Runs in Your Paint and How To Fix Them

Runs can ruin a perfect finish in no time flat and any painter knows nothing is more frustrating than painting your product with everything looking great when all of a sudden you get a run on your product. The next thing you know you are trying to remove the excess paint, or you end up sanding the finish to reapply paint after everything is dry. With these nightmare scenarios in mind it is not hard to see why it is best to avoid runs when spraying. The following are the top 4 reasons you will experience a run in your paint job and how to prevent them.

Your Paint is to Thin

Thin paint will spray easier, however, at some point the paint will be so thin that it will do one of two things. First, it may not stay in place after being sprayed, this is one cause of runs. Second excessively thinned paint will move through your spray gun faster, which again will increase the likelihood of runs. While the most common reason a paint is to thin is that you have added a thinner, if you spray in hot environments there is a chance that your paint may become too thin as well.  This means you may have to find a way to control the paints temperature as best as possible or if you are using thinner consider evaluating your equipment set up or using less thinner.

Your Fluid Nozzle or Tip is too large

The size of your fluid nozzle is one of two variables that dictate how much paint is provided from your spray equipment. The larger the orifice size, the more material that will be supplied a minute. If you feel like you have to speed up how fast your moving your spray gun to keep up with it, most likely you're using too large of a fluid nozzle or tip. You’re Using the Incorrect Settings on Your Spray Equipment –  If you are using a pressure pot you have a fluid and air pressure adjustment.  If you are getting runs you most likely have your fluid pressure up to high. If you are using an airless sprayer the amount of fluid output is determined by your fluid tip and so if your experiencing runs as mentioned above, you may need to use a smaller fluid tip.

You’re using the Wrong Equipment

Different types of spray equipment have different amounts of fluid output based on the way they operate. Typically spray equipment goes in the following order of fluid output (from lowest to highest)

1. Gravity/ Suction Fed Air Spray Guns
2. Pressure Fed Spray Guns
3. Air Assist Airless
4. Airless

If your consistently having troubles with excessive paint causing runs it may be that you are using the wrong application equipment for your particular project.

Overall by considering these different issues that cause paint to run excessively when spraying you can better control any runs. The ultimate benefit being a better finish in the fastest time possible. How about you have you had runs in your paint finish before?  What have you done to solve the issue?