Sprayer for using ready seal stain

[mmpjr7 14]

Hello everyone,

Any suggestions on what would be the best sprayer system to use to spray ready seal stain on decks. Thanks for any info.

[newlook 265]

Check out the store on the the grime scene website...good stuff in there.

[seymore 90]

I've never used RS stain but a shur flo pump set up or those decker/deckster pumps will work.

I use a shurflo set up 1.8 gpm 60 psi pump and it's more than i need to stain decks/fences/cedar houses/arbors :cool:

[newlook 265]

We use an airless sprayer for our overheads that we build with a back roll application. I don't hear of too many people using airless sprayers for stain...am I in left field with this concept.

[Pams Pressure & Clean 64]

Deckster is what we use.. Beth sells a Decker (same rig different name I think). Works great.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Yep. The Decker 5 'er is the same sprayer, in a different color.

https://www.thegrimescene.com/Store

Beth

[reed 500]

I use a deckster but electric. I also use a pump up as necessary, but make sure if you use a pump up is has variable cone brass tip. The cone tip seems to work best.

Reed

[newlook 265]

I guess if we get more involved in staining this year I would seriously have to consider investing on one of these.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Airless Sprayers are great for application. The decker 5'er others have already referred to helps to cover more surface area quicker and more evenly.

We also carry a topper version w/o the cart if space is a concern.

A pump-up is great to have as a backup.

Rod~

[Celeste 341]

Our airless sprayer is a Tital 440i - love it for some things, but not Ready Seal....atomizes it too much. We'll be trying our Deckster with it if spring ever gets here!

[newlook 265]

I don't even know what brand our airless is....it is covered in stain. I bought it used for $125.00. There are some very good airless sprayers out there...titan to name one. Magnum is okay and can get you through a summer or two but I have heard that the primer valve goes bad on those things. Also, everytime I go to Home Depot I see at least 2-3 "returns" up for sale at a discount.

[Pams Pressure & Clean 64]

I am no expert on airless rigs, but if I am remembering correctly from what a local airless repair guy told me, the Magnum series sold at HD & Lowe's have plastic gear drives. The true commercial models (that cost twice as much) have steel gears.

This apparently is only one of the differing factors, but alludes to why the "contractor" model at the box stores is hundreds of dollars less than what you will find elsewhere.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Carlos,

You are like me when I go into stores and take notice of the returns.

Its a good indicator of 1 or 2 things, either its a good machine thats easy to 'buy' for a day and bring back once you have gotten out of it what you wanted, or its just a bad machine.

There are a number of 'other' airless sprayers on the market lower in psi that in our field of wood restoration, are actually better suited pricewise and compatability wise for the trade.

Campbell Hausfeld, Magnum, Titan, are mostly meant for paint applications. They are too high a psi for sealers which can go bad prematurely if they are put through too high psi, as it causes the sealer to heat up and dry/cure prematurely before it has a chance to penetrate into the surface.

The Decker 5'er and its kind are 300psi max and used for thinner viscosity products. Plunger pumps are more durable than piston pumps. And when it comes to ease of service in the field, plunger pumps are great. The Decker units only need a 3/16 hex wrench to take them apart and a screw driver to loosen hose clamps. With a regular cleaning regimen, they work for a long time before needing anything more than lube on the plunger track.

I thought this would help...

Rod~

[newlook 265]

Good information Rod ~ thanks.

Interesting point you make about the psi on airless and sealers. We use an airless, as you know, but I also throw a guy in with a "back roll" application with a 1/2" nap roller. My question is, if we are rolling it won't this assist in the stain penetrating the surface?

[seymore 90]

Carlos

Rolling/back padding will help soak in faster especially newer wood "cedar" Older cedar will soak up the stain lots of times faster when padding is not needed for me.

Sometimes i have some old wood that you can spray your first coat and by the time you start over it's dry to the bone.I'll spray 3 if not 4 coats sometimes I'm not one to skimp on my stain.

Now if you are staining new PT pine that hasn't had time to dry out,It won't matter if you back pad it's just gonna roll off and not darken.

[newlook 265]

Shane

Thanks. The wood we use is Redwood. It absorbs like Cedar ~ yes?

[seymore 90]

Yes if it's rough sawn it very similar...i don't see too much Redwood here. :-)

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Cedar and redwood are both classified as softwoods, so yes they will both absorb more products. The denser and harder the wood, the less it will absorb, and the thinner the product needs to be. :cool:

Hope this helps.

Beth:groovy2:

[newlook 265]

Thanks Beth...that is good information.

[Cleveland Mobile 14]

You can regulate the pressure on an airless ....or change the tips. If you find the sealer is atomizing too much go to a larger tip. I cary probably 12 different tips ...after a while you kind of get the feel for which tip is needed.

Andy

[newlook 265]

Thanks Andy....the pressure has never been a problem. We just want to make sure that the procedure we use is okay. I turn the pressure on the airless down as low as it will go...

Good stuff everybody..:)

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Carlos,

Spraying and then back rolling can be fine depending on the product being applied.

Our method of choice is stain pads for back padding. The reason is that is helps to keep puddles from forming and it works the product into the wood.

Drawback to padding is that it can 'pull' the stain once it has dried to a point or spread it too thin. Technique is required here, but it isnt hard to develop.

Rollers and I dont get along. I end up making more of a mess with them then the homeowners do! :)

A draw back to rollers is that it can leave air bubbles in the finish and if it cures fast in the heat, it can cause a blistering effect and the stain will fail quicker with this condition. Much of the wood in this area is not kind to the nap on the rollers and frays them quite easily.

Pads and brushes are our application detailers.

Rod~

[newlook 265]

Rod,

You are corrert about the air bubbles and when the stain dries it can show. The redwood that we use is a "rough cut" and the surface is more prone to hide the airbubbles vs. a smooth surface.

Rollers can be very messy and understand why some don't even like to go there. We have a pretty good routine going for us and we are extra careful when and where we spray and roll. I mentioned this in another thread but all we use is behr premimum cedartone or redwood stain. I am open for suggestions on a better stain if you or anyone has one. Thanks Rod.

[Jaybird88 0]

hey everyone, im Jason and new to the boards. just wanted to bump this topic and maybe some of you guys could give some updated info.

i have been in the fence/gate/overhead door biz for about 10 years. we almost do no staining and what we do stain is with a paint sprayer. i would like to do more staining but dont know so much about what sprayers i should be looking at.

thanks for the help

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Depends in part on the type of product you are looking to apply.

We use Titan sprayers but the important part is actually the spray tip.
It determines the pattern, the vaporization and the amount of product it applies.

For viscous stains that are thin, smaller tip orifice sizes are applicable.
For heavier bodied stains like semi-solid to solid stains, a larger orifice would be the choice.
After that, it becomes a matter of practice and awareness of the environment you are applying in that
will ultimately determine the ones you use most.

Rod