This is related to the ‘how long to paint ‘ thread.
I’ve seen some great looking spray jobs. yet, I’ve met painters who seem to be old shool and are adament about sticking with rolling and brush. while others will roll walls and spray trim. my current painter will spray trim because I want him to – but is dead set against spraying walls ‘cuz he says it must be back rolled. I’m not about to argure with him becuase he is the pro.
But what is the deal? If it’s new house construction I can’t understand why one wouldn’t want to spray. What’s with the back roll? while I’ve seen a few spray jobs I’ve only actuallywitnessed one being done, that was about 7 years ago and I don’t recall any back rolling.
does a spray job need to be back rolled?
thanks for any input…
sincerely,
carpenter looking for insight on the painters world.
Replies
"Spraying gets the job done faster....but at the sacrifice of quality IMO."
As an aside, I've seen pro's do both. One guy with a gun laying on the paint and another with a roller or brush following behind....no need to dip.
WSJ
"One guy with a gun laying on the paint and another with a roller or brush following behind....no need to dip."
what you describe here, is what my painter calls the "back rolling" that I referred to.
But you definenately feel for quality you need to roll it, eh. mental note taken..thanks.
Most of the time when spraying new constuction I spray and back roll.Spraying drywall tends to fuzz up the paper around sanded areas. Back rolling lays it down and saves tons of time pole sanding after priming. Also I find if you backroll and have to do touch ups later, the match seems to blend better than if I just sprayed.
Just my 2 cents
Painter
thanks for responses, I definately feel more educated. Often one aquires percpetions from half information or limited experiences. So it nice to get input from others that have the knowledge and experiences to share.
The hardest thing about spraying new walls is getting paint on all sides of the texture to avoid the "shading" that happens when white texture that avoided paint shows from a certain angle.
I usually allow painters to either back roll or not with the understanding that if they don't get good coverage they'll have to repaint with backroll. Most of the better painters will backroll from the getgo if the texture is anything more than a light orange peel.
Good painting,
Don
Is it a matter of getting tecture on the wall?
no - I'm told that spraying drywall is not as good because the paint does not get worked in the way it does when it is rolled.
I think the 'shading' issue that was brought up is part of that.
Edited 1/6/2006 2:08 am ET by alrightythen
On another issue, I'm thinking of switching painters for some unlrelated issues.
his plan was for painting the new house was 1 coat tinted primer and 1 top coat. The painters I am thinking of switching to use one primer and 2 top coats. This sounds better to me, what is the norm for new house construction?
(this is also unrelated to me switching painters)
I have yet to see a one primer/one topcoat job on new work that looked really right. I always do two topcoats on my own stuff (used to be a painter, so I do some of my smaller projects).Bill
TY Bill for insight. I feel much't better about switching painters now and that wasn't even the issue. But now I realize that this guy likes to try to get away with the minimum as oposed to doing the best job he can. The others guys right away told me they do one sealer and 2 top coats - and for same price!
I concur. Agood friend of mine years ago was a painter. His explanation was that the roller "smooshing" the paint into the surface made a better bond than spray alone. He always backrolled interior walls/ceilings if he could get paid to do it. The roller texture is also compelling, especially over slick drywall. It adds nice character, as well as the ability to blend repairs.Bill
There's another angle here worth considering. An airless is capable of doing a very smooth finish. Auto body stuff, not that you'd ever use it on a car, but what I mean is we're talking plaster or drywall here. Minor imperfections that you cannot realistically get rid of in every scenario. And more that will crop up the minute the house is lived in. There's great products like Tuffhide and Builders Solution that make flat ceilings (that you'll never touch) dead smooth for that perfect paint job, but on a wall, there's something to be said for just a touch of roller stipple.
How many commercial jobs have you seen where the walls get the fleck treatment? Same kind of thinking I suspect. Makes minor defects and gouges harder to pick out.
My last thought, from spraying surfacers on walls, is one of volume and the overspray that creates. Not many guys like spending their days in full face respirators and tyvek suits. Its a gawd awful mess, and by the time the trim is finished and they're masking and cutting the walls, it's just that much more masking to make sure you're not spraying something you don't want if you're also using an airless on the walls.
"A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
All the painters I have used (new construction) spray walls and back roll. They use one of those big rollers. Some will do a final coat with a roller only.
Here is a thought - from what I've seen, it takes at least 2 people for the process - one to spray, and one to back roll. Often I see them using 3 - one to spray, one to back roll, and another to assist the sprayer - which would include holding a paint shield, moving the hose around, keeping the supply end of things stocked, and etc.
Not a painter so keep that in mind.
I prefer a back roll because if you have to make touch up repairs you will never match the smooth texture of a sprayed finish with a roller.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Thank you. That is some very common sense thinking.
GoodLuck