I will be doing a fair amount of finish-out work inside our new barn/shop and I want to be able to spray regular latex paint. Don't know whether one of the Wagner painters is OK for this or if I should look towards a sprayer to use with my air compressor. Whatever I use, the least fuss to thin paint, setup, etc, the better.
Haven't tried spraying yet myself, but I talked with a guy last summer that painted his house and barn that way. He used a standard spray gun attached to his air compressor. He used exterior latex from Home Depot.
He said he had to thin the paint to get a good spray pattern, but figured it was worth it because it produced a superior job. Apparently the guns will hold enough paint that you have to stop every 4 to 6 feet to refill on an 8' tall wall.
He said he has painted his house every 5 years for the last 20 years or so and has always used the same gun. It takes him about 2 days to do the house (1000 sf) and garage (24x30), both with 8' walls. Apparently the hardest thing is carrying a piece of carboard to prevent over spray.
I'm tempted to give it a try, just haven't hit an outside paint job yet. And, probably won't now until spring.
The little handheld wagners are an exercise in frustration shooting unthinned latex. An airless system is the cats meow. My airless can spray a gallon in 3 minutes and 5 gallon in 15. Of course, I have to stop and move the ladder or somthing but one can knock out a job in a hurry. For raw wood, I'd recomend someone following behind you with a roller just to work the paint in a little. This also works well for inside painting in new construction.
Wagner/spraytech and Graco are some popular models. They start at about $400.
I also purchased a Graco airless unit this year. Painted fence posts and fence boards. Plan to use it to paint the workshop, etc. Very happy with it. You do need different tips for different paints though. Tried a Wagner unit several years ago for latex paint. Gave it to a friend. It can be done but it's slow.
I painted the inside of my house including the cellings with a wagner.
Works ok but as the other guys point out it can be a little bit fussy.
The key is you must clean the gun after every use very very well. Otherwsie next time it won't spray worth a $^&.
I bet the professional models are much faster but if you are only painting a small amount then the wagner will do and will cost a lot less.
Also in my expereince don't even bother with the bulk pickup that is suppose to work from the paint can. That setup is worthless.
Also I gave up trying to use it with primer. The stuff is just to sticky and won't spray well from the wagner IMHO.
Thanks for you responses. What I'm thinking about doing is buying an inexpensive gun and using my compressor.
I have a lot of experience with automotive paint spraying and materials, but I know there's a difference spraying a reduced catalyzed auto paint and a full bodied house latex. I was a little wary of the Wagner units as I have heard more complaints than complements about them. I was also going to try a couple of local pawnshops for the commercial type sprayers.
Fred, the amount that I will be spraying will be fairly substantial, as one entire side of the shop will be enclosed. I want a painted finish both on the outside and inside of the enclosed area. I'm looking for something that will let me get the coverage done in good time.
I was looking at some of the equipment some local housepainters were using - fairly simple, but they still had to thin the paint. However, they were able to put a good coat on the surface on every pass, and they moved along pretty quickly. I'm thinking that in the long run I'll be better off spending a bit more to hopefully take less time to do the job.
Whatever I do, I will spray the paint - no way I want to use a roller and brush to get all the surfaces. I decided to build cabinets into the enclosure walls - open shelves just collect dirt and stuff gets scattered everwhere. I want to paint the interiors of the cabinets as well, so spraying will save a lot of time and will catch all the nooks.
I painted the entire inside of my house with a Wagner using latex paint. Only after significant thinning and the addition of liquid soap to break the surface tension did I have any success. I discussed this problem extensively with the factory and this is the best they could offer. I would rarther sandpaper a wildcats rump than try this again.
Um, Actually, I threw out a brand new Wagner paint stick, used only once, becaue I just couldn't stand using it. Took way too much paint, was heavy to swing when full, and ran out of paint too quick. (Probably because I didn't thin the heck out of it. ) Wound up using a regular roller with cheap Walmart heads and a telescoping extension handle from Quality.