Exterior Painting Step 7: Spray Painting the House

Venmo @John-Burbidge-3 to buy me a beer for making these free videos. Thx! :) John Burbidge, author of the book "Watching Paint Dry," shows how to spray paint
the exterior of your house and get pro results. Visit www.howtopainta... to view a complete series of videos on interior and exterior house painting!

[@zeebra2012]

I have a tip for you, try spraying the siding first then a few days later , mask the siding and spray the overhangs.The siding paint will be cured enough for the tape.

[@stevelinwood8362]

John, you're good!! I,m a Painter of 34yrs, I do 4story building's exteriors, mostly trim,cornice, bays, fire escape. City Building's. Enjoy watching, never to old to learn!!!

[@MrBrammelam]

I really enjoy watching your videos. It's very clear you are an experienced painter, with all the small tips you just throw in here and there. I'm not even planning to paint my house, I just like to watch the stream of information from your projects.

[@hawkwind769]

Hey buddy, fellow painter here. Seventeen years at this mayhem!! Subscribed to ya, been thinking of making some of these vids. It's good to share all the little tricks with each other, saves us time and money to learn some new.

[@mightymacthe2nd487]

great videos John, ur tutorials were d first thing I watched when I bought an airless and a few months later I'm spraying like pro. keep up d good work.

[@k9midas1]

If you're painting like this doofus, you're not painting like a pro.

[@paulveit3162]

Best explanation on airless sprayers, setup and cleanup I've seen.

[@flexor212000]

I'm getting ready to paint the exterior of my house and new to spraying. I'm getting excited to do it and really want to thank you for the great tips and explanation in the video. Thanks again!

[@williamwesolowski5191]

After further watching of other painting videos and tips, l have to Say this is The Best one of All !! Thanks Again !!!

[@kansasandrew]

hadn't seen any of your videos and found you to be very good at explaining the process... I'll be painting a house for the 1st time and am a little more confident now

[@cinricpainters6468]

You have lots of great pro tips here. Thanks for taking the time to make this available

[@geezerdombroadcast]

Outstanding work real artisan, professional good sense of humor, good video. Hard working guy. Proud of you. I should be so industrious. I think I need a nap after watching all this work.

[@kenmcf]

Great video...you idea of brushing out the fascia to avoid getting paint on the shingles...solved something I was thinking about...I will brush the top near the tiles...and spray underneath...excellent idea. Before I was going to tape all under the shingles believe it or not....first time spraying my home. No experience!

[@Chiclette-ld1xx]

Thanks for your step by step instructions! Excellent.

[@howtopaintahouse]

You're welcome, and good luck with your paint job. You'll enjoy spraying. Make sure everything is 100 percent masked off and covered up to protect it from overspray, and then you can just focus on your spray technique. It's fun and a heck of a lot easier on your body than brushing and rolling a house.

[@garrettgiuffre7298]

That red really looks good on that house

[@howtopaintahouse]

Hi Cyril, For your job (especially the barn!) it sounds like a paint sprayer would be a great investment. There are good homeowner-grade spayers available these days for $400 U.S. or about that. As for the cars, I suggest you move them far away when spraying. Believe me, I've dusted more than one car (including a couple of my own). It's always best to just get them far away and make sure the wind is not blowing toward them. Good luck with the paint job!

[@renostubbs8504]

This is a solid spraying video with excellent tops...thanks again mate! You are good at what you do. I will get there with some practice

[@djdominorgv]

Great job on painting the electric meter.

[@Filip_R]

Not certain about the points made but ,if anyone else needs to find out about prevent cat spraying try Kiamiin Meow Genie (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my cousin got cool results with it.

[@RWWRENTAL]

whats so bad about painting electric meter? (besides the glass obviously lol) im a DIY so trying to get as much knowledge as i can

[@andrewpaintball246]

I paint professionally for a living and we always paint in the meter boxes. As long as you mask off the glass so they can still read the meter you can paint it whatever color you feel like. At least that's the law where I'm from. Gas meters on the other hand we do not paint at all that is against the law here where I'm from.

[@nemo1716]

@@andrewpaintball246 Yeah same here

[@howtopaintahouse]

Thanks for the tip! I've done that before in some situations. In general I recommend working from the top down in most painting situations, but you are correct that there are a lot of different ways to go about it. Thanks for commenting.

[@jaykay8541]

Very informative video John. However, i've seen so many "how to spray" videos on youtube but nobody seems to utilize a spray pole w a swivel adapter... makes the job much easier. Graco sells various lengths; may be a little pricey for the dyi guy but for pros posting videos, i'd like to see more of them (4 or 6 ft poles).

[@back2fla]

Thank you very much loved the way that you explained everything. I am still learning English everyday but your accurate pronuciation made easy for me to understand. Keep posting more and thank you very much for sharing. Sincerely Carlos from Puerto Rico

[@randylayton9678]

Seek the Lord while he may be found. Hey man a tip for you hold a cardboard shield under the last piece of siding to shield the foundation, but rolling it works too!

[@howtopaintahouse]

I've used Graco and Titan sprayers with good results. They both make homeowner-grade airless sprayers that should work fine if you're only using it occasionally. They cost $300-$400, whereas the cheapest professional-grade sprayer will cost you $800-$1,000. Inexpensive little handheld sprayers ($100) don't cut it for a big job. Just make sure you watch my video on how to clean a paint sprayer and prepare it for long-term storage. Good luck with that natural wood! It will look great.

[@cooper8318]

Thank you for your videos! I followed your advice my house turned out great! again thank you!

[@howtopaintahouse]

cooper8318 Glad to hear the house turned out great. Thanks!

[@howtopaintahouse]

Thanks! Glad you like the videos.

[@oslandosasvin7198]

Thank you for your help friend. Is cool

[@hugot12]

make a video on the use of spray shields and how to use the right spray pattern to avoid blowing paint beyond the edge of a shield up onto the eves if they are a different color Like moving the shield alot and mainly using the center of the shield to guard against blowby as I described above. Also shielding the factory painted gutters with a spray shield I,ve done it for 42 years spraying most anything as a painting contractor people need to see just how much you can spray without all this extensive masking of almost everything if you learn how to use a shield properly

[@chordarrow1]

Thank you for all of your tips.

[@ANGELliveify]

Flicka da riss! Love your videos. Really helped.

[@howtopaintahouse]

I used 12 or 13 gallons on the siding and trim, and 3 gallons of deck stain (the house had front and back decks). I estimate paint by doing a rough measure of the square footage on a house, then dividing by 275 (that's how many sq. ft. I figure per gallon on average).

[@fernandosandov]

Hello, great video; you're professional in ur work. I have a question; it's necessary pass the roll after ur sprayed? Thanks

[@MsJavaJan]

Very helpful teaching video! This teacher gives you an A+ ! :)

[@BryanAlff1]

Thanks! I'll give it a whirl. It sounds like my left arm is about to get a workout as I scrub with a wire brush.

[@timcordell3526]

awesome! I make all my guys watch this video before they jump on the business end of s sprayer! thanks dude!

[@mickeysanker1547]

Great video.

[@howtopaintahouse]

Hi--I'm not sure how much square footage one person can roll in an hour with a 9 inch roller, but I'd say quite a bit if you keep moving along. In some instances an 18 inch roller is a big help, but it's heavy and more difficult to handle for homeowners, in my opinion. As for releasing the trigger at the top and bottom of the vertical strokes, that is a good idea to prevent sags, although if you're backrolling it shouldn't matter too much. Good comment, though--thanks.

[@saburius]

On the soffits your pressure was way too high and your tip is either blown or too big. On the body, you have lat marks which means your pressure is too low or your tip is blown. I know this was a very long time ago and you are probably a wizard by now.

[@howtopaintahouse]

First, ask at the paint store and see what they recommend. Second, try performing the Fingernail Scratch Test (see that video). Brush paint on a small sample section of the aluminum siding, let it dry one or two days, then see if you can scratch it off (easily) with your fingernail. If it peels away easily, it is not adhering properly, and you'll need to prime with an oil-based primer. If it is adhering, then you might not need to prime. Again, ask at the paint store and see what they recommend.

[@TheSpectick]

great video. thank you

[@howtopaintahouse]

Hi--No, you don't always have to back-brush or back-roll the paint. As I note in the video, you only need to do that on porous surfaces such as natural wood with deep grain, or stucco, etc. However, for non-porous surfaces, such as Hardiplank cement composite siding (very common these days) or engineered wood or even smooth clapboard wood siding, you do not need to back-brush or back-roll. I suggest you ask at your local paint store about your specific siding. Bring a photo with you. Good luck!

[@crestonpainter2016]

Great Video!!

[@MrOnewallatatime]

*Point of Spray* You have to back roll any porous surface that you spray. You're finishing off the paint. If you think its faster repeatedly dipping your roller into a bucket for paint... rather than applying the paint with a gun directly where its needed I'd like to see it.

[@ReisigSeeds]

I'm not gonna lie. I LOLed when you explained that the wrist flick doesn't need to be so much as to "paint the neighbor's car." (And, I have to wonder, did you learn this the hard way?)

[@billhanson827]

Great instructor!!!

[@howtopaintahouse]

You bet, glad I could help. Good luck with your paint job.

[@CarlosEscobar-oq3pm]

howtopaintahouse what tip you use

[@Trianavalle]

Thanks a lot man, I appreciated your information!!!

[@howtopaintahouse]

Hi. No special paint is required for spraying--you definitely want to use exterior paint for your job, though, not interior wall paint. Visit your local paint store and they will recommend the best paint for your job. If you are buying a lot, ask them for the "contractor's discount" and they will probably give you a break on the price. I agree spraying is a good way to go--especially if you are painting a barn. Good luck with it!

[@m.n.3490]

I have a two story house, with a full attic that has one peak about 23 feet tall. I have seen the Hyde 12 foot sprayer extension, but was wondering if there are there longer sprayer extensions, or, is there another way to paint that high without getting up on ladders, or scaffolds? Looking for ideas from a pro like you

[@howtopaintahouse]

It sounds like you're talking about "board and batten" siding, which I would paint vertically, the same direction as the sticks (aka the battens). And you are correct that this is the same siding as the upper half of the high PEAKED sides of the house in my videos...watch again and see. You are also welcome to go to my Facebook page and post a photo--that helps me better answer questions like this.

[@TheJackMac909]

Great video and greater tips

[@YuliethJB]

howtopaintahouse Hey John, I have a question. If I want to paint brick walls ( exterior ) of a house, the brick color is red, do I need to Prime? If so, how much prime you think you would need to paint an area around 1600Sqft? Thanks a lot and I loved watching your videos. You are very knowledgable and a good teacher, It has been easy to understand your videos.

[@jayjohnson5618]

loved your video, thanks

[@howtopaintahouse]

One additional trick is to rub some dirt on the spot after cleaning (this also works on asphalt shingles).

[@cookingwithtera6308]

A plus

[@BryanAlff1]

Great video. The tips you give are amazing. I was wondering, my feet seem to have a mind of their own. In fact when it comes to masking a foundation, they always seem to find a way to separate the tape from the concrete. What is a good way to clean overspray if it happens to land on the concrete foundation?

[@krisward7720]

I can say I sprayed a house 16 years ago and paint was just average quality still looks good today so kinda destroy theoryvthat spray jobs dont work.

[@jmhsmith9452]

Just had my home resided and painted and they did a horrible job painting it. Wish you could have painted my house. I'm going to send them your KZbin videos.

[@percyenriquesanchezvigo6599]

Good job

[@8019Melissa]

Very good video... thx.

[@howtopaintahouse]

Yes, I think a 515 tip should work just fine for painting a shed with latex. Good luck!

[@cplcaubo]

Hi John ! Thanks for the great video ! You sure make it look easy. My wife and I bought an old farm here in Norway some while ago, and with the spring upcoming we want to paint the whole house and barn. Both big objects. Is the paintsprayer a good investment? If we spray the house, is it safe to leave the cars parked on the inner parking lot, or will they be covered by spray dust? Keep up the great videos ! Thanks ! Cyril from Norway :)

[@cdurkinz]

Hey man I love your videos. I'm a painter and I usually do interiors but I just got a big exterior job and you're videos are really helping me with the prep work. I have to ask though, is that ok to spray the electric meter box like you do at 6:35? I see you have the meter window taped over but I want to make sure that's still ok?

[@TheMAhandyman]

Don't you find that changing directions in the middle of hardie plank siding leaves visible lap marks that are unsightly?

[@howtopaintahouse]

Sorry, I haven't made "Watching Paint Dry" into an audio book yet, but maybe I should? I'll think about it. Thanks for commenting! (I've heard this from a couple of other people too.)

[@saini3335]

Good efforts man

[@equinox747]

hi, recently bought a Wagner paint crew airless sprayer, had to thin paint down to 'water' before it would work :( you get what you pay for, just haven'y got the funds for a TITAN :(

[@AdedigbaDele-rf8jl]

I am a professional house painter interior and exterior painting work am also professional paint producer and general painting work such as scridding paint satin paint emulsion paint gloss paint texcote paint flex paint enamel paint varnish polished paint car painting Etc

[@NorthwestPaintingIncWoodland]

Nice video

[@jimsilliman]

Great video - what sprayer would you recommend? I am stripping the vinyl off my 1965 house, leaving the natural wood underneath. It's a two story house, but would like to attempt to paint it myself. Thanks.

[@bradleystacoma]

5:32 Wunderbar!

[@justinmoore2616]

I'm not sure if you noticed but you got a little paint on the meter.

[@isaachinksman8130]

i like the sound of your sprayer. what model is it?

[@MBSK-xw4ff]

💦반갑습니다,수고하십니다,항상건겅하시고 복받으시길바랍니다,,,Elastic coating (탄성코트)work on veranda wall..............

[@brycematheson712]

Hey, great video. Thanks so much. Quick question -- for vinyl siding, does it need to be primed first? Or can you just get straight to painting? Currently my house is a light yellow and I'd like to paint it something darker.

[@petmycat2720]

NICE...

[@hoplite101able]

Great stuff John thank you also, i am half way through reading that excellent book of yours mate I absolutely love it been in the trade my self basically I am you but wanted to get into politics as opposed to writing.. LOL

[@howtopaintahouse]

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying the book.

[@42fontenator]

Great vids! As I will need all the help I can get when I paint my house. What size tip do you recommend for an airless sprayer with acrylic (latex)?

[@howtopaintahouse]

I'd say a 515 size tip would work well. That's a pretty standard size for exterior latex painting. Some people use 517 if they have large areas of siding to spray, or 513 if some smaller detail work is required, but 515 is a good all-around choice for DIY painters.

[@42fontenator]

Okay, great. I appreciate it!

[@howtopaintahouse]

Thanks for the tip. I just watched the video they have on their website. Interesting! Seems like a viable solution to a longstanding problem for pros. I'm not sure if DIY painters would want to invest in something like that, or just brush the fascia as I do in the video (which is pretty quick). I could not find the price of Snapshield on their website so I'm not sure what it costs. Pretty cool product, though. Something contractors will definitely be interested in checking out.

[@JennAFOne]

Does it really save you any time? I'm wondering because you had to tape off all the windows etc. I would think a brush would be easier. Or... Does it just create a better paint finish in the end, than using a brush?

[@janeris]

we will be painting the exterior. if we have never used the sprayer, should we stick to brushes & rollers, or should we give this a try?

[@juanito3821]

Stick to brushes and rollers. Spraying is for the pros

[@howtopaintahouse]

Great question. It can be hard to clean paint off a foundation. Try spraying it with water and using a wire brush or abrasive scrub pad (don't mar the concrete, though). If that doesn't work I've had good luck with a product called De-Solv-it Contractor's Solvent (product #B001P5D5S8 on Amazon). It cleaned paint off my garage floor well (using a wire brush). Final option would be to buy a concrete-colored paint or concrete stain and paint the foundation to cover up the overspray. Good luck!

[@jihadkassem2341]

thank you help me a lot

[@s39058]

use a shield to paint it the sofet and guders faster

[@CarlosEscobar-oq3pm]

Flat paint or satin

[@chrisverrico439]

thank u for answering i actually own a paint comp but we do everything by roller and brush and i want to start incorp spraying but my bussiness partner is old school and says not to because of over spray and its not as good as a brush? ha i dunno

[@dimass7221]

Not too bad!!

[@JDpowerpower]

thanks!

[@cplcaubo]

Thanks ! My wife was not ompletely convinced, but I think it will be hugely time saving to spraypaint the house and barn. Is there any special requirement to the paint? Is it special spray paint? Or just, ready out of the box wall paint? Appreciate your swift feedback and I really enjoy your videos ! Wunderbar ! I would like to order your book, but this is not available in Norway... :(

[@jenjen7594]

How would you make sure that the spray is getting into the grooves of T 1-11 siding evenly?

[@gussier-topic9257]

why would you use the roller? whats the point of the spray

[@arslanshono]

Did he prime all the siding? If not, why not?

[@ingridhsia2537]

Hi John, we are having our house painted. It has wood siding on the front and stucco the rest of the house. We got one quote where the painter said he will spray/back roll followed by a second spray. Another quote said spray followed by back roll only. Which one is the better approach? Thanks.

[@howtopaintahouse]

That's a good question! If you don't get good coverage on the first coat after spray and backroll, I suppose a second spray could help with aesthetics. I don't think there's any harm doing it that way. I would choose the painter that you find most trustworthy and comfortable with. Also, if possible, stop by your local paint store and talk to the manager and ask him or her what they think--not only of the different techniques, but also of the different painters, because most paint store managers always have a good idea of which contractors are doing quality work and which ones aren't. Good luck!

[@davimalone]

Did you cut in all that LP siding where it meets the soffet? I would have just masked all that off the next day after you sprayed the gutters and soffet.

[@howtopaintahouse]

The soffits could be masked rather than cut against, but I don't like to do that. First of all I've always found that tape doesn't stick well to recently painted surfaces, which in this case would be the soffit...it sometimes falls off and that's a pain. And second I do not like to mask above my head like that--after awhile it makes my back and neck ache. I think it's just easier to cut it in with a brush rather than mask the soffit. However, I do know painters who do it your way so it's certainly an option people can consider. Thanks.

[@johnwalker7621]

i was a painter for 30 yrs if you back roll there is no need to spray do all that tape extra expence rent airless sprayerlike he used 75.00 day

[@surfer-te4lr]

Always learn alot John watching your how-to videos like this one. Thanks for sharing. Question John......Titan or Graco?

[@howtopaintahouse]

surfer2151 You really can't go wrong with either one. On my website I have links to a variety of Graco models, check these out. www.howtopaintahouseright.com/how-to-use-a-paint-sprayer

[@surfer-te4lr]

howtopaintahouse Thanks for the Graco link John. Asking jokingly John...i luv both yours & the 'Idaho Painter's', great tips, learned alot. Being a 'hardcore-homeowner', lol i noticed in both of u guys videos you Both use Titan...even couple of other lesser videos they're using Titan too...i Never see painting pro's vids with them using Graco or is this just a coincidence? i don't see u using ladder stabilizer's too..just wondering....

[@jtltet]

Does it take more, less or the same amount of paint to spray a house compared to brushing or rolling it?

[@LyLysLife2014]

I cant use those four finger triggers, they kill my hand after a day of spraying. I invested in a few contractor 2 graco guns over the years. And now my hand thanks me everyday. By the way nice masking job.

[@howtopaintahouse]

Interesting. I've never used one of those guns, but it sounds like a great idea. Thanks.

[@johnmoses7063]

Hey John! I enjoy all your videos and I am a painter myself. I have been painting a lot of hardi plank lately and I always use a mini roller and back brush. I always have to do 2 coats. Can I get by with 1 coat if I spray it and under what circumstances do you put 2 coats on an exterior job. I know some painters that say you never need 2 coats on exterior unless you change colors. Thanks!

[@howtopaintahouse]

Hi--A mini-roller is a great way to paint hardiplank. I don't bother back brushing it because for some reason I've found back brushing hardiplank creates tiny bubbles in the paint--just rolling it on seems to work better for me. Unfortunately is often does require two coats, depending on what color you are using (if you're going with a gray over the gray hardiplank primer, one coat should be fine, but if you are painting white you're probably going to need two). I agree that two coats is really only for cosmetic purposes if one coat isn't covering. Otherwise one coat should last just as long as two, because paint failure usually comes from within and is not related to one vs. two coats. About your spraying question, yes, it is easier to cover in one coat when spraying because you are not "lifting" the paint back off the surface with a brush or roller, which is what creates streaking or speckling in the first place. Just spraying on a good coat and leaving it alone usually provides good coverage in one coat. You need to keep a close eye on the paint to make sure you are spraying on enough to avoid any light spots, but at the same time you can't be spraying on so much that it runs. This takes practice and you need to keep monitoring and adjusting all day long. On rare occasions I've found that I still can't achieve good one coat coverage, even with a sprayer, but I think the odds are better than with a roller/brush combo. Thanks and good luck on your paint jobs!

[@aliens301]

howtopaintahouse hi,what size the tip you used?

[@howtopaintahouse]

aliens301 For a DIY painter spraying latex paint on an exterior, I think a 515 tip is a good all around choice.

[@paullynch1938]

What do you prefer mate, spraying or rollering, thanks

[@allhartfidelity]

Dude, please get a pole. 3ft and a swivel. Eliminate all them ladder moves and feet motion. It awkward at first but once you get the hang of it you be like... Damn.