# overspray protection for noobs



## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Figured I'd start a thread for talking about overspray. 

When spraying interiors what do you do to minimize airborne paint?

Just plastic the hell outta the place? How much protection do you use? 

Hopefully next week I start a repaint that will be ALL spray (walls & trim). Since it will be my first, I am going to cover absolutely everything. But is there a "zone" that as long as say i cover the floors x feet from the walls i am fine?


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

I would say the "zone" is the whole house. If you aren't doing the ceilings, then you might be able to get away with masking less, but it might also be faster to just brush and roll the walls and trim at the point.

Don't turn on the AC while there is dust in the air. Plastic works, but the dust that falls will stay wet for awhile and builds a layer all over the bottom of your shoes and all over your spray line. Drops are probably better in that regard.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

I plastic everything in a room if I'm spraying. 

If its walls only, I push all the furniture to the middle and cover. And drop the floor all the way around. Its not that big of a deal to do really. If I want to spray all the way to the floor, tape the drops to the floor. If not, I use something to hold the drop down at the baseboard (like a long stick or roller pole) because the spray pressure can blow a light drop away from the floor. 

If it was a huge room, I might trust a 9by12 on the wall.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

What about ventilation?

If I put a high powered fan blowing into the outside world would that in effect suck the dust into that direction? Is there a way to capture the overspray before it hits the floor?

I see pics of those who spray and don't use much protection other than 12' paper.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

driftweed said:


> What about ventilation?
> 
> If I put a high powered fan blowing into the outside world would that in effect suck the dust into that direction? Is there a way to capture the overspray before it hits the floor?
> 
> I see pics of those who spray and don't use much protection other than 12' paper.


 Personally, I like to let all the airborne stuff fall before I ventilate a room. I will spray it, leave the room for maybe five minutes, then vent in out a window or something. I don't like to vent with mist in the air generally,because I worry about where its going. Ie.. Window sill, side of house, car in driveway, etc..

Paint dries a lot faster now.. Maybe wouldn't be as much or an issue as I'm making it. 
I am skeptical of the idea of using venting as a way of keeping overspray from settling though. 

12 inch paper is ok for around trim, or to mask a ceiling, but I want more than that on the floor. For windows, its just as easy to plastic them as paper them to me.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

Why spray the walls? What's the context?


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

Mask everything, cover everything. You will be amazed how it will go place's you didn't think it could find.


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## simplycovered (Jul 12, 2013)

for what it's worth the handheld sprayer will deliver with very little fog floating dust but it isn't much help with flat oil although I have used it before, I just had to wear rubber gloves to repel the static shocks, but number one prevention practise is warn the customer that dust will be a concern.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Damon T said:


> Why spray the walls? What's the context?


Speed. Your already using the gun, run with it.

No edging with a brush is an excellent example.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Dude, you are in over your head.

Why don't you practice in your house before you ruin someones stuff.


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

driftweed said:


> Speed. Your already using the gun, run with it.
> 
> No edging with a brush is an excellent example.


If you don't knoe how to do proper prep, you are already out of your league. 


Tarps down. Green tape to carpet tucked in on edges, medium tack tape to hardwoods, green to medium on tile. 15" Border of paper overlaping tarp tape side over tape border. Tack paper to tarp. Zip poles and high mil plastic for containment. Ac off while spraying. Box fan direction out window If necessary. 

That being said. I used to spray walls. Unless I'm doing a massive custom, it is faster and more efficient to roll walls. You still need to fully cover all trim if doing walls. I spray almost everyday in remodels, but it is trim, closets and cabinets. And all cab doors come down and are sprayed individually outside or off site.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Ok, let me set the record straight. I have sprayed interiors before. I have also done orange peel texturing to save from skimcoating entire units.

Am I an expert sprayer? Hell no.

I have seen others ask about overspray control, so I figured I would use my status as a newb to ask the question others have been asking.

Now, once again, I PAINT RENTALS. Time is money. I simply stated what I have done in the past (cover anything you don't want painted). Then I stated an observation of pictures I have seen on this forum that make my method look like overkill. 

So, to the guys who are brushless, what do you do to control the mist? How do you get away without completely tarping the floor?


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

I would practice with a shield. The titan tr2 tips with dual tip sizes would also rock for doing what you want. Trim out a wall with the smaller size and have a larger wall tip to do the rest. Best advise on controlling over spray is to make sure you are running at the least pressure needed to atomize.


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Unless you're spraying the whole area the same color and sheen it will serve you much better to brush and roll. 

If you are doing the same color and sheen it will save you 1-2 days of labor to spray as opposed to brush and roll, on an average 3 bed/2 bath house, but it will take some time to nail down a system that works for you.


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## propainterJ (Jan 31, 2011)

I move everything to center of room

Put 2 mil plastic on carpet,a minimum of 3" from baseboard,12" masking over the top of that,do not seal paper to 2 mil

Use thin mil plastic to cover furniture,windows etc

Open a door and a window for cross vent

Put an old drop down outside the door

Remove screen from open window(s)

It's simple really,the overspray will go with the wind,mask stuff in its path or move it

Once it gets outside it'll turn to dust quickly,if its hot

Make yourself a path to walk away using red rosin on a hard surface,or drops on grass,you'll have a sticky overspray dust on your boots pretty quick,let the overspray settle for half an hour,pull tape n paper from top down and done


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

If you know what you're doing with a sprayer you can direct/minimize overspray and get away with less protection. Still in occupied situations full coverage is a must.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Learned the hard way: not only cover your floors, cover yourself.

It was hot, i took off my shirt....bad mistake


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## premierpainter (Apr 17, 2007)

Not sure why someone would take the time to move everything, cover everything and then spray just walls. You could be finished in the room with a brush and a roller faster.
If you are going to spray and don't want to vent and paint the outside of the house or a car that is close by, stick a box fan in the window and buy a furnace filter the same size as the fan. tape it to the fan and your on your way.


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

driftweed said:


> Learned the hard way: not only cover your floors, cover yourself.
> 
> It was hot, i took off my shirt....bad mistake


Roflmao!


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

driftweed said:


> Ok, let me set the record straight. I have sprayed interiors before. I have also done orange peel texturing to save from skimcoating entire units.
> 
> Am I an expert sprayer? Hell no.
> 
> ...


I'd have a big stack of cardboard if I did rentals all the time. just throw them out like cards overlapping on eachother. Keep reusing the stack.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

driftweed said:


> i took off my shirt....bad mistake


I get into a bunch of trouble doing that.


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## glennb (Mar 7, 2012)

If your gunna spray the hole house then far enough but one room LOL don't waste your time.. Spraying serves a purpose and saves time when doing larger volumes of area So it validates the time and cost of masking because you will spray both coats. If your gunna spray walls and have to keep carpet clean then your dreaming if your gunna use a drop sheet. And if you are what's the point spraying 12 inches from the baseboard only to brush it in because you dont wanna get overspray on the carpet as not only will the pressure blow and move the sheet around but you'll get a heap of paint on your drop sheet and wreck it .. We use the black builders plastic which is thick as so it won't tear and so paint won't bleed through it..


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

I only use pvc tarps now. Had paint bleed through cloth tarps so i gave em away. Problem solved.

Next job will be doing walls & trim. I will spray both.


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## promax (Jan 30, 2011)

Hey man, first off your headed in the right direction by asking, dont let others make you think otherwise. Spraying isn't rocket science, meaning a well trained monkey can do a good job with enough training. When I first started there were a few guys I worked for that made it seem like spraying was some form of alien technology that only they in there infinite wisdom could understand. Obviously this is not true. Nowadays I spray quite a bit and haven't had any problems that could not be remedied. My best advise is to do your best to mask all things mentioned above. I like tape up to the baseboard then a sheet of rosin taped to that, then drops on top, windows are fun lol i use a thin mil plastic and panters tape for those. Ac units I just wrap in plastic and tape, same as other fixtures. Like I said do your best, worst case scenario (its just paint) It cleans off most surfaces with a bit of krud kutter and some elbow grease. If your mindful when preping you will have to do very little in the way of cleaning. Any questions feel free to pm me.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Finishing my first job for a HUGE property management company. When i told them my motto is efficiency through quality they were like "huh?" 

Then i explained we are switching to full time spraying for speed. That was definitely met with the "oh no!" look. Obviously they had been burned.

Halfway through the job they asked to bid the next job. I saw why they were scared. Their last painter did zero masking, all one color. And they hated it.

I showed em pics, & they could not believe you can do that with a sprayer. 

Thanks to this site, & my supplier easing my nerves, we changed alot of minds this week.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

Any way we can find to lower prices I'm all for. Lets keep at it.


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## tntpainting (Apr 3, 2008)

I like to brush cut and spray the body out so i have minimal making but it is still à necessity


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

I've had good luck on these first two jobs taping myself in. I seal all windows and do the front & back door last. When we get ready to seal the last door we block them off on the outside so everyone knows not to come inside.

After spraying we vent and release the cloud. Good motivation to not stop. No onne leaves till the job is done, haha.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

I'm going to spray this siding out. I'm wondering how. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Wait till the wind is blowing against the house, stand on ground point gun straight up. Let the wind do its job. Tadah!

Jk


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## cdaniels (Oct 20, 2012)

TJ Paint said:


> I'm going to spray this siding out. I'm wondering how. Any tips would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


You're welcome.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

TJ Paint said:


> I'm going to spray this siding out. I'm wondering how. Any tips would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Are you trying to spray just the siding and not the footing at the bottom? Are you trying to spray the eave/overhang as well or simply just the siding?

If it's simply JUST the siding, you'll either have to mask or shield what you don't want sprayed.

Wagner is alright and will work probably if you don't have a 'real' spray rig. Otherwise throw a larger tip on there, mask, and start spraying.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

woodcoyote said:


> Are you trying to spray just the siding and not the footing at the bottom? Are you trying to spray the eave/overhang as well or simply just the siding?
> 
> If it's simply JUST the siding, you'll either have to mask or shield what you don't want sprayed.
> 
> Wagner is alright and will work probably if you don't have a 'real' spray rig. Otherwise throw a larger tip on there, mask, and start spraying.


I was talking to my sw manager and he said he knows a guy that for this kind of stuff (spray siding-masking eaves) he staples cardboard to the eaves and just rips them off after. Kind of a cool idea in a way.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

TJ Paint said:


> I was talking to my sw manager and he said he knows a guy that for this kind of stuff (spray siding-masking eaves) he staples cardboard to the eaves and just rips them off after. Kind of a cool idea in a way.


Sounds easy, but I would never do that or let anyone do that to my own house. A staple is going to create a hole...tape isn't going to damage anything or put a hole in it. 

At the end of the day, if i was you, I would just mask it off with tape/plastic. For the eaves, grab the 2ft plastic roll and mask it off/tack it. Same with the bottom concrete footing/step-wall, 2ft plastic roll should cover it.

Then I'd grab a metal shield or cardboard whatever you prefer and start spraying/shielding bottom/top/side off. 

Why do both? Well....if your worried about overspray the plastic would be your backup. Rather be safe than sorry I guess. If you did your job right the plastic should work and you wouldn't even need to shield. Personal choice I suppose, <shrugs>.


And for the windows, use 6ft plastic roll. 


Done.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

I have seen overspray travel half a block and land on cars with very little wind.

Why? Shouldn't it dry fairly quick?

That was enough to scare me and keep my ass inside only.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

driftweed said:


> I have seen overspray travel half a block and land on cars with very little wind.
> 
> Why? Shouldn't it dry fairly quick?
> 
> That was enough to scare me and keep my ass inside only.


It usually does dry quickly. Maybe high humidity or something. 

I just sprayed this garage without covering the floor (sealed concrete) and the overspray fell dry in 8 feet. I wouldn't risk that over a finished floor, but have done it several times in garages and such. 

Btw, good story about convincing the management company that pro spraying is a good thing. I had to do the same thing with a company I work for. 
When someone makes a stupid mess with a sprayer, it makes us all look bad.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

I'm just going to shield the eaves and then touch up any overspray. Its a flat on the eaves freshly painted. My experience is its faster than doing a full mask and tape. I will do a full mask on windows and doors tho.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

TJ Paint said:


> I was talking to my sw manager and he said he knows a guy that for this kind of stuff (spray siding-masking eaves) he staples cardboard to the eaves and just rips them off after. Kind of a cool idea in a way.


it works great, TJ, fast and easey. If you got the cardboard handy. Also some times I'll use plastic (twist the end ur stapling over to make it thicker) and runners work good too. A Staplegun is a gotta have tool IMO for spray jobs especially exteriors. I got a couple buckets of clamps too and a lot of times I'll clamp the cardboard, runners, plastic or whatever's onto this and that.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

TJ Paint said:


> I'm just going to shield the eaves and then touch up any overspray. Its a flat on the eaves freshly painted. My experience is its faster than doing a full mask and tape. I will do a full mask on windows and doors tho.


Sounds good.

Just a word of caution for future reference:

A lot of people think that any over-spray or mistakes can be easily fixed by 'touching' it up. But just keep in mind that if the paint is older and you can get a 'match' or know the 'original' color or have 'the same paint', the sun fades paint. So sometimes a little fix turns into a visible 'patch' and you have to redo the whole item to make the cover up 'match'.

I'm sure you'll be fine, but the above advice is mostly intended for people who come by reading the posts who may not know or take that into consideration. Hence the saying: "better to be safe than sorry" saying.


Post some after pictures and good luck on the project!


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