Spray painting of internal wall and ceilings

[ragg987]

First time ever I have been first to post a topic in a forum...

Looking forward to the day we will have completed boarding and plastering and need to decorate. We intend to paint ceilings white and walls will either be white or specific colours in certain rooms.

Question: is it worthwhile considering spray painting for this? Anyone with experiences or specfic recommendations? My thoughts are:

• will be faster to apply and also to dry
• ought to be a better finish?
• requires less paint? though any saving probably offset by additional materials for masking

We can reduce masking requirements by avoiding any second fix like electrical sockets, switches, flooring, skirting etc - essentially a bare house. The house is relatively large at 330m2 (simple estimate is 1,000m2 of surface to paint) including a few longer walls.

Edited May 25, 2016 by ragg987
spelling error in title

[Crofter]

Can't say it's something I have ever heard of, but a quick google suggests that at least some paints are able to be applied this way, e.g. http://www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/web/pdf/datasheets/411.pdf

 

If you intend to use the same type and colour of paint on all surfaces, it might be worth a go. Just remember to ventilate well, and let us know how you get on

[Guest Alphonsox]

We are intending to go down this route. The effort and time required to paint a large house seems to make this a sensible choice. We have been recommended to get a professional company in to do this rather than try a hire/DIY route. My assumption is that this would be done prior to second fix.

[Bitpipe]

HerbJ has just had his house sprayed and I am getting quotes for the same. Decorator says that in an empty new build, it's the fastest method to get the mist and base coat on so you save time and labour costs but pay a bit of a premium for the decorator as only the more professional guys seem to have the necessary kit and large compressors.

Once base coat is on, you can commence second fix, our electrician will leave sockets bagged for the final top coat

 

[Stones]

Friends of ours had their house sprayed.  My estimate (and the decorators) of how long it would have taken to paint (3 coats) by roller was 3 weeks. He did it in 3 days using the sprayer, plus half a day either side for masking and tidying up.  It's certainly something I'm going to get a price for.

[ragg987]

Been on the 'phone to a couple of companies - one reckons 1 week to do our 330m2 floor area (rough estimate 1,000m2 walls and ceilings) would be 1 week, inc prep, if we want multiple colours, less if we go for uniform white.

One concern is timing. To simplify the painting it needs to be done prior to second fix. Seems then that damage is inevitable as second fix, kitchens, wardrobes, door frames etc are fitted, and I suspect a manual patch-up of the damage is likely to be visible against a sprayed background. If painting is post second fix price of masking goes up.

Anyone with experience on this aspect?

Another interesting angle is spray plastering, as mentioned by one of the spray painters. Seems sensible to go the whole hog - any experiences?

[Bitpipe]

54 minutes ago, ragg987 said:

One concern is timing. To simplify the painting it needs to be done prior to second fix. Seems then that damage is inevitable as second fix, kitchens, wardrobes, door frames etc are fitted, and I suspect a manual patch-up of the damage is likely to be visible against a sprayed background. If painting is post second fix price of masking goes up.

Anyone with experience on this aspect?

 

In the middle of organising this myself now and the routine seems to be spray mist and base coat, then do 2nd fix electrical and plumbing and then do the finish coat (protecting sockets etc by bagging). 

Not sure yet when the (pre-primed) skirting and architrave goes on, think this is done after the base coat but obv. before the finish coat as it will need caulked. 

[tonyshouse]

Spraying is fast and uses less paint but is so nice it is difficult to patch in afterwards, Aires spray is in my fire for commercial new buid  only.  Very messy, three coats then all second fix, cut inagainafter caulk. Electricians wear surgical gloves and dinters get punched. Plumbers sacked.

[ragg987]

14 hours ago, Bitpipe said:

In the middle of organising this myself now and the routine seems to be spray mist and base coat, then do 2nd fix electrical and plumbing and then do the finish coat (protecting sockets etc by bagging). 

Not sure yet when the (pre-primed) skirting and architrave goes on, think this is done after the base coat but obv. before the finish coat as it will need caulked. 

So it seems you end up masking and painting in 2 separate phases, would this negate any cost or time benefits compared to doing it with brush / roller at the end?

Would be interesting to see what you find

[HerbJ]

On 25/05/2016 at 12:28, Bitpipe said:

HerbJ has just had his house sprayed and I am getting quotes for the same. Decorator says that in an empty new build, it's the fastest method to get the mist and base coat on so you save time and labour costs but pay a bit of a premium for the decorator as only the more professional guys seem to have the necessary kit and large compressors.

Once base coat is on, you can commence second fix, our electrician will leave sockets bagged for the final top coat

 

I am currently in the middle of decorating together with a wide range of 2nd Fix activities - electrical, acoustic/UFH  floors, carpentry, stairs etc.  I can't offer a full range of advice because I haven't finished the build but I can confirm it is very quick to date - mist coat of a 335m2 house in 3 to 4 days, though I we did give him the run of build for the period. There are afewf things to be aware of and consider:

- Work with your decorator and understand how he works. My decorator has been prepared to work  weekend to give him the run of the build.

 - Communcation with other trades so everybody knows what is going on and work with the integrated schedule. Electricians came in after mist coat to cut holes for downlight etc and has double bagged all the sockets double bagged and terminated light circuits with connectors and tucked cables into ceiling to make it easy for spraying ceiling.

- Quality and time allowed for  masking, together with covering up all equipment and loose materials in the house. Also, I am spending a fair bit of money and time on protecting any finished surfaces such as stairs with hardboard, Correx board etc, both for mechanical protection as well as paint droplets. I have heard horror stories from my carpenters of all their tools and equipment being spray painted when they stooped for lunch on a  commercial build ( flats) by painters spraying without covering up anything.probably on piece work/lump sum.

- Close integration between plasterer and decorator on who is responsible for snagging plaster work -  the plasterer agreed to snag the major plasterwork deficiencies after the mist coat and spent 2 days further work and everything was cleaned up after this work , with laying of protectIve sheeting on a finished dry screed acoustic floor( Cellecta 28). Only the decorator wan't satisfied with the finish and spent another 2/3 days sanding down again ( he was correct we did want a superb painted finish) plaster dust everywhere again and annother major cleanup!!!

- My decorator is not spray painting the entire house. He is spraying mist coat everywhere, to finish coat on all ceilings and coving everywhere, 2nd Floor, ceiling and walls, everywhere because it is all one colour ( white). Walls and woodwork ( mainly skirting boards and a few doors will be mainly finished by hand - roller, brush whatever), because we have different colours in different rooms, with two colours in some rooms - it isn't possible to make a decent job of cutting , say, a purple wall into a white coving...

[Bitpipe]

We have gone with a traditional roller based mist and base coat as the decorator offering that option was 3-4k cheaper including supplying all paint and platforms etc.