Airless sprayers are not only used by professionals but also by creative artists and more. These paint sprayers can be used to apply paints or varnish. However, people often get confused, thinking, do I need to thin paint for airless sprayer??
In most cases, thinning paint is unnecessary with large airless sprayers, as no matter what type of paint you use, they already come preprocessed. You can use this paint directly. However, for a small airless sprayer, thinning paint is necessary.
So, this article is for you if you have an airless sprayer and want to know how to thin paint for it and what kind of paint to use.
Contents
What Paint Can You Use With Airless Sprayer?
More and more people are using airless sprayers nowadays. It is becoming increasingly popular due to its ease of use and ability to give perfect paint finishes.
These sprayers are also very accurate when we are talking about precision. But, not all types of paint are suitable for them. Below we will discuss the paint types you can use with an airless sprayer.
Oil-based Paints
Airless sprayers are compatible with oil-based paints and stains mostly. You can use oil-based paints on them without any thinning.
Latex-based Paints
Airless sprayers are also compatible with latex paints and oil-based paint and stain.
Extra Tip on Choosing Compatible Paint:
The preferred paint for use in sprayers must pass through the hose and out the sprayer’s tip uniformly and efficiently without becoming clogged.
However, do keep in mind despite being popular airless sprayers generally waste more paint than regular spray guns.
Do I Need To Thin Paint For Airless Sprayer?
In most cases, thinning paints for airless sprayers is not necessary, especially large ones, as paints for sprayers have already come thinned. However, for small airless sprayers, you will paint thinning is important.
In addition to skill, The results of your spraying will depend on how you thin the paint. Spraying can be done with the greatest care, yet if the paint is unequal or inconsistent, the effects won’t be what you desire.
Now, you might wonder why you should actually thin paint. Well, thinning paint for your airless sprayer has its own benefit.
Prevents Cracking
When you thin paint, it keeps the paint from breaking when it is applied to your walls, especially in metals. As a result, when you will be using airless sprayers to paint with thinning agents will result in extended paint life.
Easier to Control
Thin paints flow more quickly through the sprayer, thus providing more control for the user. So you will be able to produce more precise and accurate works by thinning paint.
Reduce Viscosity
Thinning paints will reduce the viscosity of the paint, which means it reduces the paint’s thickness, tackiness, and stickiness. Thus, after spraying, your paint won’t show any stickiness on the surface.
How Do You Thin Paint For Airless Sprayer?
By now, we already know how useful it is to thin paints while using them with airless sprayers. Thinning paint requires you to follow a few steps, which we will discuss below.
Step 1: Picking out the correct paint
The first step is the most crucial step. Before beginning the thinning process, you have to find the correct paint. Certain varieties of paints are often thick, and some are thin. Oil-based paints typically do not require thinning, whereas latex-based paints must.
So for these, you will need to thin the paint very little. On the other hand, for thicker paints, you will need more thinning for the spray to function correctly.
Step 2: Test Spray
Before adding thinning agents, you should do a test spray on a small area to check the viscosity of your paint. As we said before, many paints do not require you to thin them, and hence you can use them without any thinning.
So, spray some paint and see how it finishes. You must thin your paint if you see that it has a coarse texture and has both high air pressure and minimal fluid pressure.
Step 3: Mixing the thinner
Even though you can use water to thin your latex-based paints, it is best to use paint thinning products. These will provide much better results than water. So, make sure to get an agent that is compatible with your paint.
Now, if your paint is too thick, add thinner. But, if it is thin, you should add a little thinner. Do not just pour all the thinner together; add little by little till you reach your desired result.
Step 4: Finishing Off
After you have reached the right quantity, put the mixture into a small container and shake well. This will ensure your paint and thinner get mixed well.
Once done, you are ready to put this mixture into your airless spray and start painting.
Why Is An Airless Paint Sprayer Used For?
The airless sprayer has a huge array of usages, which are essential in commercial and home usage. Read below to know more.
For Painting a Large Surface Area
When you are painting quite a huge area like a ceiling or wall of your warehouse, an airless paint sprayer comes in pretty handy. Equally thin and thick coatings may be applied thanks to them quickly.
To Reduce Working Time
The airless sprayer is fast compared to old traditional methods of using brushes to paint. So, using an airless sprayer means you can finish the work much faster than other methods.
For Painting areas with structure and angles
It is considerably simpler to paint all the most minor places where paint brushes would struggle since an airless sprayer’s nozzle is very thin and accurate. Moreover, using this sprayer, you can paint at any angle you want to without any struggle.
Read Also: Can You Thin Oil-Based Paint With Gasoline?
Conclusion
Airless sprayers are more beneficial for painting than you even can think. However, before using it for painting, you must know how to use it. The important factor is knowing what type of paint to use and how to thin it properly.
Thus, today in this guide, we discussed everything you need to know about thinning paint for the airless sprayer. Not properly thinning latex paint before using it in a sprayer can mess up your whole painting area.
So, always make sure to follow proper thinning methods for your paint before using it, as this will save you a lot of trouble.