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Using a paint sprayer for your normal painting tasks will allow you to do the work faster. It also allows you to use less paint once you have become proficient in the use of the tool.

There are several types of spray paint guns so it is best to learn a little about each type before you choose the best one for your purposes.

Each type of spray painting gun allows you to do specific types of painting in a shorter amount of time. Each gun is operated slightly differently to aid them in performing the tasks they were designed for.

Choosing the proper gun will be dependent on several things. Such as:

  • What you are painting
  • What paint materials you are using
  • Where you are painting
  • How fast you need to paint

There are 5 basic paint gun styles.

Compressed Air Sprayers

The compressed air paint sprayer is the most basic and simple of all of the paint spray guns. They utilize an air compressor and a paint gun.

They are great for beginners and amateur painters. They are often chosen by homeowners because they are designed to paint large areas. Thus fore, they are perfect for projects like painting a house or painting a fence.

These sprayers are simple to operate. All you really need to remember is to:

  • keep them at a distance of 8 to 12 inches from the surface you are painting
  • thin your paint properly
  • hold the gun perpendicular to the surface being painted
  • overlap each new stroke of paint so you get complete coverage

These units can be used outdoors or indoors. The air compressor makes them very noisy so if used indoors wear protective hearing devices.

These are recommended for painting: walls, fences, decks, exterior projects, siding.

With the introduction of the LVLP paint sprayers the compressed air sprayers have almost become obsolete.

Gravity Feed Spray Guns

If you are an auto enthusiasts you will find this type of spray paint gun perfect for auto body painting.

This design of spray paint gun is extremely precise in application. The paint container is on the top of the gun so gravity pulls the paint down and into the gun. You will need to follow the paint thinning recommendations from the manufacturer.

This design allows the apparatus to work with very little air pressure required. The lowered amount of air pressure reduces your chances of overspray, and it makes the clean-up work easier to do.

You must hold this paint sprayer in an upright position in order for it to work. It is great for doing fine detail work, but it is not intended for big projects like painting your house exterior. The paint cup for these guns will usually hold a pint, but you might buy one that could hold a quart.

These are recommended for painting: auto body, auto panels.

LVLP Paint Guns

These paint sprayers are recommended for a wide variety of painting tasks. They do well on both small and large projects. They also can transfer paint with precision.

The low volume low pressure sprayer is capable of operating on only 10psi. They do not cause a lot of overspray, and they are generally considered a handy tool in all DIY toolkits.

You need to follow the manufacturer recommendations on paint thinning very closely. These tools are not good for using with thick paint materials. They require you to make a paint mixture that is precisely thinned.

With properly thinned paint these spray paint guns can create a smooth surface that has professional qualities. They are also usually easy to set up and easy to clean up.

You want to make sure and hold these guns in an upright position to prevent leakage from connection ports.

These guns are recommended for painting: interior walls, private fences, decks, patios, and porches.

HVLP Paint Guns

The high volume low pressure paint guns are some of the most popular paint sprayers on the market. They are generally affordable, and they are perfect for use on close up work.

The one real drawback to the HVLP systems is that they tend to clog easier than any of the other paint sprayer varieties. There are some HVLP guns with designs that make it easier to prevent, or remove a clog if they occur.

These sprayers are not ideal for painting the walls in your home. However, they are perfect for painting the details of your room, like the crown molding. They are not real fast spray paint guns, but they are precise guns.

If you do a lot of detail painting, like painting decorative yard furniture, or painting trim, then the HVLP is a perfect tool for you.

These guns are recommended for painting: trim boards, baseboards, cabinets, furniture, highly detailed craft projects.

Airless Paint Guns

If you have a need for speed then airless is the way to go. These guns use great amounts of air pressure and can transfer large amounts of paint in a short amount of time.

These devices can be used on interior or exterior painting projects. They can spray enough paint out to cover large areas in one third of the time that most other sprayers would need. One problem is that when the wind is blowing, even a little bit, these sprayers are less accurate at transfer.

They are capable of producing a clean smooth pattern. They are not used on small projects like furniture painting, or trim painting. They tend to spray out such a high volume that they create a large amount of overspray.

These are recommended for painting: interior walls, floors and ceilings, exterior siding, decks, and fences.

Final Thoughts

Buying a paint sprayer will give you an opportunity to create professional looking finishes on all of your painting projects. If you would like to know more about the different paint sprayers, and how to use them, prior to making a purchase, then visit https://painterscare.com/ for more information.