Wagner Airless Sprayer

[Strungout]

Hi,

I have an old (Large) Weather Board Federation house and I have been told that it needs to be re-painted on the outside :C.

I was going to get some quotes and I know that I am looking at big $$$$$.00 I was down at bunnings the other day and noticed that they have a Wagner Airless Paint system for about $700.00

http://melspray.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=267

Has anybody used these or has had any good or bad experiance with them before I blow $700.00

Thanks

Greg

[insp. clouseau]

If your thinking of spraying your house externally, then I suggest that you rethink about it...... not a good idea.

[Metung]

I brought one of these to do the inside of the house and, except for the occassional blockage probably due to incorrect paint consistency, it was absolutely fantastic. I was putting on 50-60 litres of paint a day and it was easy. It was a new house, so after masking the windows it was simply a matter of spraying it on. I was also very happy with the final result, although I think you need to put the final coat on the walls with a roller.

Having said that, I tend to agree with the Inspector with regard to using it externally. I didn't even bothered trying it on the outside because I couldn't imagine anything being much better than those Little Gem rollers. I suspect in your case that the painting is going to be the easy bit. I would be concentrating on looking at the easiest and best way to do the preparation because I suspect that is where most of the work will be. Unfortunately I can't offer any advice on that topic other than to say that perserverance will win in the end.:2tsup:

[Strungout]

Thanks very much for your replies.Just curious why you would not suggest using it for the outside.

Is is because of the overspray or because of the equipment ?

Regards

Greg

[Bloss]

As has been said I reckon the main issue is in the preparation not the application. Spray paint leaves a thinner coating than brush or roller, but is also easier to apply another coat.

With all painting, internal and external and especially painted external timber finishes, preparation is everything - anyone can whack a coat on with a brush, roller or spraygun, but how long it sticks depends totally on how much time and effort is put into good prep.

Prep time allowed is also often the difference between quotes - and since it is pretty much all labor you can do this yourself anyway and know what sort of job has been done.

There are plenty of good details sanders, wire brushes and other tools that help get a good base to prime and then final coat. Not sure who is telling you it needs re-painting, but you can check yourself.

If the surface is solid and intact (ie has no peeling or flaking or bare timber showing through) then good wash down and clean might be enough and you could just coat with a good quality acrylic exterior paint. This is so if is just powdery for example.

If it is not solid and comes off if scraped with a scraper or other metal instrument then you need to use mechanical means to get a solid base - this might result in a patchy look with some bare timber, primer or undercoat showing, but that is fine so long as it is back to a solid base.

Once that is done you need to use a primer/undercoat and maybe spot prime then undercoat depending on the condition of the boards after cleaning back to a solid base. Then apply using whatever tool you prefer - I reckon a shaped roller or brush is best as the paint can be worked up into the laps and joins of the weather boards. Spray painting needs practice to get the technique right and the gun cost more (they can be hired), but that's really your choice.

Depending how the earlier coats were prepped and applied there might be an issue with lead-based primers and/or paints on the lower layers so worth getting a lead-tester kit from Bunnings or others stores. In any case you should wear suitable masks and protective gear when sanding back the boards - lead especially should not contact any skin or be breathed in, but I would be wary of pigment dust too.

[Metung]

I suppose the overspray is always a concern, depending on your location, and don't believe the pictures on the packaging that suggest the only place the paint ends up is on the object being painted. I can't believe those pictures. The sprayer might be a possibility when working at ground level but once your on a ladder I reckon it would be too hard/dangerous to maintain the correct gun alignment. Steps and a plank might be a bit easier but I would be still worried about falling off. I'm not too good at multitasking so I couldn't concentrate on the spraying and staying on the plank at the same time. I discovered this when painting the internal ceilings from a plank supported by a couple of 20 liter paint tins.

And as Oldbloss says, you get a better coating with a roller. I thoroughly recommend those Little Gem rollers. They are about a 100mm long X 25mm dia roller made from a long nap Terri-toweling like material. I can't imagine a sprayer being much quicker or easier than these things. I've put 3 coats on a 40 square, 2 storey house without any trouble. Admittedly, I put 2 coats on before the boards and shingles went up.

[Strungout]

Thanks for all you input.

The old place is not too bad as we sanded it all back about 10 years ago and then re painted it in Weather shield.It probably needs a good washdown and a paint.


Looks like I save myself $700.00 now(Less the Little Gem Rolloers).

Cheers

Greg