# Airless Sprayer New Construction Process



## FlipSide Painting (Oct 5, 2018)

Hey all, I have a project coming up that is a new construction. Both sides of a townhouse 5500 square feet total. I’m definitely spraying. What process do you follow when spraying new construction? Ceilings, Trim, Walls? Walls, Ceilings, Trim? Or some other variation. What’s your process?


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## Holdenholden (Feb 6, 2018)

Trims ceilings walls 


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

If single color, I spray and backroll walls and lids, then trim. 

If multicolor, I do ceilings, then trim, then cut and roll walls.

OR, you can do trim, then mask off the trim, spray the walls, drape the walls with 72" plastic, and spray the lids. Its a little quicker, but doesnt look quite as good.


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## FlipSide Painting (Oct 5, 2018)

Thank you all for your replies. I like the idea of spraying trim for saving time but I’m afraid of it flashing on the wall.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Woodco said:


> If single color, I spray and backroll walls and lids, then trim.
> 
> If multicolor, I do ceilings, then trim, then cut and roll walls.
> *
> OR, you can do trim, then mask off the trim, spray the walls, drape the walls with 72" plastic, and spray the lids. Its a little quicker, but doesnt look quite as good.*


That's how its all done here


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

FlipSide Painting said:


> Thank you all for your replies. I like the idea of spraying trim for saving time but I’m afraid of it flashing on the wall.


You could use 6"or 9" paper to eliminate that concern if you're really nervous. Doesn't have to be perfect, just protecting the 4 in or so around the casework (and using the right tip for the job.) The sheen build can be problematic, But ime, usually isnt. Pole sand it and load wall paint up (assuming you have a decent primer) and go for it.I spray trim first always if I have any say in it. It's just easier. Trim, walls, lids done....and off to the bank.

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## WestCoast99 (May 8, 2012)

When you all back mask the trim after spraying it does the tape ever mess it up? You use blue "painter's tape" or regular 2020 masking tape?


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

WestCoast99 said:


> When you all back mask the trim after spraying it does the tape ever mess it up? You use blue "painter's tape" or regular 2020 masking tape?


Green or blue ipg tape. Never had a single issue.at least not of environmental condition s were right (not too humid) if I need to adjust for more tack then pg5 works.

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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

If the trim is on already, definately spray the trim. It's faster to mask the trim off than to be masking upside down or sideways for base. 



You can wrap the jambs pretty easily too, then hose down the primer/paint. Done.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Man such a waste of plastic. Spray primer, ceilings and trims, but Just cut and roll the walls..I can't get over all the waste that could be eliminated. Plus on new construction, the amount of time to tape everything off, you could have it brush and rolled already.. Had to be said.


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

If you’re only applying 1 coat masking the walls vs brush and rolling would take about the same amount of time. For 2 coats it’s way faster to mask the walls. Think about how quickly you can spray and backroll primer. 

The amount of plastic waste sucks, but production trumps waste in this instance.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Man such a waste of plastic. Spray primer, ceilings and trims, but Just cut and roll the walls..I can't get over all the waste that could be eliminated. Plus on new construction, the amount of time to tape everything off, you could have it brush and rolled already.. Had to be said.





Are you kidding? The time spent on masking? The guys that say that usually aren't that good at it, is the problem.


If you have a group of guys (or girls) that are half way decent with it, much less expert at it. It allows the painters to fly through all the work.


You still have to do some masking when you roll anyway...sprinkles anyone? So it's not like you eliminate it. 





I've timed everyone on roll/cut vs mask/spray. Mask spray beats roll and cut all day. Especially in new construction, can easily prime/paint 2,000 sqft in a single day if done right. 



The plastic btw is much less wasteful than the paper. Not only do you get a larger roll, but it can be used during 2/3 stages of the project without being undone or having to re-mask due to the risk of bleed through. 



I'd like to see a 3 man crew brush and roll faster than my 2 man spray crew. My spray crew would sweep the construction floor with their carcasses every day, at the end of the day, for clean up.


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

So you spray all the woodwork first? What if the trim pack is not up yet? Is that the prime stage first?

1.prime walls & ceiling
2. Spray trim pack.
3. Tape trim pack
4. 2 coats paint on walls.
4. hang 12' poly to protect walls.
5. Spray Ceilings last 

I assume that you overspray the wall paint onto the primed ceilings.

Also I assume that you backroll the walls on 2nd coat?

My biggest worry would be the masking tape ripping the wall paint off because it hasn't cured yet.

Is that correct?

Do you ever do this on a repaint in an occupied house?


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

woodcoyote said:


> Are you kidding? The time spent on masking? The guys that say that usually aren't that good at it, is the problem.


how do you touch up after a trade puts a ding in the big wall by the window?


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

That's called trade damage. You write a change order for t&m plus 20% , have em sign it and go fix em all. Roll out the whole wall if it wont touch up (some dark colors are horrible)

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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

Mr Smith said:


> So you spray all the woodwork first? What if the trim pack is not up yet? Is that the prime stage first?
> 
> 1.prime walls & ceiling
> 2. Spray trim pack.
> ...



There's a lot of if/then situational questions you asked so I'll try and go over them piece by piece. *So get ready...here it comes.* 



Overall, Yes and no. It all depends on pricing and what your trying to accomplish, along with jobsite conditions (trim on/off, other subs, wood trimmed windows, etc.)






*Question: So you spray all the woodwork first? What if the trim pack is not up yet? Is that the prime stage first?*

Answer: We prefer to have the trim off. But door jambs installed.


Less masking and lower costs, savings gets passed on to customer is a way to sell it. Less plastic, tape, and time...for really no reason. 



Faster to spray trim on saw horses outside, we line up usually 14ft or 16ft boards to make a spray sawhorse and stacking sawhorse, spray & move. Painting trim is cake work, staining trim is MUCH more involved (spray, tone, seal coat, sand seal coat, top coat, etc.) 



Putty stuff afterwards, can always touch-up with weenie roller/foam roller, good brush, etc. This is where using good quality products helps you. 



Jambs are sprayed first, ALWAYS. Because it's easy to mask door jambs and leave them masked until all the wall prime/paint is done. Let the paint dry out properly over night, use blue tape or a non-aggressive adhesive tape to mask your jambs. Use 9ft plastic and 4ft plastic on your maskers. 9ft for jamb legs and 4ft for header. Should take no more than 5-7 mins per jamb. Bulk process, cut your plastic with hand masker (tack it), then go around with tape and fold into it the plastic to cover it. 



Obviously pop the pins for the doors and move them to garage or other area to be sprayed later. Don't remove hinges unless absolutely necessary. Why? Because they come pre-hung and misalignment of a hinge could cause it to not open/close properly. Making the General call in the carpenter again to fix your mistake, costing money. If a hinge has to be removed, make the General do it or his subs. Someone else removes it, they're responsible now for screw-ups, not you.

*Point: 1.prime walls & ceiling*


Answer: Switch them. 

If trim is off, spray ceilings FIRST, then walls. You said walls and ceiling, the order makes a big difference. Why? Overspray from fall out. You cover it up with the order of operations and achieve smooth results. 





*Point 2: 3. Tape trim pack*

Answer: Not sure what that means. Maybe masking off jambs? If the trim isn't installed you don't have to tape it off, hence the point. 


IF it is installed already. Go around, putty all your nail holes first, sand flush. Then spray the trim, get whatever on the walls, doesn't matter. It's still raw sheetrock mud at this point. Let dry over night, mask off with 12" (inch) plastic, spot tack to concrete or floor (duck tape sometimes necessary if concrete), then prepare to spray your ceilings and walls with primer. 


Same process goes with staining trim that is up already. Althought I would charge an arm and a leg for doing that if it's up already. Makes a mess, has to be wiped by hand ALL of it, then toned, etc. etc. It's like a 4-5 step process that has to be done for EVERY piece to make it look real nice. Essentially the idiot General doesn't know much about the construction processes and let the carpenter do whatever he/she wanted. Screwing the painters up. So a mistake like that will be costly, always tell the General of your step processes to make your life easier and other subs life easier. 


*4. 2 coats paint on walls.*

Answer: It all depends. 


Typically for most of the work we do, it's a single coat. With a good spray technique and the right tips you can lay on a very heavy coat, without runs/sags, and it gels out into 1 coat. The whole point of spraying is that you not only can put the material from the bucket to the wall faster, but you can put on much greater milage and more consistently than you could with a roller. As you roll the coating gets skinnier as your roller runs out of material. With the sprayer you don't have issues like that. 



Our go-to tip sizes: 723 or 1223. 


Big I know, but there's always a reason behind the madness. Generally speaking those are exterior type tips. But they work excellent for interior single coat applications and give a great smooth finish, paint has plenty of time to flow out and create a smooth surface. 


723 is dual purpose. If you jet roll with a 9 inch roller, you need a 7 size pattern to match the roller length. So for us it's a dual tip, get 2 uses out of it, if necessary. I stopped using 6's for that reason, less stock to keep up on. 


1223 is my pride and joy. For larger areas and ceilings I can out spray regular spraying paint crews. They're still stuck on the 517 tips, scratching their heads as to why they can't get a buttery smooth finish and why our crew is walking out by lunch time being done with painting. I'm pretty much the only painter in town that uses such a large fan in general and I'd put money on it that I'm the only one that uses it inside. 


If you've never used a 12 fan before, it's awesome. Takes awhile to get use to, but the ends just feather like no other. In my opinion a 12 can give you a much better finish than any 1-7 tip size could, it almost has a built-in feathered edge because of the size. But you do have to move slower with it to avoid dry spray. Timed, I can knock out a 12x12x9 room in around 2 minutes time. It isn't always about rushing and speed, but utilizing this size tip for us cuts our production time down by half and still gives us a great finish. 


Utilize jet roller or back rolling if you want to avoid more touch-ups. But again if you have a General on his game, you'll have only a handfull of walls you'll have to roll out for touch-up. Sometimes you can get away with a soft roller and hit some or just use a brush depending on how large the damaged area is. Want it bullet proof? Spray a piss coat on followed by a regular back roll. The primer dries to a flat finish and will absorb your paint so rolling it goes farther and better with a thin coat of paint already on the walls vs just primer. 


*4. hang 12' poly to protect walls.*

Answer: No. 9 ft pre-wrapped on your hand masker is much better. 


Why 12ft poly? Another waste of time and money. 



Here's the thing: Get good with a masker! 



That's everyone's #1 downfall when it comes to masking. They fiddle with it, fight with it, don't really know how to use it all that well, then give up on it and yell around about how it takes too long to mask. No...it doesn't take that long. What you feel takes hours probably is only 30 minutes. Efficiency is key. 


If you want to do a cut-in, your tape line is your cut in, remember that. So load up whatever tape (because it's spray applied it doesn't matter), tape off a straight line, unfold your plastic down and tack it on the wall. Most bedrooms are 9ft/10ft anyway, by the time your spray comes down it's dry. Almost like dryfall, after a certain distance it's just a powder. If you have larger ceilings and you want to be extra careful, roll out another layer of 9ft on top of the 9ft. That's even easier because your not even trying to create a straight line. Just tack the bottom is all so the pressure doesn't jerk it off the wall, especially in corners. 


Any joint from start/stopping get's a small piece of tape put on top of it to hold the two pieces together or else it will flap from the pressure of the sprayer. 



Frog tape isn't necessary here o.k. Why? Because you aren't applying the paint with a roller or brush which will push the paint behind the tape. That's the beauty behind spraying, it won't curl under your tape line. So you don't need to buy the $5/roll tape, you could get away with the $2/roll tape. 

I'll stress it again: Get good with a hand masker! :smile:


*5. Spray Ceilings last 
* *
I assume that you overspray the wall paint onto the primed ceilings.
* *
Also I assume that you backroll the walls on 2nd coat?
* *
My biggest worry would be the masking tape ripping the wall paint off because it hasn't cured yet.
* *
Is that correct?*

Answer: I'm going to group these to make it easier. 



Spray ceilings first if it's all to be 1 color. If two-tone (wall color and ceiling color are different), then yes you would spray the ceilings last. 



Overspray wall paint on the ceilings will happen, yes, but if it's all wet and done at the same time it won't matter and you can't tell when it's dry if the room is to be 1 color. 



If your spraying 2-tone. Then you spray walls first, get whatever on the ceiling. Let it dry over night properly, come back with your tape/plastic (USING A HAND MASKER), drop it down the walls, spray the ceiling and peel. 1inch or 2 inch of touch-up here and there can be done with a brush if necessary. If you have to go around and re-cut it all by hand, whoever taped and masked did a very bad job. My guys will get gutted for that, both the sprayer and the masker. Why the sprayer too? Because, he needs to check the masker's work, not just be a spray horse and go in and not care about anything. The fault lies on both parties, the doer and the checker. 



Test your tape, if anything peels off it should be very very little, if that. Again the touch-up should be minimal or hardly any at all. If you use duct-tape then yes you'll have tons of repair/touch-up work. If you use a tape that is not sticky enough the plastic probably won't hold and you'll also have a lot of touch-up work. Different tapes will react differently with different paints. In our trailer we stock about 7-9 different type tapes, all for specific purposes. 



Why so many tapes? Because...why do they have different types of screw drivers and hammers, etc. Because they are made to be different for different application purposes. 



Generally speaking the green scotch tape works pretty good. cp6060 or 3m 2020 is also another good tape. 2020 is more aggressive with cp6060 not being as bad, backing is also different.




Anyway..tapes are different and that's a whole different thread and conversation. You have to find one that works for your situation and paint.






Hope all that helps out some!  :vs_cool:


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Most of the new construction I do are custom homes. Not multi unit tract housing or Condos. Final coat on the walls are always bush and rolled after floors and kitchens etc. go in. So double coating/ spraying walls are not an option. I still spray primer, door jams, doors and crown mouldings.
So you bag off all the walls just to spray the ceilings?
It never ceases to amaze me how people can find quicker ways of doing things at any expense. 
I still think it such a waste of garbage when in all my years of painting, cutting and rolling walls last was never an issue. Not to mention, people that are good at can fly through rooms pretty effortlessly.
Less stressful too. Not worried about bleadthrough or pulling fresh paint off with tape.
But like I said, I'm not into multi unit high production crap. People will always find a "faster" way to do things...





woodcoyote said:


> Are you kidding? The time spent on masking? The guys that say that usually aren't that good at it, is the problem.
> 
> 
> If you have a group of guys (or girls) that are half way decent with it, much less expert at it. It allows the painters to fly through all the work.
> ...


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Most of the new construction I do are custom homes. Not multi unit tract housing or Condos. Final coat on the walls are always bush and rolled after floors and kitchens etc. go in. So double coating/ spraying walls are not an option.
> So you bag off all the walls just to spray the ceilings?
> It never ceases to amaze me how people can find quicker ways of doing things at any expense.
> I still think it such a waste of garbage when in all my years of painting, cutting and rolling walls last was never an issue. Not to mention, people that are good at can fly through rooms pretty effortlessly.
> ...





I'm always amazed when people try to make a claim that something done by hand or being slower equates to better quality work. That's like saying upgrading a car's trim package makes it perform better. Uhh no, the hand stitching detail on the car seat didn't improve the torque or horse power.


We don't do multi-family or condos or track homes either. Can we, sure. Have we, sure. But those jobs don't pay. Just because we're fast at what we do, doesn't mean we do tract-homes or cheap budget motels with shoddy work. We paint to very high quality level, but with speed and accuracy. 



Here's the thing, we wall make our money at different rates. I can achieve a great finish at a faster rate, make good money, and spend more free time with my family/friends. Do we eliminate brush/roll...no. But my goal isn't to do the whole house by hand, I utilize various tools to help me achieve the desired end result. 



In new construction, I don't care who it is. Time is money. The loan is ticking from the bank, the other subs need to collect their checks, the general gets paid via a % of completion basis, etc. So anyone that comes and says take your time because the sheen in the closet utilizing a 2,000 lumen LED light held at a 45 degree raking angle must be perfect, is probably not going to get the job. Sure the sheen behind the toilet bowl looks great, but in all practicality that doesn't matter much. Not saying to do a bad job, but at some point in time there is such a thing called diminishing returns.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

woodcoyote said:


> I'm always amazed when people try to make a claim that something done by hand or being slower equates to better quality work. That's like saying upgrading a car's trim package makes it perform better. Uhh no, the hand stitching detail on the car seat didn't improve the torque or horse power.
> 
> 
> We don't do multi-family or condos or track homes either. Can we, sure. Have we, sure. But those jobs don't pay. Just because we're fast at what we do, doesn't mean we do tract-homes or cheap budget motels with shoddy work. We paint to very high quality level, but with speed and accuracy.
> ...


I'm not saying that you do shoddy work. It sounds like your actually quite proficient at what you do. I just think bagging off all the walls to spray the ceilings is a big waste of plastic for a marginal savings. That is all.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Mr Smith said:


> So you spray all the woodwork first? What if the trim pack is not up yet? Is that the prime stage first?
> 
> 1.prime walls & ceiling
> 2. Spray trim pack.
> ...


Yes. 
I like to prime all walls and ceilings and put 1 coat of color up. Then leave. Let all other trades through then proceed with millwork ,walls then lids. 
And yes, you can use the same process on a repaint. 


Yes woodcyote to just about everything you said. It's a business. 

Just a point to ponder for the skeptics in the room. These tactics are for spraying multiple coats of products. 
It should take the same amount of time (a little less actually) to tape off that it does to put one coat of cut in place. You're essentially cutting in with tape instead of paint. Do it once and you're done for all coats.


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

I'm a little confused about the trim pack. I find it easier to caulk, fill holes and prime with the trim pack already up. Spraying all the boards on a work horse is a time waster to me. I even wait for the baseboards to be hung. It's easier to prep then shoot 2 quick coats plus primer -----then you're done.

I've had customers buy them pre-painted and you still have to caulk, fill in all the holes then brush the frames and jambs.

I also remove all the hinges from the doors and door jambs before spraying. Never had a problem.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

I dont prime my Trim if it comes preprimed. Fill caulk, spray 2 coats semi gloss. 
I also remove all hinges so I can caulk behind them. Theyre symmetrical so never had an issue with alignment. Faster than taping. Imo. I hate when people dont caulk behind jamb hinge! Looks so Amateur.



Mr Smith said:


> I'm a little confused about the trim pack. I find it easier to caulk, fill holes and prime with the trim pack already up. Spraying all the boards on a work horse is a time waster to me. I even wait for the baseboards to be hung. It's easier to prep then shoot 2 quick coats plus primer -----then you're done.
> 
> I've had customers buy them pre-painted and you still have to caulk, fill in all the holes then brush the frames and jambs.
> 
> I also remove all the hinges from the doors and door jambs before spraying. Never had a problem.


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

spray dudes always avoid the touch up question. quite funny


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

lilpaintchic said:


> Yes.
> I like to prime all walls and ceilings and put 1 coat of color up. Then leave. Let all other trades through then proceed with millwork ,walls then lids.




I’m curious, but are you back rolling the first coat of color after you finished priming?


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Mr Smith said:


> I'm a little confused about the trim pack. I find it easier to caulk, fill holes and prime with the trim pack already up. Spraying all the boards on a work horse is a time waster to me. I even wait for the baseboards to be hung. It's easier to prep then shoot 2 quick coats plus primer -----then you're done.
> 
> I've had customers buy them pre-painted and you still have to caulk, fill in all the holes then brush the frames and jambs.
> 
> I also remove all the hinges from the doors and door jambs before spraying. Never had a problem.


To me, the whole point of priming trim is to cover the putty/spackle and caulk, and give it a nice sandable surface. doing it down defeats the purpose entirely. Then you end up using a brush to cover the caulk and spackle. That makes no sense whatsoever.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

PNW Painter said:


> I’m curious, but are you back rolling the first coat of color after you finished priming?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Shes talking about doing a coat by hand.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I dont prime my Trim if it comes preprimed. Fill caulk, spray 2 coats semi gloss.
> I also remove all hinges so I can caulk behind them. Theyre symmetrical so never had an issue with alignment. Faster than taping. Imo. I hate when people dont caulk behind jamb hinge! Looks so Amateur.


I get thinking caulking to the hinge looks amateur, but its WAY faster to mask them than take them off, and reinstall later. I would never take hinges off, unless I was asked to beforehand, and add a charge. Carpenters dont like hinges being taken off either, because to stresses the integrity of the screwholes. 

I will agree it would look better to do it, but Im not taking the time.


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

Woodco said:


> To me, the whole point of priming trim is to cover the putty/spackle and caulk, and give it a nice sandable surface.* doing it down* defeats the purpose entirely. Then you end up using a brush to cover the caulk and spackle. That makes no sense whatsoever.


I don't understand what you disagree with. I caulk, fill holes (2 coats) with sandable putty, and then sand with my Festool sanders.

The sanding process punches through the crappy factory primer This is why I prime it again. It also seals the caulking and putty.


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

I’m talking about drywall, not trim.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Vylum said:


> spray dudes always avoid the touch up question. quite funny



What touch up?


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

I kinda disagree. With my impact drill, I have those things off in like 10 seconds. Then you can also sand all the little hairs off from router that you know the carpenter didn't do. Although, the risky part if you have a big staff is misplacing or mismanaging the hinges...
I also fill my nail holes with one time. That stuff doesn't need to be sanded(barely) and it doesn't shrink. You wipe it clean as your going.
Also, if your using a half decent trim paint, 2 coats will cover anyhow. I have never felt the need to re-prime..




Woodco said:


> finishesbykevyn said:
> 
> 
> > I dont prime my Trim if it comes preprimed. Fill caulk, spray 2 coats semi gloss.
> ...


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Mr Smith said:


> I don't understand what you disagree with. I caulk, fill holes (2 coats) with sandable putty, and then sand with my Festool sanders.
> 
> The sanding process punches through the crappy factory primer This is why I prime it again. It also seals the caulking and putty.


I wasnt disagreeing with you, I was agreeing with you. Thats how I do it too, except I dont double coat my nail holes with putty.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I kinda disagree. With my impact drill, I have those things off in like 10 seconds. Then you can also sand all the little hairs off from router that you know the carpenter didn't do. Although, the risky part if you have a big staff is misplacing or mismanaging the hinges...
> I also fill my nail holes with one time. That stuff doesn't need to be sanded(barely) and it doesn't shrink. You wipe it clean as your going.
> Also, if your using a half decent trim paint, 2 coats will cover anyhow. I have never felt the need to re-prime..


Sure, anyone can take them off in no time at all. Putting them back on is the time consuming PITA part. I agree though, you can make them look better if they're all the way off.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

PNW Painter said:


> I’m curious, but are you back rolling the first coat of color after you finished priming?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes. 

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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

Order of process is different for everyone including preferences. 

Trim can be done either way. My preference has always been to have it off. It's less masking for me, filling nail holes has to be done either way with it on or off, so it's a step you don't eliminate. But masking the trim off can be eliminated or mitigated by not having it on to begin with. 

Unscrewing hinges/putting back is probably a little faster, but my personal opinion your screwing with another trade's work. We, as painters, always moan and groan when people mess with our work, so I try to limit my involvement in other's work as well. I'd hate for the carpenter to have to come back and fix 20+ doors in a house 1 by 1. I'm sure the back charge from the GC wouldn't be pretty. And all avoidable too. 

If caulking behind the hinge is an issue, use your putty knife to put it in.



P.S.
Unless you have multiple colors going on in the home, you should all be using colored caulking in my opinion. You'd fly through your trim/caulk work. Just a tip that we utilize to our advantage. 

It's a huge time saver and again...eliminates cutting. The cut is what kills your time, I don't even care how good you are, the brush still runs out of paint, etc. Plus all cuts have to have 2 coats or 2 hands. Yuck, no thx. 


:vs_cool:


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

taping and spraying nc seems like crappy work no offense. ill stick to high end repaints thanks


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

Vylum said:


> taping and spraying nc seems like crappy work no offense. ill stick to high end repaints thanks


agreed

I don't mind spraying but those NC guys do it weekly, if not every few days. That's not for me.


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## SwampCat (Aug 31, 2018)

agreed.I don't even want a roll of tape on my job site.I'm good at painting.Fiddling around with a roll of tape all day NO THANKs.Tape and plastic the glass on the windows.Cover hinges with magnets.Cut in anything else.This is definitely a choose your own adventure...


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## FlipSide Painting (Oct 5, 2018)

First I must say sir you pretty much summed this whole thread up in one post. Thank you. I only have one question after reading your reply. In the event that the trim isn’t already installed, after it’s been sprayed, then installed, you patch and caulk. Do you have any issues covering up the caulking on the trim? Since you’ve already sprayed trim prior to installation. The wall hasn’t been sprayed at this point so no issue there. What’s the solution for this? 




woodcoyote said:


> Mr Smith said:
> 
> 
> > So you spray all the woodwork first? What if the trim pack is not up yet? Is that the prime stage first?
> ...


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

Anyone spray floors?


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

What does that have to do with this?


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Woodco said:


> What does that have to do with this?


I dunno. Maybe something to door with the trap-door on the floor, the hinges, and the trim around it?


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

FlipSide Painting said:


> I only have one question after reading your reply. In the event that the trim isn’t already installed, after it’s been sprayed, then installed, you patch and caulk.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



To answer your question:
The wall should already be sprayed out prior to trim install. 



If the wall hasn't be sprayed yet, then you would have to mask off the baseboard...which again defeats the purpose. That's why I hate dealing with contractors that put it on then want it painted, I have to end up doing more work and therefore it ends up costing them more money. 



Why? Because I can't get any wall paint onto my painted trim, therefore I have to mask it. And I would mask it anyway even if I rolled it because rollers throw sprinkles and why risk all that nonsense. 





There is no issue with caulking whatsoever. First off, you shouldn't even be painting your caulking where the trim and wall connection is located. 

Yeah, you read that right. You *shouldn't* be painting the caulking between the trim and wallboard is located. 



If you have multiple colors, then fine, go ahead and paint. But most homes will have a body color with a few accents thrown in here and there, which isn't a big deal. For an accent wall, just throw your frog tape or blue/caulk swipe and peel, done. 



When you do n.c. work or a large res-repaint work, it's all about speed and eliminating cycling which is doing steps over and over again as much as possible. Because anyone worth their salt isn't going to pay your crew to do the work over and over again because of a company's inefficiencies.


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

Woodco said:


> What does that have to do with this?


Nothing. Don't garage floors come with new houses?:wink:

I couldn't find a better place to put the video and didn't want to create a new thread. I tried a thread in 'speciality coatings' and it was deemed to be older than 222 days and was closed. It would NOT let me post.


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## K-Boom Paint (Apr 2, 2018)

A lot of good ideas here. In a few new builds we sprayed ceilings first and then trim. I to was slightly worried about the overspray so I just used a shield to limit the amount of paint hitting the wall. Came back and did basic masking on trim that could potentially get splatter on it. Cut and rolled walls. This is a very comfortable system that works for me and our crew. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong way


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## WestKyPainter (Nov 7, 2018)

The waste of time some of you people incur by spending hours and hours taping plastic and taping trim off is completely absurd. 

The best bet when painting a new construction job is to coordinate with the builder and get in directly after the drywall is completed. Spray and back roll your ceilings, drop down and brush and roll a primer coat on your walls. At that point it's time to turn it over to the finish carpenter. After he's done, you come in and putty/caulk/sand the trim, and then you spray your trim. Only then do you continue on and brush and roll your two finish coats on your walls. The very last thing to do is cut your baseboards in and it's a wrap. 

I can not believe people on here don't utilize this method?? It's definitely the more efficient method with less waste.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

WestKyPainter said:


> The waste of time some of you people incur by spending hours and hours taping plastic and taping trim off is completely absurd.
> 
> The best bet when painting a new construction job is to coordinate with the builder and get in directly after the drywall is completed. Spray and back roll your ceilings, drop down and brush and roll a primer coat on your walls. At that point it's time to turn it over to the finish carpenter. After he's done, you come in and putty/caulk/sand the trim, and then you spray your trim. Only then do you continue on and brush and roll your two finish coats on your walls. The very last thing to do is cut your baseboards in and it's a wrap.
> 
> I can not believe people on here don't utilize this method?? It's definitely the more efficient method with less waste.


 I'm with ya. People have gotten so trigger happy. The amount of waste created to maybe save a little time yet blow extra cash on plastic is pretty gross. Never had a a problem making money that way.


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## Rbriggs82 (Jul 9, 2012)

WestKyPainter said:


> The waste of time some of you people incur by spending hours and hours taping plastic and taping trim off is completely absurd.
> 
> The best bet when painting a new construction job is to coordinate with the builder and get in directly after the drywall is completed. Spray and back roll your ceilings, drop down and brush and roll a primer coat on your walls. At that point it's time to turn it over to the finish carpenter. After he's done, you come in and putty/caulk/sand the trim, and then you spray your trim. Only then do you continue on and brush and roll your two finish coats on your walls. The very last thing to do is cut your baseboards in and it's a wrap.
> 
> I can not believe people on here don't utilize this method?? It's definitely the more efficient method with less waste.


That's pretty much how I do it. Only two things differently, I don't brush and roll the primer on the walls. I spray the primer on both then spray the ceilings keeping it off the walls as much as I can but whatever. Also I don't go in until after the trim is up so I'll spray the trim at the same go around. Then I'll put one coat of finish on the walls. Once then house is completely done I go back and do the second coat of finish. 

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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

If youre not concerned about quality, you can save time by spraying the walls, then bagging them off and spraying the ceiling afterwards. I almost never do this, because I just think its a lesser quality paint job that way, but I have done it, and I know for a fact it saves time. People wouldnt do it if werent faster.

Cutting and rolling the wall primer instead of spraying it when you do the lids makes no sense to me whatsoever.


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

Woodco said:


> If youre not concerned about quality, you can save time by spraying the walls, then bagging them off and spraying the ceiling afterwards. I almost never do this, because I just think its a lesser quality paint job that way, but I have done it, and I know for a fact it saves time. People wouldnt do it if werent faster.
> 
> Cutting and rolling the wall primer instead of spraying it when you do the lids makes no sense to me whatsoever.


I am confused, if you do the proper prep, apply primer and two finish coats with a back roll how is spraying walls and masking them and then doing the lids a less quality job then if you do the lids first and then roll the walls?


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

kmp said:


> I am confused, if you do the proper prep, apply primer and two finish coats with a back roll how is spraying walls and masking them and then doing the lids a less quality job then if you do the lids first and then roll the walls?


Im just not crazy about how the lines turn out. Personally, I dont like the sharp edge taped line look, unless its only done with one coat and pulled right away. Not to mention, all the masking would need to be done perfectly, and more importantly, STAY that way during the process, and I've never had good luck with that. That, and theres just certain little things that grab my attention, like how small crevices next to jambs dont get backrolled or brushed, and theres about an inch the trim that hasnt been brushed or rolled, and a couple inches on the lid, and I can tell. Im not saying it looks bad, I just think it looks better to have a brush in the corners and lines.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

kmp said:


> I am confused, if you do the proper prep, apply primer and two finish coats with a back roll how is spraying walls and masking them and then doing the lids a less quality job then if you do the lids first and then roll the walls?


I cant figure that out either....does cutting in twice with a brush vs. Once with tape make a higher quality product? And does that include spraying aura? Regal? is it a higher quality job if I roll on promar 200? Totally confused!!

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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

lilpaintchic said:


> I cant figure that out either....does cutting in twice with a brush vs. Once with tape make a higher quality product? And does that include spraying aura? Regal? is it a higher quality job if I roll on promar 200? Totally confused!!
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


I think he's talking about how it looks.. I'm not into tons of New Construction, mostly renos. What I don't get, is when the floors go in for you spray crazy guys? Normally I would spray primer, then everything else after trims are up (minus baseboards). Cut and roll first coat on walls and leave.
I then don't come back until kitchens, bathrooms, floors and baseboards are installed to do my final coat on walls and baseboards last.
If I tried to put final coat on walls before hand, for sure they would be dinged up. Atleast that's how I've always done it.

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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

I will first coat the walls if I need something to do, but I've found that a lot of times, I have to do two more coats later on, so its hit or miss with me.

Why dont you do baseboards when you do the rest of the trim?


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

lilpaintchic said:


> I cant figure that out either....does cutting in twice with a brush vs. Once with tape make a higher quality product? And does that include spraying aura? Regal? is it a higher quality job if I roll on promar 200? Totally confused!!
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


I explained my reasoning in the post right above yours...


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I think he's talking about how it looks.. I'm not into tons of New Construction, mostly renos. What I don't get, is when the floors go in for you spray crazy guys? Normally I would spray primer, then everything else after trims are up (minus baseboards). Cut and roll first coat on walls and leave.
> I then don't come back until kitchens, bathrooms, floors and baseboards are installed to do my final coat on walls and baseboards last.
> If I tried to put final coat on walls before hand, for sure they would be dinged up. Atleast that's how I've always done it.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk


Yes. They get beat to crap! That's called "trade damage". It gets billed at t&m+20% to fix on a change order. Let em beat on it! Especially when on a remodel they start moving boxes and fixtures...lol cha ching! Cha ching!

I do agree though. Drop a color coat and leave is the most efficient way for us. The other way is more profitable though...you just cant get emotionally attached to the brush. Paint is sacrificial and I love carpenters. They drill it, I fill it.

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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Woodco said:


> I will first coat the walls if I need something to do, but I've found that a lot of times, I have to do two more coats later on, so its hit or miss with me.
> 
> Why dont you do baseboards when you do the rest of the trim?


I definitely don't want to be doing 2 coats over freshly Installed hardwood. Or around mechanical areas. Normally baseboards are installed after the hardwood. Not like the good old days of carpet, where they would just tuck it under the baseboards. Atleast that's what they do around here..

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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Around here, hardwood goes down before paint. The contractor puts ramboard down, but I go around and tape and paper next to the base, cuz they sure as hell wont/cant tape it right. Then I spray my base with the rest of the trim. No problems.


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## mary3317 (Nov 28, 2017)

*Agreed!*



finishesbykevyn said:


> Most of the new construction I do are custom homes. Not multi unit tract housing or Condos. Final coat on the walls are always bush and rolled after floors and kitchens etc. go in. So double coating/ spraying walls are not an option. I still spray primer, door jams, doors and crown mouldings.
> So you bag off all the walls just to spray the ceilings?
> It never ceases to amaze me how people can find quicker ways of doing things at any expense.
> I still think it such a waste of garbage when in all my years of painting, cutting and rolling walls last was never an issue. Not to mention, people that are good at can fly through rooms pretty effortlessly.
> ...



All this arrogance about spraying everything, every time. I see guys spraying with no respirator, their faces covered in paint from blow back, etc. Yeah, you may go a bit faster and make a bit more money, but I'd hate to do that to my lungs, a thick paint fog in the air. Then you back roll the sprayed wall anyways! All that health damage to save a small bit of time. Of course, I see bosses who couldn't care less they are ruining the health of their employees to make money for themselves. I'll stick to my rolling of walls, thanks. And that's all new construction you're talking about. New construction doesn't pay much anyways. No wonder you have to make up for it by going as fast as you can!


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## mary3317 (Nov 28, 2017)

WestKyPainter said:


> The waste of time some of you people incur by spending hours and hours taping plastic and taping trim off is completely absurd.
> 
> The best bet when painting a new construction job is to coordinate with the builder and get in directly after the drywall is completed. Spray and back roll your ceilings, drop down and brush and roll a primer coat on your walls. At that point it's time to turn it over to the finish carpenter. After he's done, you come in and putty/caulk/sand the trim, and then you spray your trim. Only then do you continue on and brush and roll your two finish coats on your walls. The very last thing to do is cut your baseboards in and it's a wrap.
> 
> I can not believe people on here don't utilize this method?? It's definitely the more efficient method with less waste.


I kind of think it's a guy thing to be into all this spraying, and the use of the spray "gun". And I see so many guys without respirators risking their health and their lungs. All fun and games and money now, until you get COPD, asthma, or brain damage in the future. And new construction is not where you make real money. So naturally you have to work twice as fast to make up for it.....


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

mary3317 said:


> I kind of think it's a guy thing to be into all this spraying, and the use of the spray "gun". And I see so many guys without respirators risking their health and their lungs. All fun and games and money now, until you get COPD, asthma, or brain damage in the future. And new construction is not where you make real money. So naturally you have to work twice as fast to make up for it.....


You're wrong. It's not just a "guy" thing. I shoot as much as I can when it's reasonable and the job is right for spraying. If it's not then obviously ya use a brush and roller. 18, 9(very seldom) and 4"jumbo. And yes. I wear a respirator.

Once I gained the experience of spraying, my views on efficiency changed dramatically. So did the size of projects. 


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

It must be a 'guy thing' at auto shops when they use an impact gun instead of a socket set. 

I'd like to see you bid a 5000 square foot house to be done by hand. You'd get laughed at. Both by the price, and by the amount of time you'd have to spend. Also, the trim would look like crap not being sprayed, especially if you have smooth doors.

No, its not a guy thing. Its a 'being smarter than the walls' thing.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Yah....I think we're done with the sexist crap.

moving on...

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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

Another thing to consider is that many newer homes have open floor plans with massive unobstructed ceilings. You can bang these out pretty quickly if you’re spraying and it’s much easier to keep a wet edge. 



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## Mysticumbrella (Jan 28, 2019)

FlipSide Painting said:


> Thank you all for your replies. I like the idea of spraying trim for saving time but I’m afraid of it flashing on the wall.


It won't flash on the wall if you use good paint.


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## Mysticumbrella (Jan 28, 2019)

lilpaintchic said:


> You could use 6"or 9" paper to eliminate that concern if you're really nervous. Doesn't have to be perfect, just protecting the 4 in or so around the casework (and using the right tip for the job.) The sheen build can be problematic, But ime, usually isnt. Pole sand it and load wall paint up (assuming you have a decent primer) and go for it.I spray trim first always if I have any say in it. It's just easier. Trim, walls, lids done....and off to the bank.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


Exactly! If spraying everything no matter the color scheme, this is the best way. If spraying trim, rolling walls, spraying lids - no matter the color scheme, this is still the best way. If spraying trim - and by the way, always spray trim and doors, rolling walls and rolling ceilings.....well, I feel bad for you.


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## Kimberlibre (May 24, 2021)

I am having a pretty similar project right now, and I was having the same dilemma actually. A lot of people told me the same thing as Woodco, if single color, spray and backroll walls and lids, then trim, if it is multicolor, ceilings, then trim, then cut and roll walls. How have you done it at last?! I am working together with a couple of friends, and we also have another problem. One of our customers, actually want to have crawl space encapsulation, and to be honest, we have no idea how to do that. Don't you know some great specialists for this job?!


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