When it comes to decorating your home, many people immediately think of brush and rollers or hiring a professional contractor to do the job, which can be expensive. However, in the last 5 years paint spraying technology has come a long way and has now become a cost effective and feasible solution for decorating your home.
No more brushes, no more rollers and most importantly, no more back and neck ache after painting for a straight week.
Paint sprayers are available in a range of different types depending on what project you’re about to undertake, so it’s vital you understand the different technologies before you’ll be able to find the best paint sprayer for you. Here we look at the 5 main paint spraying technologies, what they’re good for and who should be buying each type.
Home & DIY Airless Paint Sprayers
Airless paint sprayers cover most of the paint spraying market and are generally what most people look to buy when decorating the exterior or interior of their home. They are extremely fast, much cheaper than hiring a professional and provide a near flawless paint finish.
How much does an airless paint sprayer for the average home owner cost? If you’re looking to decorate a handful of rooms nicely and pop it in the shed for a couple of years then you can pick up a popular branded airless paint sprayer for under $300. If however you have a large project or plan to use the paint sprayer frequently, then it may be worth your time investing in a more professional model we discuss below.
Professional Airless Paint Sprayers
Professional airless paint sprayers use the same airless technology mentioned above but with one difference, they’re built to last and can withstand heavy usage.
If you’re a professional decorator or keen DIY enthusiast with a plethora of projects to undertake, then it is probably worth investing a little more in a professional paint sprayer that will last the test of time and can be repaired.
Handheld Paint Sprayers
Handheld paint sprayers are extremely popular among home owners for three main reasons, they’re extremely easy to use, they’re very versatile and most important, they’re cheap.
That said, the handheld paint sprayer market still has quite a lot of price points, with cheap sprayers for the odd non-important job such as spraying some outdoor furniture, or $500 handheld paint sprayers for professional handymen such as the the Graco Truecoat Pro II which is designed for keen DIYers who want a professional machine with a professional finish.
Handheld paint sprayers are generally very good all rounder’s and can be used for paint spraying interiors walls and also for more detailed work such as trim work, painting furniture and spraying cabinets.
HVLP Paint Sprayers
As with all the other technologies, HVLP paint sprayers come in entry level home owner models and also in more expensive professional grade models.
HVLP paint sprayers are mainly built for more precise work, such as furniture paint spraying, but they are often also used for decorating home interiors.
They generally hold 1 litre of paint and provide a very controlled spray at a slow speed, which is perfect for detailed work and furniture, but can be a nuisance when spraying large surface areas such as interior walls.
HVLP stands for High Volume Low Pressure, which translates to a lot of air being provided but at low pressure. This results in excellent control and little overspray, with some models having as high as an 80% application rate (meaning 80% of the paint being sprayed sticks to the object being sprayed).
Conventional Compressor Paint Sprayers
Compressor based paint sprayers are typically associated with car and automotive paint sprayers as with the right equipment they can provide a flawless factory finish on any surface.
However for most home owners, compressor based paint spraying setups are often a bit too much to bear. They require noisy and often large compressors, air lines and some knowledge of how they work. Not mention they aren’t the most portable devices, with most people having them permanently setup in the garage.
If you’re looking to spray a car or anything else that requires a flawless finish, then it’s certainly worth considering a compressor setup if you have the space to do so.
In Summary
If you are considering buying a paint sprayer, then it’s vital you take these different technologies into account. If you buy the wrong type of paint sprayer then you could be left with a sub-par job you’re not happy with or simply not be able to completely the job properly.
The paint sprayer market is a big industry and not one you can throw yourself into without some further research.
Take your time to read articles online, read reviews on Amazon and simply get a feel for the market before you spend your hard earned cash on buying a new paint sprayer.
