Exterior Painting Step 7: Spray Painting the House

[@paulveit3162]

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

[@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.

[@Chiclette-ld1xx]

Thanks for your step by step instructions! Excellent.

[@williamwesolowski5191]

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

[@cinricpainters6468]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@garrettgiuffre7298]

That red really looks good on that house

[@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

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@howtopaintahouse]

Thanks! Glad you like the videos.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@crestonpainter2016]

Great Video!!

[@billhanson827]

Great instructor!!!

[@mickeysanker1547]

Great video.

[@oslandosasvin7198]

Thank you for your help friend. Is cool

[@MsJavaJan]

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

[@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

[@TheJackMac909]

Great video and greater tips

[@ANGELliveify]

Flicka da riss! Love your videos. Really helped.

[@howtopaintahouse]

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

[@CarlosEscobar-oq3pm]

howtopaintahouse what tip you use

[@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]

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).

[@chordarrow1]

Thank you for all of your tips.

[@TheSpectick]

great video. thank you

[@realdealnealdks5275]

This guy's great!

[@8019Melissa]

Very good video... thx.

[@jayjohnson5618]

loved your video, thanks

[@fernandosandov]

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

[@Trianavalle]

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

[@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.

[@percyenriquesanchezvigo6599]

Good job

[@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.

[@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!

[@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).

[@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!

[@timcordell3526]

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

[@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.

[@saini3335]

Good efforts man

[@NorthwestPaintingIncWoodland]

Nice video

[@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?

[@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!

[@howtopaintahouse]

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

[@isaachinksman8130]

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

[@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

[@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 :)

[@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.

[@jlsjcb]

5:32 Wunderbar!

[@mitchervin522]

Looks good.. what tip and pressure did you use

[@petmycat2720]

NICE...

[@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?

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@cookingwithtera6308]

A plus

[@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

[@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.

[@SkunkHound0027]

Great vid! y u no put up end result?

[@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!

[@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... :(

[@jihadkassem2341]

thank you help me a lot

[@chrisverrico439]

I see other vids of guys just spraying do u always have to brush in the spray paint

[@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

[@goosecouple]

I am planning to paint my shed with acrylic latex paint. What spray tip size should be used? I now have the 515. Will it work?

[@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.

[@paullynch1938]

What do you prefer mate, spraying or rollering, thanks

[@TheMAhandyman]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@flexor212000]

Thanks. I do have a question. On my house I have a lot of vertical pieces of wood on the exterior. It's for looks but they are spaced at pretty much every stud point. They are like 1in by 1 in. So when I spray should I paint vertically or horizontally since I don't have a flat siding surface. It looks kinda like the top half on the house you are painting here. I'm just wondering what would work best for these pieces since the existing paint didn't stick from previous painters. 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.

[@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!

[@s39058]

use a shield to paint it the sofet and guders faster

[@obodude71]

what about aluminum siding? is the process pretty much the same?

[@CarlosEscobar-oq3pm]

Flat paint or satin

[@jenjen7594]

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

[@dimass7221]

Not too bad!!

[@jtltet]

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

[@gussier-topic9257]

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

[@ismaelmxli]

Hello, can you tell me how you solve the problem of paint flying, lest he fall on cars or neighbors' houses? Thank you.

[@adoubtr2590]

+Mijo Hemosho only paint outside in nice weather with a totally calm day. Good video, John. Only thing I would do differently is at the ends of your horizontal sweeps. I would release the trigger, prior to changing direction and then squeeze again as I begin in the opposite direction, drastically reducing over spray at the ends of the sweeps.--just my way

[@ismaelmxli]

+Harry Rawrabin thank you.....

[@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!

[@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.

[@arslanshono]

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

[@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....

[@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 :(

[@heidigilbreath847]

What kind of spray painter do you have?

[@EminySanz]

Do you have to thin the paint before putting it on the gun?

[@Yannis2022]

I was told to top coat the house twice after the primer. Would you remove the masking and remask in between?

[@howtopaintahouse]

You only need to do two coats if you are not getting complete coverage with one coat. Two coats is purely for aesthetic reasons, in my opinion. But if two coats are required for full coverage, then I would do the second coat one day after the first coat, and no, I would not remove the masking.

[@Yannis2022]

Thanks! Is there any climate in which you would recommend a second coat other than for mentioned aesthetic reasons? The house is located in mid Sweden with temperatures between -15 and +30 degrees celcius.

[@howtopaintahouse]

I can't say a second coat ever hurts, but I can't really say it helps either. Paint problems usually come from the "inside," meaning moisture is trying to escape through the paint and causes it to peel. However, areas that receive extreme weather of sun exposure may benefit from a second coat. I always prime window sills on the sunny side of a house regardless of whether they are peeling, and usually give them two coats just to provide more protection. You might look online and see if anybody has done a study on this one coat vs. two coat issue. I know it gets debated a lot.

[@Lilnewtynewt]

Cool vid. Which paint sprayer do you use?

[@howtopaintahouse]

I like Graco and Titan sprayers. If you visit my website and click on "Painting Store" it will take you to a page where I link to a couple different sprayers I like. Good luck!

[@Lilnewtynewt]

Thanks a bunch!