I often see in the directions for deck stains and sealers that you can use a garden-type pump sprayer. Makes sense. But I've tried 3 different sprayers. For me, they make a drippy mess every time. And it doesn't even really seem much faster. Is there a trick to it? Should I get yet another sprayer? Should I give up and use the airless? Should I give up and use a mini roller?
Pump Sprayer for Deck Stain?
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I often see in the directions for deck stains and sealers that you can use a garden-type pump sprayer. Makes sense. But I've tried 3 different sprayers. For me, they make a drippy mess every time. And it doesn't even really seem much faster. Is there a trick to it? Should I get yet another sprayer? Should I give up and use the airless? Should I give up and use a mini roller?
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I think the reason they recommend pump up sprayers is because they don't atomize like an airless will. Either way can be messy, you get the drops from pump up, and airless makes a cloud of atomized stain. Sometimes I will spray it airless at low pressure, but with the tip reversed. A small (Titan) tip turned backwards will give you a stream of stain without the cloud. Can work pretty well for pickets.
Really in either case, back brushing is almost always necessary. So it just depends on what type of mess you want to deal with to get the stain on.
Really in either case, back brushing is almost always necessary. So it just depends on what type of mess you want to deal with to get the stain on.
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You don't need to atomize a thin deck stain. All the sprayer needs to do is get the product on the surface. It allows the product to reach nooks & crannies better than a roller, or brush. Then as Jmayspaint said, you back brush. On a deck, I just use as fine as a broom bristle I can find...preferably split bristle. My last time, I used a push broom.
Back in the day, I used to do a lot of cedar exterior siding. I added a hose nipple to a large, maybe 2 1/2 gal? metal chem sprayer, & hooked up to a compressor with the regulator set very low. Then I used a bench brush to even out on surface.
You end up with the best of both worlds that way, & spraying makes it easy to overcome gravity when doing verticals, & overhangs. The ***** is the overspray, & waste factor. On decks, there's not any major drawbacks on the horizontal surface, but foam rollers are the way to go on balusters, with an emergency brush & rag nearby.
Back in the day, I used to do a lot of cedar exterior siding. I added a hose nipple to a large, maybe 2 1/2 gal? metal chem sprayer, & hooked up to a compressor with the regulator set very low. Then I used a bench brush to even out on surface.
You end up with the best of both worlds that way, & spraying makes it easy to overcome gravity when doing verticals, & overhangs. The ***** is the overspray, & waste factor. On decks, there's not any major drawbacks on the horizontal surface, but foam rollers are the way to go on balusters, with an emergency brush & rag nearby.
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I never thought to try a foam roller for thin stain, seems like it would work. Trying to roll stain with a regular roller never seems to work out too well, its so thin it won't stay in the nap well enough. Guess the foam soaks up and holds the stain better?
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Set pressure of your sprayer using the pressure control knob to achieve a good quality full spray pattern. At starting check with low pressure, if spray pattern is not full and solid, then you need to increase your pressure setting. Keep your distance consistent while spraying.
What about between the balusters, under the hand rail? That's the tedious part for me. Trying to lean over and paint it upside down. Or from a ladder. Roller won't get up in those little corners. And with the pump sprayer, it goes all over the place. I do them with a brush, but it takes a long time. How do you keep a wet edge when it takes so long and goes in so many different directions?
Is there a preferred tip for the pump sprayer? I think it should be a flat fan like an airless sprayer. Do they make that? All the pump sprayers seem to have circle patterns with nothing in the middle.
Is there a preferred tip for the pump sprayer? I think it should be a flat fan like an airless sprayer. Do they make that? All the pump sprayers seem to have circle patterns with nothing in the middle.
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148 Posts
Something I do when staining or painting balusters, or pickets as I call them, by spraying is to use a cardboard shield on the side not being painted. This allows you to spray the pickets, and underneath the handrail without a lot of overspray.
I use a large piece of cardboard like a refrigerator box and prop it up on one side. Fold the top of the cardboard over the top of the handrail and attach it either with a nail or screw, or by putting something heavy on it like a brick of rock. Then you can spray the pickets and the cardboard catches the overspray. When one side is done, flip the cardboard and do the other.
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Here are a couple pics of me using this method to spray solid stain on pickets with an airless. I've used the same method to control overspray from a pump up sprayer and semi-trans stain. With stain, the cardboard will become saturated quicker, and the stain will drip off the bottom, but it can still be an effective method to control overspray.
I use a large piece of cardboard like a refrigerator box and prop it up on one side. Fold the top of the cardboard over the top of the handrail and attach it either with a nail or screw, or by putting something heavy on it like a brick of rock. Then you can spray the pickets and the cardboard catches the overspray. When one side is done, flip the cardboard and do the other.
Here are a couple pics of me using this method to spray solid stain on pickets with an airless. I've used the same method to control overspray from a pump up sprayer and semi-trans stain. With stain, the cardboard will become saturated quicker, and the stain will drip off the bottom, but it can still be an effective method to control overspray.
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