Deciding whether to paint the exterior of your house with a paint sprayer or brush and roller can be a difficult choice. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Here is a detailed comparison of spraying vs brushing when painting a house to help you determine the best option.
Introduction
When it comes time to paint the exterior of your home, you have two main application options – using a paint sprayer or applying paint with a brush and roller. The method you choose will impact the finished look, your time investment, overspray, and other factors. Consider the pros and cons of each method to decide if you should paint a house with a sprayer or brush.
Spray Painting a House
Painting a house with a sprayer has some compelling benefits:
Faster Application
Spraying paint onto house siding is significantly faster than brushing it on. Because sprayers distribute paint in a fine mist, they can cover large surface areas quickly. This saves a great deal of time compared to the back-and-forth brushstrokes required when painting by hand.
More Even Coverage
Sprayers apply paint in an extremely uniform coat. The high pressure atomizes the paint into tiny droplets that settle evenly across the painted surface. This can lead to a more consistent, professional-looking finish compared to brushed paint.
Reach for High Areas
Using an extension pole with a paint sprayer allows you to reach the high, hard-to-access areas of a house without scaffolding or ladders. This makes it much easier to paint tall walls, eaves, and trim.
Works Well For Large Houses
If you have a large, multi-story house, spraying can be much more efficient than brush painting. You can cover far more exterior square footage in a shorter timeframe with a sprayer.
Brush Painting a House
While spraying has some advantages, brushing paint onto a house surface also has several pros worth considering:
Better Control and Less Overspray
Applying paint with a brush gives you greater control compared to spraying. There’s less chance of getting paint where you don’t want it. You can avoid overspray getting on windows, landscaping, cars, and neighboring buildings when brushing.
Paints Corners and Trim Better
It can be tricky to spray paint evenly into corners, along trim, or onto complex architectural details. A brush allows you to evenly coat these areas in a way that spray painting may not.
Doesn’t Require Masking Surfaces
When brush painting the house, you don’t have to mask off windows, plants, and other areas to prevent overspray. This prep step takes time and materials.
Minimizes Paint Waste
With a sprayer, there’s often paint bounce-back and drift that results in some paint being wasted. Brushing deposits paint directly onto the surface, reducing waste.
Requires Less Equipment
Brush painting simply requires paint, brushes, rollers, trays, and some tarps or drop cloths. Sprayers involve investing in the spray equipment and having to maintain it properly.
Key Considerations
When deciding between spraying vs brushing house paint, keep these key tips in mind:
- Consider the size of your home – spraying is more advantageous for large, multi-story houses.
- Factor in the architectural style and detailing – intricate trim or complex surfaces may be better suited to brushwork.
- Account for overspray potential based on surrounding property and landscaping.
- Assess whether you can safely use ladders or scaffolding for brushwork on tall walls.
- Gauge the speed of application required – spraying finishes faster but has more prep work.
- Evaluate your paint sprayer skill level to prevent drips, thin coverage, or uneven spraying.
Pros and Cons of Spraying vs. Brushing
| Paint Spraying | Brush Painting |
|---|---|
| Pros: – Very fast application – Uniform coverage – Reach heights easily – Good for large surfaces | Pros: – Excellent control – Avoids overspray – Paints trim and corners well – Less waste |
| Cons: – Overspray drift – Requires masking – Challenging for trim – More prep work – Equipment cost | Cons: – Slower application – Hard to reach heights – Tiring for large areas – Paint drips |
Conclusion
In summary, spraying can get house painting done quickly and evenly but also has downsides like overspray and a higher learning curve. Brushing takes more time and energy but allows precise painting and avoids messes from drips or blowback.
Assess the size of your particular home, along with your skills, and account for overspray risks before deciding. For most DIYers painting average-sized homes, high-quality brushing may provide the best results and easiest process. But spraying can be ideal for covering siding on large, multi-story houses efficiently. Carefully weigh the sprayer vs brush pros and cons to determine the best house painting method for your specific needs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Painting a House
Should you spray or brush paint on exterior house siding?
For vinyl, metal, stucco, or other smooth siding, spraying can provide fast and even coverage. But for wood or fiber cement siding with an uneven surface, brushing may allow paint to penetrate better.
How long does it take to spray paint a house?
With proper prep work and multiple coats, plan for spray painting the entire exterior of an average 2,000 sq ft two-story home to take 2-3 days. Larger homes may require 4 or more days.
What paint finish is best for exterior house paint?
A satin or semi-gloss exterior paint provides the ideal balance of aesthetic shine and durability for protecting a home’s siding and trim. Flat, matte, or high gloss finishes are not ideal.
What PSI do you need to spray paint a house?
Most standard paint sprayers operate at a PSI between 2000-3000 to produce enough pressure to atomize house paint. HVLP sprayers use lower PSI for better control. Match the sprayer PSI to the viscosity of exterior latex paint.
How do you prepare a house for painting?
Proper prep when painting a house includes: washing siding, scraping/sanding old paint, caulking gaps, masking windows/trim, covering plants/ground, and setting up tarps or drop cloths to contain drips and spills during the painting process.
What temperature should you paint a house?
Ideally, only paint a house exterior when outdoor temperatures stay between 50-90°F. Avoid painting in direct sun or on hot days, which can cause paint to dry too fast and hinder proper adhesion. Cool, cloudy days are best for painting.
By weighing the pros and cons of spraying versus brushing when it comes time to paint your house exterior, you can determine the best application method to get the job done efficiently while still achieving beautiful, professional-looking results that protect your home’s siding. Carefully assess your specific needs before deciding whether you should reach for a sprayer or paintbrush.