Good painters imitate nature, bad ones screw it up...

October 23, 2008 12:02 PM

Good painters imitate nature, bad ones spew(screw) it up. (Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) Spanish novelist, dramatist and poet. ) I suck at painting with a brush or pad. What is the best way to paint (Maybe with a sprayer) a large room?

I suck at painting with a brush or pad. Seriously, I leave brush marks and lines and I get that "framing" look when I edge windows and walls. I use edge tape and still manage to drip onto the trim which requires even more touchup. I follow all the instructions and recommendations but I still eff it up.

I'm not uncoordinated; maybe I'm working too fast or not fast enough.

What is the best compressed air or other type of paint sprayer I can use to finish painting several rooms and furniture pieces?

For example:

1) master bedroom with a sloped 2 story ceiling on one side. That means essentially a full 14x17 room with a half of a cross section of that on top of it.(flat enamel)

2) A bathroom vanity/bath area with a door separating that area from the shower stall/toilet (I have a flat enamel paint, should I be concerned about the shower-stall area?)

3) Various pieces of furniture including bookcases and an IKEA bed that I just need to sand lightly and paint with a glossy enamel


Any recommendations for a sprayer that's not too difficult to clean and can handle different paint types easily? Any tips on what to/not to get? How much should I worry about overspray? Do I need to cover EVERYTHING in tape and plastic?

Mrs. Emjay would like all this painting done by Nov 15 and I'm on a deadline. HELP!

posted by emjay to home & garden (11 comments total)

You should be using a roller to paint large areas like walls or ceilings. Sprayers are great for trim or exteriors, but it is damned difficult to get the smooth and even coverage of a roller on flat walls with a sprayer.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:03 PM on October 23, 2008

Roller or paint pad.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:08 PM on October 23, 2008

(these are my numbered points -- they don't correspond to your items)
1) I wouldn't recommend a sprayer - they can be really challenging to use, and a lot less forgiving of errors.

2) Are you really using enamel paint? Or is it something like "flat enamel" latex paint? I would definitely recommend latex paint for interior walls if you're not using it already. And I assume a "finish level" called "enamel" is fairly high sheen? The glossier the paint's sheen level, the more brush and roller marks become glaringly obvious. So that may be one problem?

3) "I suck at painting with a brush or pad." Are you painting walls with a brush? Get a roller! (Is there a reason you are not using a roller?)

If you could clarify the paint type you are using and the finish/sheen you are trying to achieve, I can try to be more specifically helpful.
posted by misterbrandt at 1:10 PM on October 23, 2008

2nd Thorzdad

A trick when using painters tape is to lightly "drybrush" the first pass and let it dry to seal off the border of the tape line. A thicker coat afterwards won't run under the tape.

Why enamel? A coat of primer and a nice latex will smell a lot less.
posted by bonobothegreat at 1:13 PM on October 23, 2008

Some sprayers are very bad for interior use, mostly because of overspray. That is, a lot of the paint ends up someplace other than the surface you want painted. I bet that's what Thorzdad is warning against. This is a high volume/low pressure sprayer, and it's got a lot less overspray and it's fairly easy to use. While looking for an HVLP photo, I found this article, which is a good intro to sprayers.

I learned to paint by reading a very old book on the subject. There are techniques that anyone can learn -- you just need a clear explanation. It's pretty nerdy, so I'll spare everyone... but drop me a mefi-mail and I'll gladly explain how not to get the framing effect, how to choose a brush that won't drip, how to avoid brush marks, what kind of roller cover will change your life.

P.S.: Flat paint isn't a good idea in a bathroom unless your exhaust fan is very powerful and is used every time someone showers. You'll get condensation on the walls, and you wont be able to wipe off the streaks. If you really want flat, use Benjamin Moore matte, which is washable. There is definitely such a thing as latex or acrylic enamel, so don't worry about that. For your bedroom, you'll probably want to use a roller with an extension pole, unless you love being on a ladder. For the furniture, consider priming by hand, sanding it, and then spraying with cans of spray paint.
posted by wryly at 1:26 PM on October 23, 2008

Actually, I was thinking more of how difficult it is to get even coverage over a large area from a sprayer without having to resort to multiple passes. With a roller, you may have to do a second coat, max. With a sprayer, you're probably going to have to go over and over and over an area in order to even-out the coverage.

But, yeah, overspray can be an issue, too.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:50 PM on October 23, 2008

A roller, a telescoping extension pole (3' - 6' or 4' - 8' for your high ceiling spot). Forget about a roller pan, that's useless. Get an empty 5 gallon plastic bucket for a buck or two at big box retailer. Get a grid - it hangs off the edge of the bucket. Get a 3/8" nap roller cover, or better yet, get three. Juice up the roller, knock off the excess on the grid, and paint. Painting is very relaxing for me, turn up the music and jsut go.
posted by fixedgear at 4:26 PM on October 23, 2008

Tinted primer. If you're a poor painter, then primer is your new friend. Primer tinted to match your paint will make 1 coat of latex cover beautifully.
posted by 26.2 at 6:38 PM on October 23, 2008

@Thorzdad - Yeah, I suck with rollers too.

@misterbrandt - We are using a flat enamel (Home Depot premium branded)

@wryly - So far maybe a cheap sprayer for the furniture and learn how to use a roller better for the rooms.

@fixedgear - How much do you charge to "relax" at my house?

@all Also using a 3/8 roller and another issue, is the freakin' orange peel texture on EVERY wall in this house. (Don't get me started on taping off popcorn ceilings in EVERY room) Even rollering one room caused little missed spots with the more expensive thick nap roller brush.

@26.2 walls are already painted white, would a tinted primer matter one way or the other?
posted by emjay at 9:38 AM on October 24, 2008

first off, it sounds like you are painting with too much paint on your brush/roller, if you're getting drips, overrun and framing. Sprays are such a pain in the ass, and the overspray is horrific.

what color are you painting the walls? if it's not white, then use a tinted primer. Are you using a "flat enamel" or a flat latex paint? Flat is good, it tends to show mistakes less, which is great for a lot of textured walls, but really, bathrooms and kitchens should be at least eggshell in my mind. I don't love the quality of Home Depot paint--the pigmentation/coverage doesn't compare to Benjamin Moore in my experience--so just beware, you'll probably need to do at least two coats.


-use good equipment and good paint. It's SO worth the extra cost, and makes your life easier (especially since if you clean the brushes well, they'll last forever). Purdy brushes are my favorite. Get a few roller covers that are appropriate for the texture of your walls. How textured is the orange peel? Thicker rollers cover texture better, but you'll need to be careful about the pressure you put on the roller so you don't get covered in spatter.

-learn to cut in, and don't use so much paint on your brushes! a thick coat just drips and looks awful, and doesn't save you any time in the end. take your time and do several thinner coats. Tape is useful sometimes, but never failsafe, and people always seem to slop on the paint and wonder why it seeps underneath. the dry brush method is good, but better is learning how to cut in by eye using a paintbrush correctly. the this old house site has a few good tutorials on how to do this. Watch them, and then practice, and take your time.

-always keep a wet edge. Don't cut in around the entire room, and then roll on the bulk of the walls, you'll see the edge. Cut in the top and bottom and roll out the wall, then move on--this works best with two people, by the way, one cutter, one roller. Also, don't slop the paint on when you're cutting in, because the texture difference is also noticeable. Brush out and feather out the edges when you cut in, and there won't be a ridge.

-keep a clean damp rag in your free hand, so when you accidentally swipe the ceiling or window trim or whatever, you can just wipe it off, and no one is the wiser.

-Dip the brush into the paint no more than an inch, and wipe both sides. Roll the roller into the paint, and then roll off on the ridged part of the paint tray a few times. Always roll onto the wall in a "w" or a "M" shape, and then roll over that shape a few more times also in "W" or "M", then straight up and down.
posted by kumquatmay at 10:31 AM on October 24, 2008

Ok-

I did the testing and the sprayer worked great for the bookcases and bedframe, I didn't even try it in the bedroom as the overspray was horrific.

In the bathroom bedroom area I tested a wall using all the techniques and suggestions. For my reach/tension/pressure/habits, it turned out a power roller with a 3/4 roller worked best for me after edging with a pad and feathering it out with a brush before rolling. The 3/4 roller helpes with these orange peel textured walls and I don't even think I'll need a second coat.

I did not get tinted primer as the wife already overbought on the tinted paint and the walls were white and recently done(the house is only 2 years old)


For the record, I was definitely going too fast. Also, I think I was either using too much paint, or just not being consistent with the paint tray. The power roller(with a few adjustments) matched my speed and gave me a nice consistency throughout. Good luck to anyone else who needs to do this.

I'm a DIY guy and I do lots of different projects but - given the time and effort involved in this type of project... if you don't enjoy painting - hire someone else to do it!!!!!!
posted by emjay at 7:15 PM on October 25, 2008