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How To Thin Latex Paint  and the guide to spraying coatings?

The finish results you get from spraying paint depend as much on the thinning work you do as the technique you apply while using your sprayer! It doesn’t matter how careful and consistent you are if your coating material is inconsistent or spraying in an erratic manner.

In this short guide, we’ll talk through everything you need to know about thinning paints. We’ll be discussing both airless and HVLP spray guns, as well as the differences between working with latex vs. oil-based paints.

How to thin different types of paint

Latex paints

Latex paints are the most demanding when it comes to straining. They’re extremely viscous, so whenever you spray them with a handheld, HVLP, or small airless sprayer, you need to thin them down. Thankfully, it’s relatively easy to do. Unlike working with many oil-based paints, you can use plain water to thin latex compounds. Get yourself a measuring cup and a stirrer, and you’re good to go.rongpeng airless paint sprayer R450 can support this work for painting Latex Paints..

At minimum, you should plan to thin latex paints by 10%. Another minimum ratio that’s often used is 1/4 C water to 1 gallon of paint. That’s true when you’re using anything other than a big airless unit. If you’re using a handheld or HVLP system, you’re probably going to have to use as much as 20-30% water.

Oil-based paints

Oil-based paints (such as semi-gloss enamels) also tend to need some thinning. They’re far less viscous than latex coatings out of the can, but you can achieve a better spray consistency by thinning them down a bit further.

Always read the labels on the specific coatings you’re using to see what the maximum thinning ratio is. Check to see what thinners the manufacturer recommends, since you usually have to use some kind of mineral spirits rather than water. You’ll probably only need to thin these by 10% or so, depending on your specific sprayer, coating, and application.

Acrylics

Acrylic paints are water-based, so in theory they’re very friendly to added water. Since they’re water-soluble, though, you can’t add too much. Over-saturated acrylics flake or lose their bonding abilities completely. On absorbent surfaces, feel free to use as much as 50% added water. If you’re spraying onto something non-absorbent, keep your proportion well under 30%.