Spraying Large Areas Quickly and Efficiently: Techniques and Tips

Spraying large areas quickly and efficiently requires the use of specialized techniques and equipment. Conventional, airless, air-assisted, and HVLP guns are the most commonly used tools for the successful application of materials. Vacuum guns and gravity guns are generally not used for production work due to their limited capacity. An airless paint sprayer is one of the fastest ways to paint a room.

With a Graco sprayer, you can transform any room in your house in a fraction of the time it would take to paint it by hand with a roller or brush. Sprayers are also used to apply different materials such as pre-emergent and post-emergency herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. The type and size of the pump required depend on the pesticide used, the recommended pressure, and the speed of administration of the nozzle. A pump must have sufficient capacity to operate a hydraulic agitation system as well as to supply the necessary volume to the nozzles.

A pump must have a capacity of at least 25 percent greater than the largest volume required by the nozzles. This will allow for agitation and loss of capacity due to pump wear. Aerosol dispersion can occur even in relatively calm conditions, in stable air conditions, or in inversion conditions, especially with small aerosol droplets. Nozzles that produce an even distribution of aerosol throughout the spray pattern should be used when spraying products directly onto targets such as young vegetable seedlings or between rows of vegetables to control weeds.

Increasing the speed of aerosol application increases product coverage. Make sure that the spray tank has precise markings on the sides so that you can determine how much of the spray mixture is left in the tank. Many spray additives are available that reduce drift and can be used with standard spray equipment. Directing the spray in a straight line downwards will minimize potential drift but will produce an irregular spray pattern.

Turn on the sprayer, ensure that the flow is uniform from all spray nozzles, and adjust the pressure relief valve until the pressure gauge is 10 to 15 PSI above the desired spray pressure. Oil-based sprays don't evaporate as quickly as water-based sprays, so drops stay active for longer. First, spray the class B side of a workpiece (the side that will not be finished) and then spray the class A (finished) side.