Pro Tips for Interior Painting with a Sprayer

These days, the cost to hire a pro to spray paint a single room in a house hovers between $350 and $800, depending on room size, type of paint and other considerations. It’s no wonder more and more people are opting to do the job themselves. And with the equipment available today, DIY spraying is more doable than ever.

Spray-painting calls for skill, to be sure. But it’s an easy skill to acquire with practice, and you can do a great job even if your technique isn’t perfect.

You’ll hear the same thing from every painter, professional or not: The quality of the final results depend more on the time and attention you’re willing to put into preparation than on the actual application of the paint.

I was a professional spray painter for many years. Although I’ve moved on to writing, I still occasionally break out the equipment to help friends with their interior painting projects. Here are some of the things I do while planning a job, executing it and cleaning up.

Get Enough Paint

After you’ve decided which paint to use, check the label for the coverage. Most products cover about 400 square feet per gallon. That figure may be lower if you opt for an all-in-one paint and primer or some other high-solids product.

Next, take the time to accurately measure the wall and ceiling space you have to cover, subtracting the space occupied by doors, windows and cabinets. Finally, plan for two coats — one is never enough — and add five to 10 percent more paint to account for overspray.

Pro tip: If you buy paint in one-gallon cans, mix it in a five-gallon bucket to ensure color and sheen uniformity.

Clear the Room

Don’t assume your prized sofa will be safe if you simply cover it with a drop cloth. If overspray doesn’t get it, an accidental spill might.

Besides protecting your furniture, moving it out of the room gives you more space to work and prevents the scenario where you’re trying to reach a corner obstructed by a heavy object.

Use Canvas Drop Cloths

After all the furniture is gone, cover the floor and any items you couldn’t remove (like built-in cabinets) to protect them from overspray.

Definitely go with canvas drop cloths. They’re heavier than plastic or paper, and the edges won’t lift if you get too close with the sprayer. Most importantly, they absorb overspray rather than letting it form a slippery film on the surface.

Get a Masking Machine

A masking machine (aka a hand-masker) is a simple, inexpensive hand-held device with one roller for masking paper and another for masking tape. It automatically sticks the tape to the paper and to the wall as you draw the machine in a straight line.

This tool cuts in half the amount of time you spend masking off doors, windows and other obstructions.

Use the Right Sprayer

You’ll need an airless sprayer for painting interior walls. When I worked professionally, the only ones available came with a pump that extracted paint from a can. A high-pressure hose connected it to the spray gun.

These are still the best to use for large jobs. But if you’re only painting one room, consider a handheld airless sprayer. They’re really easy to use, especially cordless models, and they do just as good a job. The one drawback: The attached canister only holds a quart, so you must refill it frequently.

Pro tip: If you’re spraying interior woodwork with a clear finish, like varnish, consider renting an air sprayer (aka HVLP sprayer) and a compressor if you don’t have one already. An air sprayer creates a finer spray pattern than an airless one. The pattern is easier to control and leaves a more uniform, splotch-free finish.

Work Safely

Unless your idea of a good time is washing dried paint off your body, cover every square inch of yourself, including your head and hands. And don’t forget to wear goggles and a respirator.

Test Before You Spray

Keep a large piece of cardboard or scrap plywood handy to test the spray pattern before you start painting the walls. This way you’ll determine how far you need to overlap each stroke to prevent streaking.

You’ll also learn quickly if the paint needs to be thinned. If it does, the sprayer will spit it out in globs. Better to have that happen on a test surface than the wall.

Use the Right Spray Painting Technique

Spray in a vertical or horizontal pattern, overlapping each stroke by half with the next one.

Despite your best efforts, some streaks may remain. Don’t try to correct these by loading on more paint or you’ll get drips. If you can see streaks after you’re done, you need another coat. On large surfaces, avoid streaking by spraying in a crisscross pattern, first horizontally and then vertically, or vice versa. If it still doesn’t look good to you, then here’s how you can safely remove spray paint.

Pro tip: If you do get drips, wait for the paint to dry, then scrape off the drips with a razor. Don’t try to wipe them off while the paint is wet.

Clean Up To Prevent Clogs

It’s extremely important to clean your spray equipment after every use to prevent clogging.

Spray excess paint into a bucket, then run the appropriate thinner through the machine until the spray is clear. Finally, disassemble the sprayer and clean the parts separately.

Pro tip: An airless sprayer will apply oil- and water-based paints. But oil-based paints are high in VOCs, and painters seldom use them for interior painting. In some states, it’s illegal. You’ll probably clean up with water.