So, you’re looking to redecorate your home and save both time and money? Well luckily for you, there’s an alternative to the traditional brush and roller methods and it’s still cheaper than hiring a professional decorator or contractor.
If you’re looking to decorate a large portion of your home (rather than just a room), then a paint sprayer could be the answer. Paint sprayers have come down in price significantly in the last 5 years and are now a booming industry for professionals and also homeowners looking to decorate themselves.
Also Read: 5 Essential Interior Painting Tips
So… what is paint sprayer?
Paint sprayers come in a range of shapes, sizes, and technologies, but they all serve the same purpose – they spray paint.
Now if you’ve never seen or heard of a paint sprayer before, many of you are probably picturing a car being sprayed with long hoses, compressors, and special suits.
That couldn’t be further from the reality! Whilst car spraying is probably the only time most people will generally see paint being sprayed, you’d be amazed at just how many different options there are for paint spraying your home. And don’t worry, there are no big noisy compressors and it’s extremely affordable.
Also Read: 9 Things to consider before painting a room
What type of paint sprayer do I need?
The type of paint sprayer you need will vary on the type and amount of work you have to do. If you’re looking to decorate an entire house then we’d recommend you look at buying a semi-decent airless paint sprayer. Airless paint sprayers are extremely fast, efficient and easy to use and are built for the sole purpose of spraying large surface areas with emulsion type paint.
They come in many shapes and sizes, big and small, pro & DIY so it’s all about you finding the right size for the job at hand that fits within your budget.
There are many great airless paint sprayers out there, but one that comes highly recommended for homeowners looking to decorate more than just one room is the Graco Magnum X7 (read the full review on PaintSprayerGuide). The Graco X7 is an extremely popular paint sprayer and is built to a high standard, meaning it won’t break down half way through the job like cheaper unbranded models.
On the flipside, if you do just have room to spray or a small project, then a smaller handheld machine will probably suffice. If this is more what you’re looking for, take a look at the Wagner Flexio 590, a great little handheld machine that can put in the garage after use and won’t take up any space (not to mention it’s much cheaper than the Graco X7).
How much should I be spending on a paint sprayer?
Well, as all things that depend on your budget for the redecorating you’ve allocated and the amount of work you need to do, both now in the future.
Realistically, the ideal budget for a paint sprayer that will last a few years and won’t cause you constant headaches is between $200-$500.
We can’t stress enough the importance of buying a reputable brand such as Graco, Wagner, Fuji .etc. It’s no different to any other electronics, if you buy a cheap knockoff on eBay then you’ll rarely be satisfied with the result.
The best way to rationally think about this initial cost, is how much would a professional charge you to do the work? $500? $1000? $2000? Contractors aren’t cheap and doing it yourself will nearly always be the cheaper alternative. If you save $2000 on a contractor and spend $500 of it on a quality paint sprayer then you’re still saving $1500 which is huge.
Sure you could do it with a brush and roller, but then you have to consider the time it takes. Are you taking 1-2 weeks off work to do the work to do it? What’s the cost of that worth to you?
Paint spraying can be between 5x to 10x faster than using a brush or roller, so what would normally take a whole week of rolling, could be done in as little as a day with the right paint sprayer.
Also Read: Paint your home without spending it all
Is a paint sprayer really worth the investment?
Only you know the answer to that question. Here are a few things for you to consider before making up your mind:
- How much work do you have to do?
- Is there more work that it could be used for in the future (painting the garage, the house exterior, garden fences)?
- How much do you value your time?
- What was the cost of the work quoted at by a professional?
- Is $200-$500 worth it to save you an extra week or two of work?
All of these questions need to be taken into consideration, but the answer is normally ‘Yes I need a paint sprayer’. Given the time it can save and the fact it can be re-used for multiple jobs and multiple home improvement projects, it’s very handy to have such a great, time-saving tool sat in the garage for when you need it.