HVLP Overspray/masking question

[Jery Madigan]

Hi,

I will be painting our kitchen cabinet boxes in place with BM Advance and a Fuji HVLP.

How much masking will I need to do? I am not worried about overspray that turns to dust before landing. If I mask 3-4' from the cabinet edges, is that enough or do I need to make a tent each time to avoid wet paint landing?

Jerry

[Tom M King]

We always "mask" everything, but that includes drop cloths on the floor, and the thin "wall drape" clingy stuff on the walls.

The sure way to find out how much is enough, is to use not quite enough.

[Jamie Buxton]

In addition to masking, block doors and heating ducts to keep dust out of the rest of the house. And if you can, use a fan to blow air through the kitchen - again to reduce dust infiltration into the rest of the house.

[Tom M King]

We have never painted a set of cabinets, and not also painted, at least, the ceiling. It's too hard to mask a ceiling, or at least, more trouble than it is to spray a coat of paint on it. Ceilings are always painted last. Say we're painting the cabinets, the walls are masked off like we want them in preparation for regular painting, and after the cabinets have cured, they are masked off, and the ceiling shot. Any paint from the walls, or cabinets, is not worried about getting on the ceiling, since the final coat on the ceiling will cover all that.

We always turn any air off in the house, and cover everything.

[Jason Roehl]

Overspray will go farther wet than you think.

Make sure any drop cloths you use have some sort of plastic or rubber backing. I learned that 23-ish years ago when spraying cream-colored oil-based enamel in a bathroom that had black floor tile. It was like the drops weren't even there because I had just used canvas drop cloths. From that day forward, I only ever bought butyl-backed drop cloths (bonus feature: they don't slide around on hard surfaces, important when ladders are involved).

[Al Launier]

I'd mask & cover as suggested above, i.e. everything & close off the room. It's better to do the protective" work up front rather than the "repair" work afterwards. Also, I would not use a fan as it would "stir up" the floating paint dust which could cause it to go where you don't want, especially if your kitchen is open to other areas in the house, plus it would probably blow the fumes/odors (even for a water-based paint) to the other areas as well. Wear a mask & eye protection, and/or a paper suit if you are so inclined. Do it right, do it once.

[Jery Madigan]

Overspray will go farther wet than you think.

Make sure any drop cloths you use have some sort of plastic or rubber backing. I learned that 23-ish years ago when spraying cream-colored oil-based enamel in a bathroom that had black floor tile. It was like the drops weren't even there because I had just used canvas drop cloths. From that day forward, I only ever bought butyl-backed drop cloths (bonus feature: they don't slide around on hard surfaces, important when ladders are involved).

Good info on the drop cloths. We have a large kitchen & butler pantry, so I will do this in 4-5 stages and can tent in small areas around the work area.