Paint Sprayer vs The Brush

I have been painting “projects” for a little over a year and its alway been with a brush.  That has always worked out fine with the kind of items I was painting.  I started with a buffet, a bench, a cocktail and sofa table and also a large hutch, just to name a few.  All and all, these pieces were quite manageable with a paint brush until I purchase a dining set that needed some tlc. Within this set, the chairs have spindles and all I could think about was how tedious painting would be. I was beginning to regret my purchase. That is when I started my research on a Paint Sprayer vs The Brush.

I began looking at the Home Depot site because a friend of mine gifted me a gift card for my birthday. They listed a number of sprayers ranging in cost. I knew I didn’t want to make a huge investment because I was unsure if I really could paint with a sprayer.  To be quite frank, I was very intimidated by the whole idea. But the more I read the reviews, and consulted the many pins on Pinterest, my mind was changing.  I bit the bullet and purchased a HomeRight Finish Max Fine Finish HVLP (High volume low pressure) sprayer.  Wait! You’re thinking a finishing sprayer for painting? Yes,!  I chose it for it’s little overspray, its versatility to spray paint or lacquer and the fact it can be used indoors.

The sprayer was delivered to my home and then it sat.  I truly was doubting myself. What was I thinking? Power tools are not my thing.  However, the summer weather is passing quickly and I have a few large projects to move on out of the garage, including that dining set so I decided to give it a whirl. I opened the box and consulted the instructions. Well , not so bad. I could understand them. they were not too technical.

Through my research I discovered chalk paint could be sprayed. Going with that, I chose a white shade of chalk paint to test out. Because chalk paint is on the thicker side, I had to thin it out a bit by adding water. Probably  the trickiest aspect of using the sprayer is getting the viscosity of the paint just right.The sprayer came with a viscosity cup which aids in getting the paint to the right consistency. Now, I was ready to paint.

I began with some smaller pieces to test out.  The  paint applied in a fine mist which prevented a lot over spray and additional control of the paint pattern could be managed at the nozzle. I could choose the pattern to be vertical or horizontal by just turning the nozzle. The paint did apply finely so I had to apply a number of coats.  Because chalk paint dries quite quickly anyway, the extra applications did not take long at all.   Just as an experiment, I switched over to some latex paint, thinned it and sprayed away. Super easy too.  I was very pleased with the result

Overall, I am in love with the sprayer. Its quick and easy. The clean up requires minimal disassembly. The result is a a smooth finish with no brush marks. I’m still a fan of the paint brush when extra control is needed or thicker coat is desired. However, painting wicker or those spindles on the chairs will be a breeze.

Have you tried a paint sprayer?  Which method of painting to you prefer? Sprayer of a brush?