# do you always spray?



## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I have heard people say that if your sprayer is not spraying, you are not making good use of it.

I usually spray when I can, but sometimes I roll, or even brush in extreme circumstances. Sometimes there are just so many windows to mask, it seems spraying is more time consuming then a cut and roll.

What do you guys think?


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

I do what ever option makes the most sense as far as production. I know of some spray guys that struggle more with a brush and roller so they spend longer setting up the spray conditions because that is what they may feel more comfortable with. Also a sprayed product often looks better IMO. 

For me I do both. I utilize my sprayer when it makes the most sense and when I think it is best to brush and or roll that is what I do.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

What do you consider reasons for not spraying?

The house I am at now is totally sprayable, except that it has a lot of windows everywhere. I am thinking that the time it would take to set up the sprayer, mask the windows, and spray, I could likely cut and roll in a reasonable time.


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

we spray most all exteriors,


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

do you just spray walls?

spray soffits?

every spray trim?

If so what order...

I try it a bit different everytime, however, I have yet to find a failsafe. Every house has different soffits, different trims, different walls... they connect in different ways dictating different approaches. Maybe I am missing a general consensus though.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Interior spraying is usually ceilings and wood work. 
Exterior is usually primer, eaves and main color, sometimes secondary color. All trim work is brushed and rolled.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

What ever will be the most productive.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Whatever it takes.lol


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

new or old


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Like Sean said, whatever is best for each situation. 
Rob has been told his way is bass-ackwards many times. Have a new PM that had his doubts and after seeing the process was amazed. But we seldom have window trim or crown to deal with. And in NC, no cabinets or fixtures.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Dunbar Painting said:


> What do you consider reasons for not spraying?
> 
> The house I am at now is totally sprayable, except that it has a lot of windows everywhere. I am thinking that the time it would take to set up the sprayer, mask the windows, and spray, I could likely cut and roll in a reasonable time.


 I agree however, if you have a couple of cheap helpers to mask it and one good painter to spray it would be cheaper.

My biggest reason is probably the wind and concerns about over spray.


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## CK_68847 (Apr 17, 2010)

Every job is different. I had a color lock job two weeks ago where we did it by hand. It was a little 1400 sq ft house. I could have masked off the gutter, windows, and soffit and put money and time into plastic or just do it by hand. Two guys and I started at 7 and were done by 11 two coating it. It wouldntt have been worth masking

We also had a job Friday to paint small mechanical rooms at a new appartment complex. There were 48 of them. They called for a coat of off white flat. You could have masked and spray 48 of them, but is it really worth masking 48 sealed concrete floors? By the time you sweep and mask the floors a guy could have spent a half of day on it. I sent a guy over to just trim and roller them. He started at 8 and was done by 2. 

Every job is different. I will say we usually spray because we do about 90 percent new commercial, but those are a few examples of illustrating if the sprayer will actually help by the time you get it out and have to mask everything. In commerical of course you going to use a sprayer a lot early on. You get your primer coat and first top coat on and come back to brush and roll when you are near the finish stages.


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## kerk (Oct 14, 2009)

CK_68847 said:


> We also had a job Friday to paint small mechanical rooms at a new appartment complex. There were 48 of them. They called for a coat of off white flat. You could have masked and spray 48 of them, but is it really worth masking 48 sealed concrete floors? By the time you sweep and mask the floors a guy could have spent a half of day on it. I sent a guy over to just trim and roller them. He started at 8 and was done by 2.


48 in 6 hours? That's one room every 7.5 minutes.:blink:


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

kerk said:


> 48 in 6 hours? That's one room every 7.5 minutes.:blink:


WTF


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

That would only be possible if ck hired jp for the day. Basco couldn't even do that.


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## CK_68847 (Apr 17, 2010)

kerk said:


> 48 in 6 hours? That's one room every 7.5 minutes.:blink:


You are talking about a room basically big enough to hold a furnace and that is it. The room might be 5 by 4 feet. It calls for one coat of flat. I would think you can get a room done in under 10 minutes. These are nothing more than cheap apartments.


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## huntboy3181 (Aug 9, 2010)

We try to spray nearly everything especially when it's exterior. For older houses or any house where the trim gets painted, we don't mask windows. we spray the base coat, then trim it and then quickly scrape the windows of any excess paint. this makes trim them really quick too. for newer vinyl siding houses or anything where the trim isn't painted, we mask off the entire window.


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## 6126 (May 9, 2010)

RCP said:


> Like Sean said, whatever is best for each situation.
> Rob has been told his way is bass-ackwards many times. Have a new PM that had his doubts and after seeing the process was amazed. But we seldom have window trim or crown to deal with. And in NC, no cabinets or fixtures.


Awesome video Chris! Just curious, do you guys caulk before you putty? :no:


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

RCP said:


> Like Sean said, whatever is best for each situation.
> Rob has been told his way is bass-ackwards many times. Have a new PM that had his doubts and after seeing the process was amazed. But we seldom have window trim or crown to deal with. And in NC, no cabinets or fixtures.


What's the guy saying at the end????? I got a mime??????


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

That was one of the first videos I made, when I added the sound in Youtube it covered it up. I fixed it, but used it on the DVD and never reposted it to YT!


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

Here is one area I find to be a complete waste of time to mask and spray. This was done as part of a feasibility study I specifically did to determine which was quicker, masking windows and spraying or brushing and rolling.

Everything was taken into account including the removal of the paper.


Waste of time by JackPauhl, on Flickr


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## justPainting (Aug 1, 2010)

I agree it depends on the job. Personally due to time restraints and my other full time career, I only take exterior painting jobs that I can spray. I'll prep one day and spray the next. It just depends on your job and conditions. You can't exactly spray in 20+ mph winds.


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