How to Use a Garden Sprayer for Paint

Water-based paint

1). Most latex paints are water-based and thick and need to be heavily diluted before you can spray them.
2). Mix one part paint to 3 parts water in your sprayer.
3). Swirl and gently shake the mixture.
4). Pump up your garden sprayer.
5). Spray on as fine a mist as possible without the sprayer nozzle clogging up. Adjust the nozzle as needed to prevent clogging.
6). You will need to spray on 4 sprayer coats to achieve the consistency of one brush coat of non-diluted paint. This works best on horizontal surfaces as vertical surfaces are prone to dripping and running with this type of dilution requirement.

1). Oil-based paint and stains need to be diluted in a 50/50 mix inside the sprayer.
2). Swirl the mix around, and pump it up.
3). Spray on as fine a mist as possible without the nozzle clogging up. Adjust as needed.
4). You will need to spray two coats of oil-based paint or stain to make one regular coat.