What are the Types of Paint Sprays

Here are the five types of paint sprays that professionals and DIY use:

1. Aerosol Spray Paint: Aerosol spray paint is a spray can used to paint small areas. It consists of a container, propellant, valve, dip tube, actuator, and pea. A container is a steel or metal bottle that holds the paint, whereas propellant is a hydrocarbon  (butane, isobutane, or propane) within the container that creates pressure. When the actuator (button) is pressed, the spring or stopper-like valve opens to escape the paint. Paint travels through the dip tube and reaches the nozzle in a liquefied form. A pea is a mini ball made up of metal or steel to mix the paint components before use.  It prevents the paint from settling down and maintains the viscosity of the paint. 
2. Airless Spray Paint: Airless spray paint changes the paint into fine droplets without compressed air. A high pressure of up to  250 bar (3625 psi) is required to push the material from the pump to the spray nozzle. Airless paint spray consists of various components, including, pump, motor, drive train, gun tip, hose, spray gun, and pressure controller. A piston or diaphragm pump carries the paint from a bucket or tray with the help of a tube. The motor provides power to the pump through the drive train and keeps it running to fill the storage container. Hose transfers the material from the pump to the spray gun under pressurized conditions. The spray gun acts as a valve to control the paint flow and sprays tip atmozies the paint. The flow of paint depends on the spray tip being used. Airless paint spray minimizes the paint wastage and overspray to almost 50%. Choose the right tip size according to the paint consistency and viscosity. Spray tips are available in different fan-same orifice, and different orifice-same fan sizes to achieve a desired performance. Opt for the small fan and large orifice tips for thicker paint coats and small orifice tips for thinner coats. Spray tips are also classified into five types based on their function, such as standard, fine finish, high-pressure, line striping, and high-efficiency airless tips. There is also a filter ear the spray tip which catches the dirt and debris. 
3. HVLP  Sprayers: HVLP sprayers are high-volume and low-pressure tools to spread paint. Unlike airless spray paints, they have paint containers attached to spray guns. They consist of three main components, including turbines, hoses, and spray guns. Turbines are motors that maintain a high volume (65 CFM) of air and low pressure for a controlled spray. Hoses are wider in diameter, 5/8”, to transfer the air from the turbine to the spray guns. Spray guns of HVLP consist of many parts, depending on the type and model of HVLP. They contain a high-efficiency aircap, a metal collar, a pattern control nob, an inline valve, a metal nob, and a pull trigger to paint. Their container is filled before painting the substrate, which makes it hard to carry and move. There are three types of HVLP based on container location, such as gravity, siphon, and pressure feed. Gravity feed HVLP has a paint storage cup above the gun, and paint falls with gravity into the hose and then the gun nozzle. Siphon feed HVLP is the most widely used, as it has a cup below the spray gun. Pressure feed has two hoses (air, paint) and a separate paint container. 
4. Compressed Air Sprayers: Compressed air sprayers use compressed air to produce a mini-mist-like paint. It is also known as a two-fluid nozzle sprayer due to its separate liquid and air tubes. This air atomizer mixes the paint with air either inside the gun or outside, depending on the type of tool and nozzles. Air feed and liquid feed meet near the spray nozzle and break the paint into a fine mist in the internal mixing process. Internal mixing is best for paint with a low viscosity of <200 cP. The external mixing process differs as it has two separate escape nozzles for paint and air. It works for thick and high-viscosity paints (>200 cP). Air atomizer sprayers have different types of nozzles that are used to achieve smooth patterns. Flat fan for elliptical spray pattern, full cone for circular, hollow nozzle for circular with a hollow center, solid for narrow spray pattern, and mist cones for humidification. These compressed air sprayers are used for thick, water-based (acrylic, latex) and linseed oil-based (epoxy, enamel) paints. 
5. Electrostatic Spray Painting: Electrostatic spray painting refers to the process of charging paint particles and substrates with opposite charges. It consists of a spray gun, a high-voltage supplier, and a paint tube. The spray gun of an electrostatic sprayer contains electrodes that negatively(-) charge the paint particles during the atomization process. These mist paint particles have a force of attraction nearly 75 times greater than gravity, which allows them to reverse around the positively charged substrate and stick to it. This spraying technique reduces paint wastage as negative and positive charges attract each other. 

How to Choose the Right Paint Spray

Here are the five steps to choose the right spray paint:

1. Surface Material: Each substrate has different requirements when it comes to painting tools. Wood is porous, metal is hard, and plastic items have a rubbery texture. Avoid selecting large orifice sprayer nozzles for wood, as it soaks it up and gets damaged. Choose air-atomized sprayers for wood surfaces as they provide even coverage. Paint metal substrates with an electrostatic sprayer, as it sticks to surfaces and minimizes the risk of corrosion. 
2. Finish Desired: Choose the HVLP sprayer for shiny and matte finishes as they spread the paint evenly. The type of paint, substrate, and paint formulations also affect the type of paint sprayer. 
3. Indoor vs Outdoor: Select the paint sprayer that is easy to move indoors and outdoors. HVLP and airless paint sprayers come with a moving paint container with a large extension and spray gun. Assess the size of the surface to be painted and sprayed before purchasing. 
4. Durability Needs: Choose the aerosol sprays of epoxy or enamel for high-traffic areas. They last long and resist weather changes. Select any sprayer with the right spray nozzles and mix any paint formulation to use it in. Don’t choose the spray guns with internal mixing if the paint has high viscosity. 
5. Ease of Use: Aerosols are widely used as they come in bottle-like tins, and one just has to press the button over them. There is no need to prepare the paint formulation or hold the triggers like other sprayers. They are suitable for beginners, and standard spray guns work well for professionals. 

How to Apply Paint Sprays Properly

Here are the four steps to apply paint properly on various surfaces:

1. Surface Preparation: Clean the surface with sandpaper or a damp cloth to remove dirt, dust, and mites. Wipe away the grease, old paint, and fill the dents with sealer. Prime the substrate to enhance the paint adhesion.
2. Masking & Protection: Use masking tape to cover the windows, sockets, and skateboards to prevent them from staining. Secure the masking thin plastic wraps with another masking tape, as they can slip or be removed easily. Wrap the masking tape around the socket and cut a cardboard of an equal size to cover it from the front. Wear a respiratory mask to avoid VOC, goggles, and gloves for protection. 
3. Spray Technique: Paint type, tool, and technique are the major factors to affect the final results. Place the spray gun at 6-12 inches away from the substrate to avoid dark spots and overpainting. It provides a smooth and even coverage without leaving any patches behind. Paint the substrate in sections to cover every corner. 
4. Drying & Curing: Let the first coat dry to the touch before reapplying the next one. Don’t repaint the surface on the loop, as it leads to strokes. Merge the paint edges well for smooth and durable results.

Where Are Paint Sprays Commonly Used?

Here are the four areas where paint sprays commonly used:

1. Automotive Industry: Paint sprayers are used to paint the car body, motorcycle, bumpers, rims, and to restore vintage cars. They are also used to paint the engine bay, wheels, calipers, scratches, and chips to protect vehicles from corrosion. 
2. Home Improvement: Sprayers are used to paint interior walls, ceilings, siding, old furniture, kitchen cabinets, drawers, deck, patio, garage door, fences, and plant pots. They paint the garden gates, chira,s tables, and exterior walls without overspraying. 
3. Crafts & DIY Projects: Sprayers are used to decorate glass bottles, jars, vases, ceramics, clay pots, and frames. They are also used for painting models, ornaments, furniture designs, mirrors, or handmade gifts after controlling the air pressure.
4. Industrial Coatings: Paint sprayers are used for spraying shipping containers, machinery, equipment, factory floors, and structural steel. They are also used when applying fireproof, weatherproof, insulation, and anti-rust coatings at industrial units.