subject: Why Backbrushing Is Critical When Spraying Rough Wood
[print this page] Using an airless pump for your next painting project will help tremendously in speeding things up. It really is no secret that spray application is a lot faster than with a paint brush so it only makes sense to go ahead and spray apply your paints instead, right? Well not so fast...because you will discover many situations where using a rig can often hurt the over all quality of the job as compared to putting it on using a paintbrush.
The reason for this is because paint that's been spray applied tends to dry to the surface only, which is perfectly acceptable when spraying an extremely smooth or slick surface. But when the area you intend to spray is textured or very coarse, you will want the added benefit of a real human being forcing that paint onto the surface. A high quality finish is defined by a paint job that's solid, almost like it was wrapped in cellophane... brushing the paint can often do this when spraying will not.
So just how do we remedy this problem? How can we save time by utilizing our quick and efficient spray rig without sacrificing quality as well? The solution is to utilize both! That's right... the answer employed by professionals when faced with having to paint miles of long rough sawn wood siding is to use a technique known throughout the industry as "back brushing". Back brushing enables you to really have the best of both worlds when your set up and technique is done properly since what you are doing, basically is using your pump to simply put the paint on the substrate and using your paint brush to work it in and smooth it.
I love this technique because it works well and allows you to move across large areas quickly while still providing a hand applied finish. Not only does back brushing help fill in cracks and tiny holes, but it also puts the paint on noticeably thicker than simply sprayed. Since the dry film thickness is essential to protection and warranties from paint manufacturers... this is certainly another benefit. In fact, I've always found that paintbrush application would regularly use around 20% additional paint than when spray applied. This is certainly due to the additional millage going onto your wall when applied by paintbrush. This additional thickness and better penetration of the rough substrate will add years to your paint finish when compared to being spray only.
Reliable and knowledgeable painters will know to put into practice this technique when the surface requires it. Often times a low bidder may want to spray only, whereas the other contractor is likely planning to backbrush, which can obviously, add to the price of paint and labor. I must also point out that typically, back brushing will normally use about 20% extra paint than if just sprayed. This further illustrates that more paint is being put on the surface when it really is hand applied or back brushed as compared to spray only. I hope you found this helpful and I encourage you to try backbrushing the next time you're painting a sizable surface that's rough or textured.
