HVLP vs Rolling

[Matt]

I am working on installing crown moulding in my foyer and 2nd floor hallway. The foyer has an 18ft ceiling and I am borrowing a scaffolding to assist in the install and painting of the entire area. I was looking at the HVLP sprayers last night at HD, and began to wonder if maybe I should attempt to spray this area rather than roll on the paint. Having never used a interior spray system, I need some pro's and con's to rolling vs spraying. Also, I believe I can rent a sprayer, but should I consider investing in something like the Graco Magnum DX ($300)? I would definately get a lot of use out of this if purchased, between the painting, the deck maintenance and other projects. I am not sure of the rental gear quality vs cost. I rented a power washer once for $80/day, and will never do that again.

[Roger Shoaf]

I think I would prefer to roll the paint on. Spraying takes a lot of prep time (Masking, etc.) and you end up with a thinner paint film. I think for a home owner a sprayer is not worth the hassle as you only use the machine every 5 to 10 years.

[Jim Yanik]

"Roger Shoaf" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

you get a lot of overspray even if you use a HVLP system. I wouldn't do it in my house.

[** Frank **]

HVLP would be fine for just the molding or doors and would be too slow for the whole room. If just one room, roll it. If a few rooms or the whole house, an airless sprayer would be the way to go.

[mm]

In another thread, someone suggesting spray painting radiators in place. I would have though overspray would be an intractble problem there too.

What say you all?

[Mr_Bill]

IMO, it depends mostly on how much you are going to use it. If you're talking about 100ft of crown molding and that's it, then I would say no. If you are going to have a regular stream of projects, then yes.

5 years ago, I was in your situation. I had never used anything but a brush and a roller. I had a contractor replace 8 interior doors in my house, and he wanted $1100 to paint them (doors and jambs). I took the plunge and bought an HVLP. It was a great move. On newly installed trim etc., you will get a professional look.

A few things to consider, however. You are probably talking about latex "enamel" (rather than tinted lacquer) I presume. To spray latex, you need a 4-stage turbine. That plus a good gun will run you around $1000. Stay away from anything less. A lower powered unit might be fine for lacquer or shellac, but you'll never get a decent result with latex without a 4-stage turbine.

Don't expect to save much time. It is just that the nature of the job changes from "painting" to "prep and cleanup". You will have to mask off *everything*, because there is a lot of overspray.

Don't expect to paint walls or ceilings with HVLP. HVLP moves

1 quart of paint in maybe 10 minutes, and large area surfaces are impossible to spray and still keep a "wet edge". If you want to paint walls, rent an airless sprayer.

I am very glad I got my HVLP. I have slowly been renovating my house, one room at a time. I've done crown, window molding, door molding, and plenty of cabinet finishing. I've sprayed latex, lacquer, shellac, and catalyzed conversion varnish. When I compare my actual total time to hiring a pro, I end up paying myself $50-100 per hour.

So, if you want to approach this as an ongoing hobby, then go for it. If you'd rather be playing golf, then hire somebody.

If you do go the HVLP route, I am very satisfied with my Fuji Q4. It does a beautiful job, I have never had a problem, and when I have bought supplies and accessories I have dealt direct with the factory. The owner answers the phone, he is a nice guy, and is very responsive.

[Matt]

I may have been unclear in my original post. I am looking at an airless sprayer (Graco Magnum DX ($300)) , not a gravity feed/hvlp system. From what I have read, the airless is the way to go for painting interior walls, cielings, etc. Very little overspray and the ability to put product on the walls without schlepping a roller and bucket. My foyer has an 18ft cieling, so I will be on a scaffold about 10-12 feet off the ground. I thought manipulating a hose and gun would be much safer and simpler than a roller and bucket. I agree that an HVLP isnt the way to go. What about feedback on an airless?

Matt

[Greg]

I've been a painting contractor for 20 years, on my 3rd sprayer, you will not get a good job on walls without backrolling after spraying, so the roller still goes with the sprayer, and not a one man job to spray and back roll, dries too fast, you wont get away from that, if it were me, I'd be cutting it in off an extention ladder, then rolling with my 14' extention pole from the ground, pain in the ass, but I'd have it painted in the time you took to get the scaffold up. Spraying or rolling off the scaffolding will give you a choppy result, it will be in the way for the bottom part of wall, even if you had an expansion joint in the middle I would still do it off a ladder. Cut it all in with ext. ladder, then roll top 8' or so of one wall with 14-15' ext. pole, then change to 5' and finish that wall, then start next wall.

"Matt" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

[Matt]

Greg, thanks for the input. In my continued reading I did come across the backrolling and having a 2nd person follow as the wall is sprayed. Probably best to stick with the roller. How would you suggest I paint the ceiling (its 18ft). I am thinking there is no way around the scaffold for this.

Matt

[Greg]

[** Frank **]

I'm not a pro like Greg but have used a profession airless (Binks) for over

30 years without backrolling. I'm just one guy without a helper so backrolling is not an option. Results are ok, don't think you could tell any difference though backrolling would be better. I usually do two coats to get an even coverage. You could do doors too with an airless too but need to change your gun tip.

[Matt]

Greg, its about 12'x12'. Yes, I was planning on painting from the stairs, and, the landing halfway up. I do have a light fixture I need to get at to, which of course is in the middle of the cieling. I am going to set up my 20' folding ladder, but that will only put me about

10' off the ground. I am 6'4", so it will be very close, but probably not far enough up. I will also have to rig something up to hold my paint bucket while I am on the folding ladder. Still much easier than scaffolding.....

Matt