Can You Use Spray Paint on Walls?

Giovanni Valle is a licensed architect and LEED-accredited professional and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He is the author and managing editor of various digital publications, including BuilderSpace, Your Own Architect, and Interiors Place.

If you’ve ever painted walls, you know it takes a lot of work, but it can be fun work. You can choose a new color or apply a coat of your current paint once it gets dull. But you should consider your options if you don’t want to spend all day painting.

You can use spray paint on walls and cover more wall space in less time. Spray painting is a popular option with exteriors, but smaller sprayers can control the paint for indoors. They can help avoid wasting paint or getting it on furniture or other items in the room.

If you want to redo a room, you should consider repainting it. Then, you can make the room look more cohesive, but you should consider how to paint. Keep reading to learn if you should use spray paint on your walls.

Interior vs. Exterior

The first thing you should consider is if you want to paint the interior or exterior walls. Spray painting is an excellent option for painting the siding of your house. If you want to do both, you can use the same tools for the inside.

That way, you don’t have to invest in a sprayer and a roller. You can use the same device and swap out the colors for each room or wall you want to paint. Plus, you can choose from different sizes to find what fits your needs.

A sprayer is a great tool for interior-only jobs as well. It can make painting a large room easier, so you don’t need to paint outside to use it. Having a sprayer can come in handy whenever you decide to paint other parts of your house later.

Increase Speed

Another benefit of using a sprayer over a roller is that you can paint faster. You can cover a lot more wall space when you use a paint sprayer, so you can get good coverage quickly. That can help if you want to paint a large living area, and it’s also nice if you want to paint multiple rooms.

If you’re trying to paint your house on your days off from work, you need to make that time productive. When you use a roller, you have to consistently dip it in the paint tray to fill it with color. But your paint sprayer can use more paint at a time.

That can also cut down on the time you spend painting your walls. So if speed is a huge issue for you, you should use spray paint instead of a roller.

Hard to Control

Unfortunately, spray painting can be difficult on your first time. If you use a large sprayer, it can be hard to control it, and you could accidentally get paint somewhere on accident. Before you use a paint sprayer, you should consider your experience level.

You don’t need to be a professional painter to use a sprayer. But prepare for having to exert more energy to manage the sprayer. Then, you can keep the paint from getting everywhere as you paint the room.

However, you can also look into smaller paint sprayers. They take less effort to control, and they can be a good alternative for beginners.

Great for a Blank Canvas

Any paint sprayer, big or small, is a great tool when you’re redoing a room completely. If you have an empty space and need to prime the walls, that is the perfect time to use a paint sprayer. You won’t have to worry about paint getting on the furniture, so you only need to block off the floor.

The paint sprayer can help you cover all of the walls in a room, and you can even use it on the ceiling. You’ll still need to cover other areas with tarp or plastic, but you can start and finish painting sooner than if you used a roller.

A roller can be useful for touching up small spots, but it isn’t very efficient when you want to redo a whole room. And if you need some practice with a paint sprayer, primer is the perfect way to get that practice.

For Details

Surprisingly, paint sprayers can work very nicely when you want to add finishing touches. If your room has any texture, like crown molding or a popcorn ceiling, it can be hard to paint those features with a roller or brush.

You can use your paint sprayer to get into some small corners and areas where you can’t use a roller. While you could use a paintbrush, using the sprayer can save you time switching between tools.

It can be hard to get a roller to cover paint all across a wall and in corners or between detailing on the wall, and it can take a lot of time to do that with a brush. While a paint sprayer is efficient for priming, you can use it at any step of your painting project.

Requires Masking

Consider if you have any furniture in the room or want to cover the floor or another area. You will need to cover those things with plastic or some masking material so that you don’t get paint on them. While paint spraying itself is quicker, it requires more prep work than setting up a roller.

You should also fill your sprayer with paint but keep the paint can close by for refills. That way, you don’t have to stop in the middle of painting.

You’ll also need to wear a mask and goggles to protect yourself from the paint fumes. Protective equipment is even more helpful in a small room without much ventilation. But you don’t want to worry about breathing in chemicals when spray painting.

More Intensive

If you use a roller to paint your walls, you can set it down to take a break. You can paint a room over a few days after work, so you can work it into your schedule.

However, it’s not as easy to do that with a paint sprayer. You’ll need to set up the room and your paint sprayer and then spend all day painting. So you should be able to dedicate an entire day to paint, and that can be hard if you have kids or other responsibilities.

Choose the Right Type of Paint Sprayer

If you want to spray paint your walls, you need a good paint sprayer. You can choose from a few different kinds.

High-volume low-pressure (HVLP) sprayers are great for your first time using a sprayer. They’re easy to work with, and they aren’t too expensive.

If you have some experience spray painting, you can use an airless paint sprayer. These sprayers are excellent for covering a lot of wall space, but they aren’t as useful for painting small details.

Pneumatic paint sprayers can solve the problem of airless sprayers because they’re fantastic for painting details. They use compressed air to add extra precision to your painting stroke.

Consider the Type of Spray Paint

You should also decide what type of paint to use. Here are a few types to consider.

Aerosol Spray Paint

Aerosol spray paint is good, but you should make sure to wear a mask and goggles when using it inside. Or make it easy on yourself and use it for your exterior walls. Either way, you can find aerosol spray paint in many different colors, from white to black.

Glitter Spray Paint

Glitter spray paint is best for craft projects. However, you can also use it for an accent wall in your room. Then, you can add a bit of sparkle without being too over the top. Using glitter spray paint can be a great way to add some personality to a room, and it’s easier than mixing glitter with paint.

Chalkboard Spray Paint

Another way to make a room unique is to use chalkboard spray paint. You can use the paint on one wall, and you can place some hypoallergenic chalk nearby as well. Whenever you need to write a to-do list or leave yourself notes, you can easily pick up a piece of chalk and use it.

Conclusion

You can use spray paint on walls, and it can often be easier than using a roller or brush. But keep in mind that a sprayer can require more control, and it requires more preparation. If you’re still interested, you can choose the right type of sprayer to get started.