Pick a calm, windless day with moderate temperatures, and read the coating's label for its own temperature limits. Clean and prep the surface, cover everything that must stay clean, and match the tip to the coating. A typical exterior house paint uses a 0.017 in. orifice, but thick masonry coatings can ask for more than some sprayers can deliver.
Choose your day
Wagner recommends a calm, windless day with moderate temperatures for spraying outdoors. Wind carries airless bounce-off well beyond the wall, and it makes your pattern harder to keep even.
Temperature limits belong to the coating, not to the sprayer. As one example, Sherwin-Williams says its Duration and Resilience products can go on when the surface, air and product temperature are at or above 35 F, and that the first 48 hours matter for drying. Other products have different limits, so 35 F is an example and not a rule. Check the can or the data sheet for the product you bought.
Prep the surface
Sherwin-Williams advises cleaning thoroughly with a good detergent, and a heavy-duty TSP substitute with a thorough rinse on brick. Repair defects, scuff-sand the patches and prime them before the finish coat. Our sprayer accessories page lists the small items you use around the work.
Cover windows, doors and trim with tape and plastic or drop cloths before you start. The EPA notes that homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. If your house is that old, read the EPA's lead-safe guidance before you sand or scrape.
Wind, overspray and neighbors
Airless spraying produces a lot of bounce-off that lands on everything nearby, so cover what must stay clean: windows, fixtures, plants, cars and the neighbor's fence if it is close. Matching the fan width to the surface size cuts overspray and wasted paint, according to Behr. Use the lowest pressure that atomizes the coating fully; a lower pressure also reduces overspray and tip wear.
High Efficiency Airless (HEA) tips are designed to atomize at about 1000 psi or lower, against about 2000 psi for conventional airless, and Titan says up to 55% less overspray. The ControlMax line and the RX-Apex HEA kit use them. Wagner also says its HEA tips last three times longer than others, but that is a single-source claim, so treat it as the maker's own.
Power on site
Outdoors you have to bring the power with you. An electric sprayer needs a grounded outlet and the extension cord the manual names; Titan's Impact manuals call for a minimum 12 gauge, three-wire cord. Look at the cord's length before you set up so the sprayer reaches the far wall. In our electric airless sprayers category lists the electric models. Gas sprayers give portability on sites without power, and the gas airless sprayers page lists them. Run a gas engine only outdoors or in ventilated areas and away from ignition sources.
Titan's Impact 440 manual says to place the pump at least 25 ft from the object being sprayed, in a ventilated area. That is from one manual, so check yours. Keep a hose that is rated at or above the sprayer's maximum pressure and inspect it before each use; the hoses page lists them.
Pick the tip and check the sprayer limit
Tip numbers give you two figures: the first digit times two is the approximate fan width in inches at 12 in. from the surface, and the last two digits are the orifice in thousandths of an inch. A 517 is a 10 in. fan with a 0.017 in. orifice.
Coating examples and the tip each maker names
| Coating | Tip it names | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior house paints | 0.017 in. | Titan blog |
| Solid stain | 0.015 in. | Titan blog |
| Primers, interior and exterior | 0.019 in. | Titan blog |
| Behr elastomeric masonry paint | 0.025 to 0.029 in., from equipment delivering at least 2,500 psi at the tip | Behr product page |
These are examples. Each coating's data sheet is the authority, and it can change by product.
The elastomeric line shows why to check the limit. The Impact X 440's maximum tip is 0.023 in., so a 0.025 to 0.029 in. elastomeric tip is outside it. Compare the coating's range with your sprayer's maximum before you buy a gallon. The airless spray tips page lists tips, and kits such as the 695-517G tip and guard kit include the guard. For trim and detail work, the Titan SprayRoller sprays and back-rolls in one motion with a standard 9 in. roller cover.
After the job
Relieve pressure with the procedure in your manual, then flush with the cleaner the coating calls for: water for latex and mineral spirits for oil-based. Store the sprayer as your manual describes. Never leave latex to dry in the pump, hose or gun. Our guides on flushing, cleaning the gun and storing the sprayer cover each step.
Sprayers, kits and accessories for exterior work:
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The Short Version
Check the day and the can's temperature limit, prep and mask, match the tip to the coating, and make sure your sprayer can deliver what a thick coating asks. If the house is older than 1978, read the EPA's lead guidance before you sand.
Not sure your sprayer can handle the coating?
Call (713) 931-0006 with your sprayer model and the coating you plan to use and our parts team will help match a tip.
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