Anyone use a paint gun to paint a picket fence?

[Homerboy]

I have a couple 100 feet of white picket fence to repaint. I have started to strip it down with a combination of sanding and powerwashing. But I do NOT want to paint this thing by hand. I was looking at renting a paint sprayer to do the job for me and stumbled on this one from HD.

http://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/mobile/20V-Cordless-Paint-Sprayer/16N657/index.html

Anyone ever do such a thing? I don't need it to be perfect. It's an old fence that just needs a fresh coat of paint thrown on it.

 

[Yakk]

13lbs gun & Battery + paint makes for an awfully heavy paint gun IMHO. Separate paint tank & tubing would be my first choice. I would really test the weight in my hand first and judge if I think I can paint for a few hours with this thing.

Also keep in mind spray guns like this deposit a much thinner layer of paint on the fence so it'll faster, but probably cut at least 1 year in durability depending on where you live .

 

[Scarpozzi]

A brush is better than spray in most applications. It actually drives the paint into the cracks and helps it adhere to the surface. If you're going to spray it, I'd probably do 3 coats....1 primer + 2 light coats outdoor paint. The toughest thing about spraying a fence is getting the edges and tops...it's really hard to get the angles you need to make sure you get full coverage to protect the wood and keep water/UV from damaging it.

FWIW, I bought a Milwaukee Paint Sprayer a few years ago for $100 from HD. They don't sell them anymore, but you can buy a Wagner sprayer for not a whole lot of money and not be in such a rush. The biggest problem with battery powered tools and paint would be if you run out of battery power mid-job and have to wait an hour for the battery to charge. I have 3 batteries on my tools and if I'm drilling or doing sustained stuff, those 18v Li-Ions drain faster than Ni-Cads....and stop cold when they drop below the allowed amperage. It would suck to be painting......lose power, then have to clean all the hoses out, etc because it would be an hour before you could paint again...

 

[Homerboy]

Yeah I'm not OVERLY concerned with the end product the fence is older and pretty "out of the way" so as long as it looks from 100ft or so, I'm not too worried. A lot of it is old wood too that isn't in the best of shape to start with. There's a few small sections closer to the house that we could touch up by hand too. I just know last time I painted a small, 15' section of the fence it was a ROYAL pain in the ass and I just could not imagine doing the entire distance by hand -- both sides.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

$100.- a day rental for airless pro sprayer. stick a 5 gal bucket of paint on it and wheel it around. You'll knock out couple 100 feet of fence in a day easy.

 

[Six]

+1 for renting a professional airless sprayer. Only problem is that you'll have paint particles flying off with the wind. Anyone can paint faster with a 5 gallon bucket, screen, and roller than any non-pro sprayer and with much better results. Non-pro sprayers are only good for smaller things like a chair or table.