We all want to get things done as efficiently as possible. Exterior painting is no exception. Whether your home is large or small, it takes quite a bit of time and effort to fully cover a home’s exterior with paint. It takes even more effort to do it well. Finding this balance between precision and speed can be difficult. The invention of spray paint took a step in this direction, however. Today, most exterior painters, including All American Painting Plus, are prepared to use both spray and brushing methods. But is one method superior? And how do they differ from one another? Let’s discuss this in more detail, and outline exactly how we paint your home exterior.
Brush vs. Spray – Which is Better?
Both brushing and spraying have their advantages and disadvantages. Different scenarios might call for one method over another. Preference and cost must be considered as well.
It should come as no surprise that brushing takes longer than spraying. House painters must regularly dip their brush into the paint, edge off the excess paint, and carefully apply even coverage to the surface. This method may leave brush marks as well, and two or more coats are typically required to complete the job. On the plus side, brushing gives the painter more control, allowing them to more precisely cover weird angles in a uniform manner.
This means spraying is the quicker option for painting an exterior. In fact, spraying may nullify the need for a second coat entirely. Best of all, you won’t see any brush marks when spraying the paint instead. However, spraying requires careful application as well. If an area receives too much paint, the overall coverage won’t be even. Spraying also uses up more paint than brushing, as small particles may get blown away before reaching the surface.
As far as cost goes, brushing is more expensive in labor but also saves paint resources. Spraying significantly reduces labor costs but wastes more paint and may result in poor coverage if handled poorly. In the long run, both methods may end up costing about the same. The professional painters at All American Painting Plus are prepared to brush or spray your home as needed.
Our Brushing Process
Before we paint anything, we will power wash the surfaces in question to ensure they’re clean, which will help the paint adhere better. If there is loose paint from a previous coat, we’ll scrape it away and sand all the areas that will be painted. We’ll tape over any spots that won’t be painted as well. Then, we apply a coat of primer before applying the paint. Brushing may take longer than spraying, but our team paints efficiently, working at a solid pace while making sure to evenly cover the exterior and avoid brush marks.
Our Spraying Process
If we’re spraying instead, the prep work is largely the same. However, after we power wash, scrape, and sand the surfaces, we’ll do more to cover the non-paintable surfaces. In addition to using tape, we may also use paper and plastic to cover larger areas or objects, including ground surfaces. We do this because when spraying, paint particles can easily end up in areas they don’t belong, especially if there’s a bit of wind outside. Our team will make sure that your exterior is covered evenly and that no paint gets on areas where you don’t want it.
It’s good to have options, and the more your painting services can do for you, the better. At All American Painting Plus, we’ll use whatever tools and knowledge we have at our disposal to paint your home inside and out. In addition to residential painting, we also handle other home improvement projects, including rotted wood replacement, drywall repair, and finish carpentry. To learn more about all that we do, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!
