Paint Sprayers Or Paint Rollers?

You've got a big painting job ahead of you. Which should you choose: a paint sprayer or a paint roller? The answer is that rollers and sprayers each have their pluses and minuses and it really depends on the type of painting job and your budget.

Paint sprayers are devices that can hold and spray paint to cover large areas fast. These devices are available in a wide variety of types, sizes, and power ranges. They're popular because of the ease with which they can be used.

Another advantage of the paint sprayer over the paint roller or paint brush is the speed with which it can accomplish a paint job. The sprayer can get you good coverage for every nook and cranny of a wall or a piece of furniture whereas paint rollers are no good at all on corners, small spaces, or on furniture. An attempt to push the roller into such spaces will tend to result in scratched surfaces or in blotches and spatters of paint. The sprayer eliminates this issue because its fine mist is designed to edge its way into even those areas of your home that are the most hard to reach.

Smoothest Finish

Paint rollers may not give you the smoothest finish, but a paint sprayer's mist envelopes every surface it hits. That makes the sprayer a handy tool for covering window frames, stairs, and furniture. The sprayer can be used with either paint or stain.

To use the paint sprayer, the user attaches a can of paint to the sprayer device, or fills the tank of a sprayer tank. Once the paint is loaded, you can start spraying. Rollers need to be dipped into paint over and over again. Each time you dip, you run the risk of drips and spills. These little accidents make cleanup a serious chore. In some cases, electric paint sprayers come with a hose that can be attached to large quantities of paint. This is a useful feature for a very big paint job, such as for a gym or an industrial space.

Sprayers come in different sizes so there is a sprayer to fit every painter, no matter whether one is a homeowner, a professional painter, or a contractor. Most paint sprayers fit into one of two categories: air or airless.  

Even Coating

Air sprayers make use of a steady supply of compressed air to force out the paint. The airless paint sprayer makes use of a pump to force the paint through the nozzle. Air paint sprayers are more expensive but give a very even coating of paint in comparison with airless sprayers.

The more basic models of either type of sprayer are most often suited to just one type of paint. A more advanced model is usually suitable for use with many types of stains and paints. A model that is adjustable can be used with paints of various thicknesses. The largest types of paint sprayers are more suited to painting larger spaces while smaller models are good for temporary jobs since they are more portable.

The cost of paint sprayers ranges from between $100 to $3000 or more. You can find sprayers powered by gas, electricity or cordless varieties. There are lightweight handheld sprayers, those large enough to come with an accompanying backpack and portable models that are set on wheels.