Should I Spray or Roll the Exterior of My House?

Some painting companies actively advertise that they hand-roll the exterior of your house, and don’t use sprayers. As a sales pitch at least, this line works well: after all, how could it not be better to do something by hand rather than by machine? But as with most things, it’s more complicated than that. Here are some things to consider when asking whether you should spray or roll the exterior of your house.

Spraying saves time, which saves money

The primary reason why so many painting companies use paint sprayers is that it’s faster. Going faster means less man-hours, which means a lower cost for the customer.

This is true even though spraying requires more prep and more material to mask off areas and avoid overspray onto windows, doors, concrete, and so on.

But getting the job done fast isn’t just about being cheap. Going quickly means that the end result is more uniform and overall more appealing. The slower you go, the more likely you’ll see lines and marks from where one area dried before the next could be applied.

Rolling will not significantly extend the life of your paint job

There is no change in the recommendation for how often your house will need to be repainted if it is sprayed or rolled. Either way, the paint will only protect your house for so long. Spraying may actually do a better job of standing the test of time in some ways, as a paint sprayer used properly can coat surfaces in cracks much more effectively than a roller.

Even when you spray, you roll…and brush

Professional painters utilize a method called backrolling to ensure that paint is driven into deeper surfaces, particularly those which are somewhat damaged due to the elements. It works by first spraying a coat of paint and then immediately using a roller to ensure that the paint is worked into every angle of the surface.

Even if backrolling is not employed, it would be exceptionally rare to find a house which did not require the use of a brush or roller for trim. Not using a sprayer when you can simply means that you have less time to spend on the detail work, which already takes a good amount of time as it is.

Rolling cannot approach the finish of a sprayed surface

No matter how good your tools and technique, a roller cannot achieve the smooth finish of a sprayer. This is noticeable with doors in particular. Of course, someone who is not good with a sprayer can mess up a door, but when you’re working with a professional painter, that shouldn’t happen.

Both rolling and spraying can be done poorly

Spraying can be done wrong when the painter does not take into account the directional nature of the paint spray, and come at things from multiple angles. Failing to use proper technique in starting and stopping the flow of paint will also cause issues.

But rolling is not foolproof, either. In fact, you could say that more things could go wrong with a roller than a sprayer. Technique matters more when using a roller (if you want to avoid lines in your finished job), the rollers themselves wear out and need to be monitored, and it’s more physically demanding, so user error factors in more strongly.

Instances where spraying is not appropriate

There are some situations where spraying is not the best way to paint a house. This would include in tight spaces next to your neighbor’s property where it’s not possible to mask off their house, or in windy conditions. But these circumstances are really pretty rare, and often only apply to portions of a house.

If you’re looking for someone to paint your house, give the team at Mt Hood Pro Painting a call! When you talk with us, free to ask any questions you may have about the process of painting a house.