So I’ve been using the term “airless spray painting” without really knowing what that meant. Today, I’m on a mission to learn about what that really means. Here we go:
An airless sprayer works by pumping paint at very high pressure, through a hose and out a tiny hole in the spray gun tip. The tip is designed to break up the paint evenly into a fan-shaped spray pattern of tiny droplets. Using different tips, you can spray thin liquids like stain, lacquer, and varnish or thicker liquids like latex house paint.
With a little practice, you can use an airless sprayer to apply a perfectly smooth finish on doors, cabinets and woodwork. And since an airless sprayer pumps paint directly from a can or 5-gallon bucket, you can apply a lot of material in a short time. This makes an airless sprayer particularly well suited for large paint jobs, like priming bare drywall in a new house or painting a 300-ft.-long privacy fence.
Pros
The best advantage in using an airless system is that it’s much faster than using the traditional brush or roller method, like Tom Sawyer. In many cases it will literally take half the time.
The other big plus is that because nothing is actually contacting the surface except the paint itself, the finish will be much smoother than the traditional method as well. There’s simply no better way to make your project look perfect!
Cons
There are some drawbacks: because the paint is airborne, it’s possible for some of it to miss the target and be wasted. It can even drift with the wind outside and land on things you definitely don’t want it too. Be especially careful on windy days!
Bottom line is, airless sprayers are excellent for medium- to large-scale projects, even around the house. With just a bit of practice, anyone can use them. It’s a great tool to have in your arsenal, and at KM Coating can help you every step of the way!
