# spraying exteriors, is it worth the risk of overspray?



## trevorwastrevor (Mar 17, 2014)

Just wondering what is everyone's thoughts/experiences on spraying exteriors. I have always heard stories of overspray landing on the neighbor's cars/house/etc, but other painters seem to spray all the time outside with no problems. It seems that whenever is spray I can follow the paint dust cloud with my eyes for 50 ft or more sometimes. I know less pressure equals less overspray, but do certain paints/gun tips/oil vs latex affect the amount of overspray as well? Any tips are appreciated.


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## DiasDePlaya (Mar 28, 2015)

Never paint in a windy day!


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

Low pressure = less atomization. Less atomization means you will need a big tip like a x17.

You can spray up to 20 mph winds before worrying.


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

Driftweed said:


> Low pressure = less atomization. Less atomization means you will need a big tip like a x17.
> 
> You can spray up to 20 mph winds before worrying.


Worrying about what? Which auto detail shop to take the cars to? Spraying exteriors during 20 mph winds....riiiiiight.


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

If you hold your gun 5 feet from the wall...guess what is going to happen? You paint more cars than the walls.

Keep it the recommended 12 inches and it's totally different story.

If we didn't paint in wind, nothing would ever get done.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

I can tell you one thing. I had a building on a busy street to paint and I wanted to be careful. It had a fine stone texture. Using one inch naps we could not get the paint to cover. We used an extra 20 gallons and double the man hours trying to get paint where it belonged. The roller spray was way worse than anything a sprayer did because I finally broke down and just sprayed the damn thing. I still have paint on my truck from that job and I parked on the street.


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## WBailey1041 (Jan 31, 2014)

I've seen, on more than one occasion, a man spraying with his helper standing back with a backpack blower. I wouldn't recommend it though. Disclaimer: I'm not a professional painter.


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

No freaking way will I spray exteriors with winds in excess of 12 mph. Detailing just one car of paint mist can cost upwards of $200.


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## Ohio painter (Dec 4, 2011)

I struggle with when to spray paint. Nothing around / middle of nowhere the decision is easy. 
When I am in town it is a different matter. I have seen painters go at it with no regard to what is around them. Sometimes if there is a breeze in the right direction blowing away from street or neighbor's house that is good too.

So in town I limit spraying, metal roofs - I get on them early with little traffic in the area. 
I generally don't spray house exterior siding although I may do soffits etc as they tie up so many hours that a sprayer is worth the trouble. 

My view is that spraying makes paint application quicker but not necessarily the overall man hours on a job. Spraying has its own additional prep work to be considered such as masking off windows etc. Quality spray work that is uniform and neat and tidy with no overspray is a skill, get associated with a poor looking spray job and your reputation will quickly suffer. 
I still believe quality painters with brushes and rollers can't be beat. There are some irregular surfaces that just have to be sprayed to be efficient. 

Having to stop painting due to wind will make you consider the value of brush / roller vs spraying. Don't price a spray job unless 110% certain spraying it will not cause issues. 

Final word - dryfall paint. There are exterior paints that have dryfall properties 
( overspray dries in about 10' of fall) always consider using these types of paint in questionable areas. SW Multi Surface Acrylic is one. Sheens and colors are limited however.


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

Check a weather site like http://www.intellicast.com/ for if the upcoming days are going to be too windy to spray. That site gives hour by hour wind predictions. Type in your zip code, check out the neat graphs.


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## illbuildit.dd (Jan 7, 2015)

Driftweed said:


> If you hold your gun 5 feet from the wall...guess what is going to happen? You paint more cars than the walls.
> 
> Keep it the recommended 12 inches and it's totally different story.
> 
> If we didn't paint in wind, nothing would ever get done.


Same here. Wind blows hard 19 out of 20 days most of the time. This subject is one where you have to use knowledge and decide what to do and when to do it.


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## Grateful_Monk (Jan 31, 2014)

I've been spraying exteriors for almost 20 years. I haven't brushed and rolled an exterior since the 90's. 

If your painting neighbors vehicles with over spray your doing it wrong! and I think I know the problem.

A painter friend of mine and I took on a job together a couple years back. We used his equipment to complete the job. When I began spraying with his pump, paint was coming out as fast as a garden hose. The tip was blown the f$&k out. He actually told me he had bought the tip that spring. WOW! I ran to the store to grab a new tip. After putting it in his gun he tried it out. The difference was so huge that he though the new tip was clogged.

Look guys, If the tip is blown out it doesn't matter what size it is. You can't control it and your wasting paint on a massive scale. You can easily go through 3-4 times more paint. Even though they tell you at the paint store a tip lasts 70-90 gallons, it's BS. Depending on the material that your spraying a tip only last 10-15 gallons. Latex flat being the most abrasive. 

Even from a cost perspective it makes more sense to replace the tip after 10 gallons or so because you will easily save in paint the cost of the tip. I guarantee it. I think most painters don't notice over time how blown out their tips get. 

I buy 10 tips at a time and replace them after each exterior. I use very small tips as they are easier for my guys to control and have very little over spray. I mainly use Titans because they are cheaper and spray finer. I recommend starting with something like a 209 or 211 if you have never sprayed before. Most new pumps come with a 515 which in my opinion is ridiculous for any project.

I have a black work truck that is parked on every job and there is not a single speck of over spray on it.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Grateful_Monk said:


> I mainly use Titans because they are cheaper and spray finer. I recommend starting with something like a 209 or 211 if you have never sprayed before. Most new pumps come with a 515 which in my opinion is ridiculous for any project.
> 
> I have a black work truck that is parked on every job and there is not a single speck of over spray on it.


I'm not spraying a body of a house with a 2xx tip even it was blown out. Anything less than a x15 you're not getting enough paint on or you'll be there forever with exterior latex. I normally use a 515 or 517.


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## Grateful_Monk (Jan 31, 2014)

avenge said:


> I'm not spraying a body of a house with a 2xx tip even it was blown out. Anything less than a x15 you're not getting enough paint on or you'll be there forever with exterior latex. I normally use a 515 or 517.


I use a 209 on trim and 311 on siding. 

Of course it takes longer but I save money with less wasted paint, I'm not checking weather for wind and I'm not painting the neighbors car for free.

I don't have enough drop cloths to cover everything that I will probably trash using a 515 or 517.

We lose enough days with rain. I couldn't imagine checking the forecast for wind too.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Grateful_Monk said:


> I use a 209 on trim and 311 on siding.
> 
> Of course it takes longer but I save money with less wasted paint, I'm not checking weather for wind and I'm not painting the neighbors car for free.
> 
> ...


You're not getting overspray because you're not putting out much paint. A 515 is not only doing almost twice the square footage but also applying more paint. Unless it's so windy none of the material is reaching the surface the paint loss in overspray is so minimal compared to the time in labor using a 311 over a 515.

What gets trashed? You cover vehicles that are in close proximity, cover bushes, etc. nearby. I've done shopping centers, apartment complexes, commercial buildings, residential and never trashed anything from overspray.

You might as well brush and roll it at least your customer is getting a decent coat of paint.


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## Grateful_Monk (Jan 31, 2014)

avenge said:


> You're not getting overspray because you're not putting out much paint. A 515 is not only doing almost twice the square footage but also applying more paint. Unless it's so windy none of the material is reaching the surface the paint loss in overspray is so minimal compared to the time in labor using a 311 over a 515.
> 
> What gets trashed? You cover vehicles that are in close proximity, cover bushes, etc. nearby. I've done shopping centers, apartment complexes, commercial buildings, residential and never trashed anything from overspray.
> 
> You might as well brush and roll it at least your customer is getting a decent coat of paint.


Apparently your system works for you. 

I'm simply offering my 20 years of experience and knowledge to those who are possibly making assumptions about spraying who are likely using a tip that's too much to handle or blown out.

Early on we made those same assumptions.

(The amount of paint applied to the surface depends on how fast you wave your hand side-to-side. A bigger tip puts on paint much faster hence my whole point of trying a smaller tip to slow it down to a speed you can handle and over spray that is minimal.)

The difference of paint consumption and waste between a 515 and 311 is undeniably significant. I disagree with that comment.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Grateful_Monk said:


> Apparently your system works for you.
> 
> I'm simply offering my 20 years of experience and knowledge to those who are possibly making assumptions about spraying who are likely using a tip that's too much to handle or blown out.
> 
> ...


I'll offer my 40+ years of experience. It's not my system a 515, 517, 615 and 617 is standard. If you can't handle it you shouldn't be spraying.

Ya a 311 vs a 515 is like the turtle vs the hare if you're applying the correct amount of paint but the hare doesn't need a nap. Not only will I have to move slower with a 311 I'm also doubling the motions it takes to cover the same area as a 515.

A 515 consumes more paint, that's the idea. Your idea of minimizing paint consumption by reducing overspray makes no sense, the idea of spraying is production. You're decreasing your production by at least 2x and saving nothing on paint consumption in overspray. The only way you're saving paint is by not applying enough.


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## Grateful_Monk (Jan 31, 2014)

avenge said:


> I'll offer my 40+ years of experience. It's not my system a 515, 517, 615 and 617 is standard. If you can't handle it you shouldn't be spraying.
> 
> Ya a 311 vs a 515 is like the turtle vs the hare if you're applying the correct amount of paint but the hare doesn't need a nap. Not only will I have to move slower with a 311 I'm also doubling the motions it takes to cover the same area as a 515.
> 
> A 515 consumes more paint, that's the idea. Your idea of minimizing paint consumption by reducing overspray makes no sense, the idea of spraying is production. You're decreasing your production by at least 2x and saving nothing on paint consumption in overspray. The only way you're saving paint is by not applying enough.



You are so hard headed. The original post is "spraying exteriors, is it worth the risk of overspray?

I'm not talking to you or trying to tell you how to do your job. I'm offering an alternative. You are overbearing and useless to anyone that just might not see your point of view. Especially someone new to spraying.

You haven't seen our work, your just running your mouth with nothing to base it on. Get over your ego and quit telling me and anyone else how to do their job!


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

Grateful_Monk said:


> You are so hard headed. The original post is "spraying exteriors, is it worth the risk of overspray?
> 
> I'm not talking to you or trying to tell you how to do your job. I'm offering an alternative. You are overbearing and useless to anyone that just might not see your point of view. Especially someone new to spraying.
> 
> You haven't seen our work, your just running your mouth with nothing to base it on. Get over your ego and quit telling me and anyone else how to do their job!


Seriously? Running my mouth with nothing to base it on? I stated facts both by the paint manufacturers and industry standards, that's not hard headed. You posted incorrect advice to deal with overspray. Show me specs listed on any exterior latex where they recommend a x11 tip.

You said you had 20 yrs experience now you say you're new to spraying, which is it. I'm not telling anyone else how to do their job, I'm telling you and only you that you're wrong .

I don't need to see your work you're too damn slow and you're not applying enough paint because you're using the wrong f**kin tip. A paint job can "look" good with paint watered down 50 percent.

If you can't argue the facts don't be a whiner and post bull**** accusations.


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

So...to sum up, some spraying environments have constant high winds and gusts, even at the break of dawn. And, if you can't spray in those conditions, then you're not talented at spraying? Fine. 

I'd make a deal with a local detailing shop for discounts if I were you. 

Say somebody complains that there's small specs of paint on their new black Lexus. Even tho the overspray particles of paint are dry by the time they land on that new black Lexus. What are you going to say to them? Huh? 

"Let me hose off the dried paint dust on your brand new black Lexus , it'll be fine" (?).


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## Grateful_Monk (Jan 31, 2014)

:no:


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

trevorwastrevor said:


> Spraying Exteriors, Is It Worth The Risk Of Overspray?


It is for me when priming and then doing two coats of paint. 
It's all in the prep...:thumbsup:


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

My patented tape deflectors for spray painting fascia, drip edges and gutters. 


























I'm a glutton for punishment. :laughing:


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## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

Hey Paul, I'm sure it looks better in person, but that's a horrid color.


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## Sir Mixalot (Jan 6, 2008)

mnld said:


> Hey Paul, I'm sure it looks better in person, but that's a horrid color.


It looks way better in person. 

I don't pick em'. I just paint em'. :innocent:


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## mnld (Jun 4, 2013)

Sir Mixalot said:


> It looks way better in person.
> 
> I don't pick em'. I just paint em'. :innocent:


Oh I hear you there.


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