Great Finish Tips Using an HVLP Sprayer

Have you ever tried to spray latex paint through an HVLP sprayer? If so, were you happy with the surface finish that you were able to achieve by using the paint directly out of the can? It can be humbling and downright frustrating to say the least. The HVLP sprayer struggles to fully atomize the thick latex paint, so you get a bit of spray, and lots of splatter, leaving a surface finish that would fit right in on finger painting day at a preschool.

You can improve your results by taking a couple steps, but this will first require that you establish a good understanding of your HVLP spray gun. Having a good handle on how to set up a spray gun and use the right pressure will give you the proper knowledge foundation to then begin to optimize the spray for latex material.

It is important to understand the essential variables that you can work with to optimize for a great surface finish with latex paint using an HVLP sprayer.

Use the right HVLP sprayer tip

Many different tips can be used with an HVLP sprayer, but given the heavy viscosity of latex paint, it will be important to choose one that allows for adequate flow and atomization of this thick product.

Just add water to your HVLP

One way to improve the surface finish is to thin the paint with water. It’s important to use an appropriate thinning ratio, however, because you don’t want to compromise the durability of the product.

Leveling additives for an HVLP sprayer

While water offers a thrifty option for thinning paint, another alternative is using a commercial leveling additive that not only provides a thinner paint that can be more efficiently atomized, but it also promotes leveling in the paint to further improve the surface finish.