on a building fast. Spraying is most appropriate
time. Moreover, you shouldn’t spray in any
180º and blowing out the
when you’ve got large expanses to paint, where
wind stronger than a slight breeze.
obstruction—without needing to
there’s ornate trim, or if the surface is multifaceted
Consequently, spray painting is less
disassemble the spray gun. if
(shingles), textured (stucco), or otherwise difficult appropriate when you don’t have much to
you’re concerned about applying
to cover with a brush or roller. Spraying can also
too much paint with an airless
paint or if the area to be painted has a lot of
speed a job along when you need to apply numer-
sprayer, choose a smaller spray
doors, windows, or other obstructions that
ous thin, even applications, as on cabinet doors.
tip, say, a no. 511 or no. 611 tip
will need to be masked.
for spraying cabinet doors and
sPraYing: not a
spray-painting equipment. In recent years,
drawers.
Cut-and-dried deCision
spray-painting equipment has become much eas-
ier to operate and maintain. The key to success-
Although it has some advantages, spray painting
ful spray painting, as with any painting, is thor-
is not effortless, nor is it right for all situations:
ough prep work. That is, begin by correcting
Spray painting can be complicated. An
moisture problems, removing loose paint and
even application of paint requires the right tip,
dirt, caulking and filling holes and gaps, and
the correct paint consistency and gun
priming unfinished substrates.
pressure, good technique, and a feel for
renting a Paint sprayer
don’t rent spraying equipment that isn’t well main-
tained. a first-rate rental company will size the pump
Safety lock
to your job, recommend spray tips, and explain how
everything works. For good measure, ask for an opera-
tor’s manual, too.
tip guard
Make sure the equipment is clean when you pick it
up. also, ask whether the last paint used in the sprayer
was oil based or latex. if you are applying latex and
reversible
the last paint through was oil, it is not unreasonable
spray tip
to reject the sprayer and ask for another. or you can
ask the renter to spray a small amount of latex to
trigger
make sure there’s no oily residue still in the system.
Finally, make sure you know how to use the equip-
ment, even if you’re a bit macho and don’t want to
admit that you’ve never operated any sprayer before.
hose to
one face-saver is, “say, run a little water and show
pump
me how to pressurize this, would you?” don’t leave
the rental yard without understanding how the
Sprayer parts.
equipment works.
512 Chapter 18
spray-painting safety begins with a respirator
with two replaceable organic-vapor filters. If
you’ll be spraying exteriors, a half-face respirator
should be adequate. For interiors, where paint
zzzzzz Moving with a spray gun
concentrations build up quickly, wear a full-face
respirator, gloves, a spray sock to keep paint mist
off your head, and disposable coveralls. The
greater the concentration of paint mist, the sooner
filters will clog and cease filtering.
airless sprayers have largely replaced conven-
tional spray equipment with its bulky compres-
sors, pressurized paint pots, and two hoses.
Instead, single-hose, airless sprayers force paint
through the tip at up to 3,000 lb. of pressure, cre-
ating a very fine spray. High-volume airless
To achieve uniform spray applications, move with
sprayers can apply coatings of varying viscosity,
the tool, as shown, rather than remaining in one
from extrafine to heavy—and they transfer to the
spot and swinging the spray gun in an arc.
surface a higher percentage of the paint (70% to
75%) than conventional high-pressure paint guns Test the sprayer on an inconspicuous area first
(35%) or high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP)
to make sure it’s operating correctly and to famil-
sprayers (60%).
iarize yourself with its fan pattern and volume. If
spray tips control paint volume and pattern, or
the pressure is correct, paint will stick when the
fan. Fixed-size tips are coded with three-digit
spray tip is 12 in. from the wall. But if paint
numbers: The first digit (2–9) indicates in inches
bounces back at that distance (coating the sprayer
half the width of the paint fan when you hold the and your gloved hand), reduce the pressure.
tip 1 ft. from the surface being painted. The next
if the sprayer clogs often, the paint may be
two digits (00–99) indicate the size of the tip
contaminated and need straining. Buy strainer
opening in thousandths of an inch. So a no. 518
bags at a paint store, or, in a pinch, strain paint
tip will spray a 10-in.-wide fan (at 1 ft. away) and through an old pair of panty hose or nylons.
has a 0.018-in. opening.
A few manufacturers make adjustable spray
Keep the sprayer moving in long, straight
tips, but they’re a specialty item. If, for example,
strokes. Hold the spray tip 12 in. away from the
you’ll be at the top of a tall ladder, need several
surface, and overlap passes 30% to 50%. To pre-
different spray patterns, and don’t feel like climb-
vent uneven paint buildup, move the spray tip
ing down the ladder to change tips, use an adjust- parallel to the surface. If the surface you’re paint-
able tip. But most of the time, fixed-size tips are
ing has distinct edges, start spraying just before
the way to go: They cost less and maintain a pre-
the edge and don’t release the trigger until the
cise aperture longer.
paint fan is past the far edge. If you must start in
the middle of a wall, begin moving your arm
sPraY-Painting basiCs
before pulling the trigger.
use a hose that’s long enough so you can move
never touch a spray tip while it’s spraying: It
freely around the work site. For exterior jobs,
will inject paint into your skin (and bloodstream), you’ll need a 100-ft. hose; for most interior jobs,
which requires immediate medical attention,
use a 50-ft. one. As you spray, hold a loop of the
including removing the affected skin.
hose in your free hand to keep it out of your foot
Carefully mask off everything you don’t want
path—and away from freshly painted surfaces.
painted—from ceilings to windows to shrubs. To
Sprayer hoses come in 50-ft. lengths with cou-
protect large expanses, use 11⁄2-in. painter’s mask-
plings on both ends.<
br />
ing tape to attach high-density plastic sheeting.
start at the top and work down as you spray.
To cover baseboards, windowsills, and the like,
Because a fine paint rain falls when you spray, it’s
apply 12-in.-wide masking paper. Careful mask-
better that it falls on unpainted surfaces—which
ing takes time, but it’s crucial to ensure crisp
will be painted over for a uniform finish.
spray-painted edges.
use a cardboard painting shield to keep paint
before turning on the pump, make sure the
overspray off adjacent surfaces you have already
spray-gun trigger is locked, the pump’s pressure
painted or won’t paint at all, as shown in the top
control is turned to low, and the priming lever is
photo on p. 534.
turned off.
Painting
513
Keep spray tips clean because they are easily
clogged. So when you’re done painting for the
day, soak them in the appropriate vehicle (solvent
for oil-based paint, hot water for latex). If the tip
is really gunky, soak it in lacquer thinner.
replace the spray tip if, after cleaning it, its
spray pattern is still blotchy or the spray unit
seems to be guzzling paint. Solids in the paint
actually abrade the inside of a tip, enlarging it
over time.
Keep filters clean and replace them often.
Using a paint-appropriate thinner, clean filters
every time you change paint colors, at the end of
each day, or if you’re pumping a lot of paint—say,
40 gal.—by lunchtime. A 100-mesh filter is con-
sidered minimum; coarser filters will admit
P R O T I P
debris that can clog the tip.
a hePa filter on a cheap, leaky
Lead-Paint Safety
vacuum is a fool’s bargain: it will
In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency
recirculate lead-contaminated
(EPA) issued the Renovation, Repair, and
air in the house. quality hePa
Painting (RRP) ruling, which required profes-
vacs (bosch, Fein, Metabo, hilti,
sional contractors working on houses built before
etc.) run $500 and up.
1978 to take extensive precautions to protect
their crews and homeowners from the potential
presence of lead dust. Although the EPA exempts
homeowners working on their own homes, lead
poisoning doesn’t exempt anyone. So it’s some-
thing everyone should take seriously.
Safe lead abatement is two-pronged. First, contain dust
understanding lead Paint
by attaching mechanical scrapers or sanders to industrial-
Lead-based paint adheres to almost any surface
strength vacuums with HEPA-rated filters. Second, wear
disposable coveralls, booties, and gloves taped shut at all
and weathers well, so it’s not surprising that it
openings, as well as a respirator with replaceable HEPA
can be found in 90% of houses built before 1940.
filter cartridges. A half-face mask and eye protection
However, as lead’s health hazards became known should be adequate in most cases.
When to Call in a lead-abatement specialist
the ePa’s 2010 rrP rule is complex, and this brief discussion is no
well-prepared homeowners. but if the renovation project involves a
substitute for knowing the law. You can read it at www.epa.gov/lead/
sizable modification of an exterior that has tested positive for lead—
pubs/renovation.htm.
hire lead-abatement specialists. Complying with particulars of the
broadly stated, the rules are designed to make people aware of the
rrP rule will be their headache, not yours.
hazards of lead, require renovation firms to be certified in lead-safe
in theory, containing lead-painted debris is straightforward, but
work practices, present ways to limit potential contamination, and, in in practice, it is a nightmare. Most job sites are already a chaotic effect, direct those doing the abatement to capture lead-contaminated stream of delivery trucks, subs, inspectors, and crew coming and materials, treat them as toxic wastes, and dispose of them safely.
going. add to the mix nervous neighbors—thanks to extensive
the law is quite specific about how waste is to be captured—
notifications of lead abatement in progress, posted throughout the
requiring, for example, that exterior trim painted with lead paint be
neighborhood. if your region is windy, containment may also involve
individually wrapped in sheet plastic before being carted off site.
erecting scaffolding and a plastic envelope around the house. it can
Containing the limited amount of debris generated by, say, a kitchen
be a huge undertaking.
remodel is probably within the capabilities of most contractors or
514 Chapter 18
in the 1950s, paint manufacturers began to phase
it out. It was banned altogether in 1978 by the
U.S. government.
Because lead is a neurological toxin, it is par-
ticularly damaging to children ages six years and
younger, who seem drawn to it because it’s slightly
sweet. Breathing or eating it can cause mental
retardation in children. In people of all ages, lead
can also cause headaches, anemia, lethargy,
kidney damage, high blood pressure, and other
ailments.
Because of its durability, lead paint was com-
monly used on exteriors, glossy kitchen and bath-
room walls, in closets (which rarely get repainted),
and as an enamel on interior doors, windows,
stair treads, and woodwork. So each time a
swollen window or sticking door was forced
open, it ground lead paint into flakes and dust.
Roof leaks, drainage problems, and inadequate
ventilation added to the problem because exces-
Houses built before 1978 should be tested for lead paint. Cut out a small chunk of surface paint to
sive moisture causes the paint to degrade and
expose older paint layers, and rub the exposed area with a test swab. This bright-red LeadCheck
reading indicates a high concentration of lead.
detach sooner.
If you have an older home, the presence of
lead may not be a dire problem if your home is
well maintained and old paint is well adhered.
any other lead-related questions, contact The
However, lead becomes most dangerous when it
National Lead Information Center at www.epa.
becomes airborne, especially during sanding or
gov/lead/pubs/nlic.htm.
heat stripping, for then it can be inhaled and eas-
P R O T I P
ily absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, if
steP tWo: Cover uP
you are considering renovating your old house,
Wear a respirator with N100 or P100 HEPA fil-
be methodical. Postpone any demolition or paint
if painted surfaces are intact
ters and snug-fitting goggles; a full-face respira-
removal until you test to see if lead paint is pres-
and you don’t have small chil-
tor is not a bad idea but may be too hot to work
&
nbsp; ent. If it is, develop a plan for dealing with it.
dren, either leave the lead paint
in. Disposable coveralls, booties, and gloves are
alone or paint over it to seal it in
also a must; tape shut neck, wrist, and ankle
steP one: test For lead
place. You might also cover walls
openings. At the end of day, shed contaminated
with 1⁄4-in. drywall.
If you suspect the house has lead paint, test it to
work clothes at the job site: Wearing them home
be sure. There are a number of test kits available
can endanger your family. Note: You can find dis-
at home centers, but at this writing only one sat-
posable respirators for about $10, but a reusable
isfies EPA criteria for false positives and false
respirator with replaceable filter cartridges is a
S a f e T y a l e R T
negatives: LeadCheck™.
better buy if the job extends beyond a few days.
Testing is pretty straightforward. Using a utility
Whenever you take a break,
knife, cut away a small amount of surface paint
steP three: Contain the Mess
stop for lunch, or quit for the
to get at earlier layers underneath. Rub the test
day, wash your hands well.
swab on the exposed area: the brighter the
interior containment. Tape shut all HVAC regis-
otherwise, you can easily ingest
swabbed area, the greater the concentration of
ters and turn off the furnace/AC so it won’t start
lead dust. at the very least,
lead. Test several areas, such as door and window while you’re working in the room. To contain
change out of your work clothes
trim and siding. A LeadCheck kit contains
lead-paint dust and debris inside, use 6-mil sheet
and take a sponge bath at the
16 swabs and costs less than $50.
plastic and painter’s tape to isolate and contain
site before changing into clean
If sample areas test negative, it’s probably safe the mess. Tape plastic across door openings to
clothes. this is definitely one
to work on the house, although you should of
seal off work areas from living spaces, and cover
time when you don’t want to take
course still wear appropriate respirators and
walls inside the work area with plastic as well so
work home with you.
minimize exposure to paint dust. If renovation
they can be wiped down and vacuumed when
is extensive, however, you’d be well served to
you’re done. Protect floors with rosin paper or
Renovation 4th Edition Page 119