Looking for info on home paint sprayers

Has anyone used a home paint sprayer for your chalk paint projects. I would love to get one and would love to hear your input on the different types available and how they performed.
  7 answers
  • Margaret Margaret on May 26, 2015
    I would love to know the answer to this as well I have a picket fence to paint
  • Carol Carol on May 27, 2015
    I would like to hear opinions on this as well!
  • Alecia Hartman Alecia Hartman on May 27, 2015
    I just ordered one for a few projects but have never used one before. I would like to hear what people have to say also ☺️
  • Debi53 Debi53 on May 27, 2015
    I have an Earlex 5500 HVLP sprayer. In the past I have purchased/used most of the typical sprayers found at Lowe's or Home Depot & found them all to be subpar.They all sprayed globs onto my projects & had to be refilled constantly. I have done a lot of pain/stain projects for my house (cabinetry, furniture, outdoor deck, picture frames, & more) so the $300 price tag for the Earlex was worth it to me & gives a beautiful finished product every time. It also makes the painting effortless & fast. If you are going to do a lot of projects in the future, skip the cheap sprayers and invest one time in a good HVLP sprayer. Mine will do chalk paint with a 1.5 mm needle. I assume other sprayers will work for chalk paint also, just be sure to thin the chalk paint down to your product's specifications. My husband built me a large turn table (30X30") from 2 pieces of plywood & a heavy duty lazy susan. This was the best: I can turn the project instead of walking around. If the piece is too large for my lazy susan, I just put a larger piece of wood on top of the lazy susan. This was easy to build & makes painting so much easier. Hope this helps.
    • See 1 previous
    • Debi53 Debi53 on Jun 02, 2015
      @Alecia Hartman My sprayer has a dial that gives a narrow spray pattern. But, I still use plastic drop cloths taped to the walls with blue tape.In the bathroom, just let the drop cloths drape over the sink, toilet, etc. It takes a LOT of blue tape to keep the drop cloths up on the wall, but it's worth the little bit of effort. I also use a fabric drop cloth on the floor. If you are spraying right next to a cabinet or wall, just use wide blue tape to tape off the edge so spray doesn't get under the plastic. A little protection only takes a few dollars & a little time which is way easier than cleaning up paint over-spray & the drop cloths & tape are cheap & can be tossed when you are through. I do keep my fabric drop cloth & reuse it. On a different note: really follow the directions for thinning your stain or paint & use the correct needle. Also, thoroughly clean your machine as soon as you finish each day. Mine is easy to clean & assemble, but if you let the paint dry in the parts, it will be ruined. Hope this helps.
  • Poppies Paint Powder Poppies Paint Powder on May 27, 2015
    Thanks so much @debi53 . Excellent info.
  • Google "Homeright sprayer with chalk paint"... I've forgotten the bloggers who have used this with great success using homemade chalk paint as well as name brands. :)))
  • Margaret Margaret on Jun 01, 2015
    Thanks Debi53 Great review and advice. We are putting up an unpainted picket fence. Lots to paint!!!! We had a paint sprayer many years ago. I hated to use it because it was hard to clean.
    • Debi53 Debi53 on Jun 02, 2015
      @Margaret I just stained my new deck with the sprayer. Our deck is far from our house, so long, long outdoor extension chord to power the base of the sprayer unit, but the sprayer made the job so easy. As far as cleaning goes, everything comes apart & I just rinse it in the sink & then put all the pieces in warm soapy water--quick wash & rinse. I let everything air dry & put it back together for the next use. Once you get familiar with it, I have found the clean up & reassembly super easy. I have only used latex products so far so haven't had to use mineral spirits to clean.