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How to use a paint sprayer

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have a tin of emulsion for the spare bedroom or a fence stain for Saturday. How to use a paint sprayer comes down to what you do before the first pass: mask what should stay clean, strain an opened tin, and test on card until the fan looks even. Distance and overlap then follow your own manual, because B&Q and Wagner UK publish 15–20 cm and Graco GB publishes 30 cm. If you are still choosing a machine, start with the [paint sprayer comparison](/hub/painting-supplies/paint-sprayer). Peter F. checked this against public UK guides on 21 October 2026, with no lab spray test, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a tin of emulsion for the spare bedroom or a fence stain for Saturday.

Our top picks

Wagner Wagner Fence & Decking

Best overall

Wagner Wagner Fence & Decking
8.6/10about £60
View offer
Tilswall Tilswall Shark600

Alternative

Tilswall Tilswall Shark600
8.4/10about £33.99
View offer
NEU MASTER NEU MASTER 500 W HVLP

Best value

NEU MASTER NEU MASTER 500 W HVLP
8.3/10about £31.89
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Mask, strain, and test on card
  2. 2.Distance and overlap are not one number
  3. 3.Thin only to the tin and the cup
  4. 4.Flush the same day, then stop if it will not prime

Mask, strain, and test on card

Cover sockets, switches, skirtings, and the floor before any paint goes into the gun. An A2P3 filter is one HSE example for short, heavier mist, not clearance for isocyanate or two-pack coatings. Pour an opened tin through a sieve, or grit blocks the nozzle. Then spray a short band on cardboard. If it runs or looks sandy, change the thinning on the card before you trust a distance.

Distance and overlap are not one number

Paint sprayer distance from the wall is not one figure for every gun. B&Q and Wagner UK use 15–20 cm. Graco's GB page uses 30 cm, with the gun perpendicular. DEKO's listing prints 20–25 cm, and that figure stays on that listing. The manual on your gun wins. Do not average those bands. A cup gun held at the airless distance will often dust the paint on. Held too close, the pass can run. Move the gun, then pull the trigger, and let go before you stop.
Wagner Wagner Fence & Decking

Testsieger

Wagner Wagner Fence & Decking
8.6/10about £60
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Thin only to the tin and the cup

How to thin paint for a sprayer starts with the tin, not with a fixed 10%. That 10% is B&Q's first test on card, followed by 5% steps only if the fan still will not break up. ROTTOGOON's 80 DIN/s limit is that maker's figure, not a number for every gun. If the datasheet says not to thin, stop. Where the tin and the gun disagree, check the paint sprayer buying guide.

Flush the same day, then stop if it will not prime

How to clean a paint sprayer is a same-day flush, while the paint is still liquid. Tilswall's listing asks for the clean within 15 minutes and says to keep water off the motor. That clock is not a rule for every other brand. DEKO's listing caps a continuous run at 20 minutes. An airless pump is not rinsed like a cup. Graco's GB clean-up relieves pressure before the tip comes off. Outdoor wood sits in the paint sprayer for fences guide, and the HVLP or airless paint sprayer page separates cup from pump.

Common questions

How far should you hold a paint sprayer from the wall?
Hold it at the distance printed in your own manual. B&Q's wall guide and Wagner UK's wall project both use 15–20 cm, while Graco's GB page uses 30 cm. DEKO's listing prints 20–25 cm, and that figure stays with that listing. Do not fold the three into one 15–30 cm range. If the booklet and a web guide disagree, follow the booklet.
Do you pull the trigger before the gun is moving?
No. Move the gun first, then pull the trigger, and release it before you stop. Graco's GB page says the trigger stays on only while the gun is moving. If the nozzle is still, that spot takes a heavy dose. Start just off the edge of the wall, trigger on as you enter, and trigger off as you leave.
How much should each pass overlap?
Graco's GB page asks for about a 50% overlap, edges first, so each pass covers about half the wet band. Use your manual's share if it prints a different one. Too little overlap leaves a stripe, and too much, with the gun too close, lays a run. A short band on cardboard shows the fault before you commit the wall.
Should you thin every tin of paint by 10%?
No. Ten percent is only B&Q's first cardboard step, followed by 5% steps if the spray still will not break up. Dulux Decorator Centre says thin only as the datasheet allows. A fence stain and an emulsion are different, and some tins say not to thin at all. The 30 g/l cap on interior matt wall paint, under the VOC in Paints Regulations 2012, limits the coating rather than a sprayer setting.
What should you mask before spraying a room?
Mask sockets, switches, and skirtings, and cover the floor and furniture you cannot move. Overspray lands on a socket face and the top of a skirting, which a roller often misses. B&Q pairs that masking with a dust mask and goggles. HSE says spraying may also need eye protection and a respirator. An A2P3 filter is an example for short, heavier mist, not a stand-in for air-fed apparatus on two-pack coatings.
How do you clean a paint sprayer the same day?
Empty a cup gun back into the tin, flush water-based paint with warm water and a little washing-up liquid, and dry the parts before reassembly. That order is in Wagner UK's cleaning guide. Tilswall's listing says to finish within 15 minutes and to keep water off the motor. An airless pump is different: relieve pressure, then flush the intake, pump, hose, and gun until clear, using that pump's manual rather than the cup-gun rinse.
When should you stop and call a professional?
Stop for isocyanate or two-pack coatings, suspected lead paint, a room you cannot ventilate, or work at height. HSE treats isocyanate spraying as a job for air-fed breathing apparatus. Also stop if an airless pump will not prime after the maker's own steps. An airless tip can inject paint into the skin, so keep the orifice off your hand.

Related pages

Best paint sprayer

Paint sprayer

Paint sprayer buying guide for coating, feed and plug

Paint sprayer for fences, sheds and garden decking

HVLP or airless paint sprayer for the coating you have

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE, paint and coatings FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE, spraying solvents (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE, isocyanate spraying (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. VOC in Paints Regulations 2012 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First, plugs and fuses (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. B&Q, how to paint ceilings and walls with a paint sprayer (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Graco GB, spray techniques (retrieved 19 October 2026)