for many years in Los Angeles where the

technique is now very much the norm, I thought I would write a short article on the

technique, particularly addressing the actual lack of use of the technique domestically here

in the UK. This situation, I've found, exists purely due to lack of practice by regular

british painters and decorators and information on the subject not readily advertised to the

general public. British spray painting seems to be exclusively practised in the corperate,

Factory and large commercial buildings realm of decorating.

I hope this little article will shed some light and trust on this under used and much more

efficient way of painting any dwelling.

Most professional painters and homeowners select spray painting to save time and their

backs! Paint spraying can apply a lot of primer or paint very fast, saving days of manual

labour, but this method seems to cause some people to worry about the logistics of the

technique. The main issue is overspray and a concern that there is difficulty controlling

where the vapourised paint ends up, on top of the neighbour's Car, for example. From lots of

experience, I can assure people that both of these issues can be overcome with planning and

practice.

Another unreasonable limitation in peoples mind's seems to be how a spray Painter would deal

with rough surfaces. The simple fact is that Paint spraying is great for both rough and

smooth surfaces and can properly fill the pores of even the thichest Artex, rough cast and

concrete block.

If you are considering getting a spray Job either commercial or demestic, you might want to

Carefully examine what you think are the pro's and con's of spray painting and plan

accordingly. Planning starts with the preparation of the House, Building, or Office that will

be painted. The same attention to detail, like removing old, or peeling paint and the

application of decorators caulking to small cracks on the surface, is the same preparation

for all methods of re-decoration. The similarity stops when the need for extra masking

begins. In the wrong hands overspray is a big problem for airless sprayers and if it's a "Do

it yourself" endeavour, you need to cover or remove all items completely. To be absolutely

sure in your own mind, assume that anything near or in the immediate area of the spray

Gun will get some overspray.

As laborious as it sounds, it's actually quite easy to cover all windows and doors

completely with plastic and tape. This might take a couple of hours, but it will make the

spraying a lot easier in the long run, without any obstacles in the way. Any other items you really don't

want paint anywhere near will need to be removed, or masked with paper, or plastic. As a professional

sprayer I use proper Cardboard, or wooden spray shields around eaves and windows. If you

are a novice at spraying, please don't assume you can shield everything and get away with

it, it sometimes takes a professional a good few jobs to get the hang of shielding surface

area from overspray. When exterior spraying, extensive areas must be covered at their base

with drop cloths. This includes pavements, decks and fences. Spraying slow drying paints on

windy days, such as oil based primer, Gloss paints and stain blockers, is a big risk. The

overspray can be wind blown a substantial distance. Placing neighbouring houses, cars and

especially plants at risk.

The best way to spray paint a house is from the top down, completing a section at a time

before continuing to the next. This applies to sidings, soffits and rough cast.

Here's an example of spraying paint a section at a time (left to right);

Start at one end of the House and spray 3-5 feet of soffit then several (4-5 or more) pieces of Wall. Now move

across and repeat until the soffits and a few metres of Wall are painted. Simply, lower

your ladder and spray more of the Wall in sections, moving across. Repeat this procedure until you're on the

ground and the side of the House is painted.

Paint spraying requires four basic procedures, with some exceptions depending on the surface

being sprayed. After reading these you will realize most are common sense ideas. With some

practice and experience you will come up with some of your own methods.

The direction of the Gun when spray painting can have a dramatic effect on the final finish. Typically

a horizontal, left to right direction across the surface works best. This will be a back and

forth pattern with overlapping strokes ensuring a thick and even coverage.

The typical House has many different angles or types of surface and each one will present

its own challenges. This is where some obvious exceptions come in.

For slated, overlap sidings, both wood or masonry, spray several rows back and forth at a time working

down the wall. Back rolling is recommended to push the paint into nail heads and fully seal

the lip of any wooden siding. The spray gun can be angled toward the siding lip to help build up

extra primer or paint before back rolling. Back rolling is only necessary on the first coat.

Heavily textured or rough cast surfaces need the paint applied very thick and from bottom to

top, filling in overhanging gaps and pore holes. If you want to be more thorough,

immediately roll behind the sprayer. Spray painting from underneath the surface at a 45

degree angle can adequately fill pores on Artex, rough cast, stucco or concrete block. It

also helps when spraying anything to use different angles. With practice the multiple angle

technique will distribute enough paint evenly around any heavy textured surface.

Another consideration is spray painting what is commonly referred to as Metal, or wooden "dental work"

on many Victorian, or even older houses. The wood trim and Iron railings will have to be sprayed from

different angles in order to achieve proper coverage. Use two light, misting coats by moving

faster and from a greater distance than normal. Spray from one direction first allowing the

paint to dry before spraying from the opposite direction. This subtly builds up smooth, even

layers and prevents drips forming on the corners of the struts.

I hope these basic pointers on the technique will reassure you that this is probably the

best all round method of superior quality paint finishing and time reduction when painting

your beautiful Home. With a bit of practice and patience, you will be able to master the

technique in no time at all, or if you are still in doubt, you could just get the

professionals in and be sure the job gets done expertly. Happy Spraying!