Spraying Coatings vs Hand Applying Coatings
Before we can compare the two types of coating application we first have to define them. Spraying is a term that refers to utilizing equipment to take a coating and apply it. The coating is supplied to a gun that introduces air or uses pressure to break up the paint to form a fine finish. Hand applying constitutes using a roller, brushes, or your physical hands to apply a coating to a surface. Below we will list the primary benefits of each and the drawbacks of each type of coating application method.
Spraying
Pros
Speed – Spraying is extraordinarily fast compared to hand application of coatings
Finish Quality – Brushed or rolled finishes cannot approach the appearance that a sprayed coating achieves. This is one reason why a car finish is sprayed rather than rolled.
Reduce labor cost – Spraying saves a lot of work time and if employee pay is a high expense spraying will allow them to produce more while painting less.
Cons
More paint waste – Spraying will have what is called overspray which is paint that does not adhere to the targeted product. Overspray has to be controlled and properly removed from an environment to ensure safe painting.
Difficult with certain coating types – A few rare coatings can be challenging to properly apply using a spray outfit. Particularly if your material has a very short pot life as a single component material or is extraordinarily thick spraying can be challenging to properly have the material applied
Hand Rolling
Pros
No paint waste – Hand rolling will eliminate virtually all paint waste
Increased coating application control – By hand applying coatings you can have greater control over the thickness of coating you apply, typically referred to as millage.
Cons
Decreased production
Increased Labor Cost – Hand Application takes significantly longer than a spray setup
Reduced finish quality – Brushes, hands, and rollers all leave marks on your finished part resulting in a rougher appearing finish than if a coating is spray applied