How To Do HVLP Painting At Home

How To Do HVLP Painting At Home

Before you begin a project using HVLP painting, you need to know the steps to follow and any precautions you should take. The process is pretty straightforward but should involve caution anytime you use tools and chemicals.

Why Use HVLP Painting?

HVLP painting actually stands for high volume low pressure and is useful for many types of applications. The spray gun requires a lower pressure with the use of higher volume of air. The benefit of this type of application is that more paint reaches the surface with less overspray. This means you use less product and have less air pollution.

HVLP spray painting is used in the automotive industry as well as for architecture and furniture.  It is a popular choice for painting cabinets, and it may also be useful for painting rooms.  However, the painter must prepare the room with plenty of dropcloths and tape to protect surfaces that should not be spray painted.

One popular use of spray painting is for covering textured ceilings. For those who have the old popcorn ceilings or other designs, painting by hand will ruin the texture.  Spray painting allows you to get coverage while not touching the surface.

How to Use the HVLP Spray Paint Technique

  • You will want to open the compressor regulator to at least 90 lbs. per square inch to allow enough air pressure in the gun. Hold the gun to pull the trigger to get the PSI set to 50.  At this point, you will close the valve on the bottom.  You will continue to pull the trigger while opening the valve until you get the PSI to stay at 50.

  • You are ready to test your spray gun by turning the fluid volume control located on the back of the gun.Turn it counterclockwise and shut off the fan control.  Squeeze the trigger and sweep across the surface of your test object.

  • You may need to do several sweeps to get the right volume and movement with the spray gun. You will need to adjust the fan shape of the paint while you are in the middle of sweeping.

  • Use the setting on the back of the spray gun to adjust the volume of fluid being sprayed. You do not want it to be too thin or it won’t cover adequately. Too thick of an application will result in heavy patches on your object.

  • Once you attain the desired coverage on your test piece, you can move on to the actual item that you want to paint. If you are painting a small object such as a patio chair, you can turn the fluid volume to a smaller setting and reduce the pressure.

What to Know About Painting With a Spray Gun

While this type of spray painting sounds easy, it takes a bit of practice to get the right application. It is also important to use the right spray gun. You can purchase a gun that will work with various types of paint, including lacquer and latex.

Make sure you wear a respirator when using the spray gun. Also cover everything regardless of how small of a setting you plan to use. Here are some other tips to help you with spray painting.

  • Use multiple light coats rather than one heavy coat. It is easier to apply a lighter coat and cover up any areas that do not have perfect coverage than to undo an application that is too heavy and uneven. You will need up to 6 coats of spray painting for 2 coats with a brush.

  • Use high quality paint for better coverage. Better paint will hang better and require fewer coats.

  • Sand in between coats to remove any drips.

Consider a Professional Painting Company

If high volume low pressure painting sounds a little more complicated than you want to try but you like the environmental benefits, talk to a professional painting company.  When you hire them to do the work for you, they are responsible for the clean-up. Since they do this process often, they will get the job completed much faster than you can. Plus, it comes with a guarantee that you will be satisfied with the way it looks.

If you are the type of person who likes to do things yourself, you can learn to do HVLP painting with some time and practice. Do not expect to be like the pros overnight and stick to small projects until you gain the experience and confidence to tackle bigger projects.

You might also like to read:
Painting Primer: Planning & Prepping for a DIY Painting Project

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