power stain sprayer's

[Jeff Lary]

I want to spray Stain onto a privacy fence.Last time I did it I used a pump sprayer then had to go back and smooth it out usung a brush ,lots of work. I am thinking about buyin a power sprayer like a (Wagner) but I want to spray Stain only . The reviews say when it comes to Paint these dont work very well .
Does anyone have any experience with spraying stain ? Is there a better working brand than Wagner? thanks for any reply.

 

[groundcover]

The high end airless sprayers work well,rental yards should have them. A real paint store may have some ideas too, a " slim Jim " roller may even work. Good luck !

 

[jinman]

I don't think you will ever get away from the brush if you want good spread and penetration of the stain. I suggest renting or buying a good airless sprayer that has a hose or intake that sits directly inside the bucket. I have a Wagner Paint Crew machine that works okay for stain, but it would be much nicer to have a higher level machine. The Paint Crew costs about $200 new.

I suggest buying a horsehair or other fine bristle radiator brush. Even a horsehair pushbroom works well for spreading stain after you spray it on. The brush just helps get the stain down into the grain of the wood. The big push broom makes brushing quick and easy. I even use one when I stain the siding on my house. You aren't looking for a fine paint finish, just working the stain down into the grain of the wood.

 

[Jeff Lary]

The Broom idea is a good one.I only need to do this about every 3 years so i really dont want to buy a 200 dollar+ unit just wondering if the 100 dollar one will spray stain?

 

[jinman]

Jeff, stain is normally a lot thinner than paint, so my guess is that the smaller Wagner painter will do fine. You just have to refill it more and it's not as convenient as one with a hose. If I were doing your job, I'd sure give regular Wagner power painter a try.

 

[Bird]

Are you really talking about a stain only; i.e., just color, or are you talking about a water sealant stain? And are you considering an oil based or a water based product? When I bought this place in 2005, the gate in the first two photos had been painted, but the fence was just plain wood that had turned grey. I have a cheap Walmart Campbell-Hausfeld one quart paint spray gun, an air-compressor, and plenty of air hose. I re-painted the gate with Behr exterior latex paint and a brush (a job I hate), and I sprayed the fence with Thompson's Rustic Red Water Sealer. Of course, the Thompson's was an oil based product; had to have mineral spirits to clean up. A couple of weeks ago, I applied a clear Sherwin-Willaims Deckscape to both the fence and the gate. I used a roller on the outside (smooth) side and sprayed the inside. Spraying is so much faster and easier and the Deckscape is so much easier to work with and clean up; water based. Incidentally, they do have tinted Deckscape. And it's interesting to see water hit it now and just fall off.

The third photo is another fence on which I sprayed Thompson's Advanced Honey Gold Water Sealant, a water based product that is so much better than the original oil based Thompson's. The only problem with spraying it is to be sure to get all you want on there as you go. You'll notice in the photo that some spots are lighter than others. It dries fast and you cannot go back, even 15 minutes later, and add more with the sprayer because the dry water repellent will just cause the new spray to run down. Now a neighbor rented one of the big spray rigs and did a better job because he applied a heavier coat initially.

Incidentally, I only recently learned that Thompson's is a Sherwin-Williams company so it's made by Sherwin-Williams.

 

[zzvyb6]

I use a Wagner power painter for many different kinds of paints and stains, both water and hydrocarbon based. The Wagner gets much better penetration into cedar siding and fence boards and all other irregular surface materials than a brush or roller.

I pick up these painters at garage sales and have several models dedicated to various routine outdoor maintenance touchups.

I can run them off of my PTO alternator for 'way-out' in the field service, including touching up the windmill towers with cold galvanizing type paint. As long as its not too thick, they will handle it. Painting a half mile of fence with a brush is not my suggestion for a good use of your time. Painting the Mona Lisa on the barn? Use a brush...

 

[2manyrocks]

I think I understand your question because I have a Wagner Power Painter Plus that I tried to paint some metal porch railings with. My personal experience was that it shot globs of paint and seemed to consume paint rapidly, and was loud. I haven't tried it with stain.

If there are tips to getting better results with it, I'd certainly be interested in reading them.

Last time I stained my deck, I think I just used a HVLP paint sprayer I picked up from Homier or HF for about $30. It requires an air compressor, but was pretty easy to use.

 

[unbidden]

I used a $60 dollar wagner to prime and paint cedar shakes before installing them; latex paint. It worked like a charm. I would think stain would flow through the nozel without issue. Try an avoid windy days however.

 

[Bird]

Many years ago, I used a Wagner Power Painter (one quart can) to two-tone paint a single wide aluminum sided mobile home. It was a latex paint to which I added Floetrol. I scrubbed the house down with water and a big brush first, and then taped off the windows and doors when it was dry. I went all the way around twice to apply 2 coats of the primary color, then the next day went all the way around twice with the trim color. It worked great and got very good results, but that darned thing was so noisy and so much vibration that I'd never use a Wagner Power Painter if a compressed air source was available. But if no compressed air is available, it sure beats brushes and rollers.:laughing: