Here’s how to decide when it’s better to pick up a roller or blend the rules with spray paint
Spray painting is faster and more consistent than traditional roll-on paint, but it may be harder for beginners.
Roll-on paint is less expensive than spray painting and easier for those with little painting experience, though you should expect an arm workout.
To choose between the two options, figure out what you want to spend, how skilled you are with a sprayer, and how much work you’re willing to do.
Painting your home’s exterior is no easy feat, and it’s perfectly natural to look for ways to simplify the process. That could be by outsourcing the job to an exterior painter near you or looking into potentially easier methods, like spray painting. If you’re at this point in the consideration process, you’re probably wondering, “Is it better to spray or roll exterior paint?”
The answer isn’t so straightforward, but the following guide breaks down all the pros and cons of each option and how they stand up to each other in multiple categories—like appearance and ease of use—to make the choice easier for you.
There are a few great reasons to consider spray painting the outside of your home, like the fact that application is much faster than roll-on paint. But there are also a handful of downsides to keep in mind, including increased costs and difficulties for beginners.
Speedy application and minimal physical effort: If even the thought of rolling on paint is enough to make your arms feel weak, you’ll be happy to know that spray painting is far less likely to leave you with so much soreness. What’s more, the application process goes a lot faster because you don’t have to spend as much time putting in so much effort.
Long life span: One common concern with spray painting is that it’s not as long-lasting or durable as roll-on paint, but both can be equally resistant to time and external forces depending on exactly what type of paint you use. For example, acrylic paint will last longer than latex paint no matter which method you use to apply it.
Smooth finish and even coverage: While it’s possible to achieve these effects with both spray and roll-on paint, using a sprayer typically produces the same results from fewer coats and less overall effort (so long as you’re experienced with a sprayer). Plus, it’s impossible to detect brush strokes if you don’t even use a brush.
Easier to reach nooks and crannies: Some spots on home exteriors are difficult to paint properly with a brush alone, but spray painting can help you reach even the tightest spaces with ease.
Harder to control spray and splatter: There’s a reason why pros don’t recommend spray painting inside: Small paint particles tend to disperse and land on whatever they’re closest to, whether that’s unprotected furniture or your hardwood floors. These factors are less of a problem when painting outside, but they can still get in the way of your work if you’re not careful. Fortunately, a handful of exterior house painting tips will get you comfortable with a sprayer in no time. It’s also worth learning how to remove spray paint to save stress if there is a blunder.
Experience not included: This may be a no-brainer for a professional exterior painter, but those who aren’t as comfortable or experienced with a paint sprayer might struggle to control exactly where paint goes, leading to an uneven and blotchy finish.
More expensive: Spray painting involves additional tools—like a paint sprayer and up to 30% more paint to account for overspray—that can drive the price of your project up. It costs about $100 to invest in your own sprayer and roughly $40 a day to rent one from your local hardware store.
To definitively answer the question, “Is it better to roll or spray exterior house paint?” it’s important to know what each option has to offer. We’ve discussed the pros and cons of spraying your exterior; now, keep reading for all the reasons you might want to opt for a more traditional approach.
Easier for beginners: If you don’t have a lot of painting experience, there are fewer risks involved with roll-on paint than with using a paint sprayer. For one, you don’t have to worry about figuring out how to operate a machine you’ve maybe never used before. And, despite being more physically intensive, it’s pretty easy to learn how to apply roll-on paint.
More affordable: The combined cost to invest in all the necessary tools and materials to roll on paint—like rollers, paint pans, and painter’s tape—is still less than what you’ll pay for a paint sprayer of your own—even when you select the best paint rollers. Plus, you’ll use about 30% less paint this way than you would with a paint sprayer.
Less clean-up involved: Cleaning a paint sprayer directly after you finish is an absolute must to keep it from becoming clogged and unusable. On the flip side, you can simply cover up paint trays and rollers with plastic bags to prevent the paint from drying and continue as normal whenever you’re ready to get started again.
More physically involved: If you’ve decided to roll on paint, prepare for an arm workout that’s far harder than what you’ll get from spray painting.
Difficult to reach tight corners: Even with the smallest brush or roller, it can be challenging to paint tight spots with this method alone.
Harder to get consistent coverage: Whereas spray painting only usually calls for one or two coats to achieve maximum coverage, you may need up to three coats (plus primer) to get the same effect with roll-on paint.
Now that we’ve covered all the upsides and downsides of both options, find out where each one falls in a variety of key categories.
Although both options can be visually appealing, spray painting produces smoother finishes and more consistent results overall when you’re familiar with how to use a paint sprayer. However, if you’re inexperienced with a paint sprayer and can’t seem to get the hang of it, you’ll end up with a blotchy and uneven finish, so always practice before you paint.
Most visually appealing: Spray painting
The durability of a painting project depends on the type of paint (like acrylic, latex, or oil) rather than the way it’s applied. If you have acrylic paint, it will last the same amount of time whether you apply it with a roller or a sprayer. That’s why both spraying and rolling are tied in this category.
Most durable: Tie
The cost to roll on exterior paint is lower overall than spray painting, thanks to a reduced cost for materials and no need for costly equipment, like a paint sprayer. Plus, since spray painting creates so much overspray with airborne paint particles, you’ll be losing a lot more paint by using a sprayer, meaning you’ll have to invest in more paint if you choose to spray it on.
Most affordable: Rolling paint
Spray painting like a pro takes a lot of practice. If you’ve never used a sprayer before, it’s not likely that you can immediately pick it up and reach painting perfection. Using a roller to apply your paint is simple, and most people have experience with this method on the interior of their homes.
Paint sprayers can also get a bit complicated when you consider the lengthy clean-up process, as you have to ensure the entire hose and can is fully clean before storing it away for your next project. With rollers, you can easily rinse them out, cover them in plastic, or buy a new one for a relatively low cost without the extra hassle.
Rolling on your paint also means you’ll end up working a lot longer to cover every inch of your home than you would with a sprayer. When taking every aspect of the project into consideration—from application to clean up—there are plenty of wins and losses for both options.
Easiest to apply: Tie
Using a paint sprayer is much faster than rolling your paint onto your exterior. With a roller, you have to manually cover every square inch by rolling over it. A paint sprayer sprays out paint at an impressive speed and with a sizable spread. This makes your job quicker once it’s all said and done, especially since a competent spray paint job affects how many coats of paint you need, bringing the number down compared to rolling.
Quickest to apply: Spray painting
Whether you go down the DIY route or hire a pro to paint your home exterior depends on your budget, time constraints, and skill levels. If you want to make the biggest savings and you have a few free days, rolling exterior paint on yourself could be the way to go. It’s a DIY project most homeowners can tackle, even if it is time-consuming.
If you’re short on time, have a tall home with tricky access, or don’t have the confidence to handle a paint sprayer, it makes sense to hire a local exterior painting contractor to complete the work. It will cost more, but they will achieve a flawless finish quickly and safely.
The cost to paint the exterior of a house professionally ranges from $1,800 to $4,500. You can make significant savings doing the work yourself, with costs averaging between $500 and $1,000 for materials to DIY. If you need to buy a paint sprayer, this can add $100 to $2,000 to your total, with a decent exterior sprayer typically setting you back at least $400.
Audrey Bruno contributed to this article.
Many professionals combine spraying and rolling to help your exterior paint job last longer. They first spray the surface to cover the whole area quickly, then use a technique known as back-rolling. This involves using a textured roller to work the wet paint into the surface to promote maximum adhesion. It also produces a soft finish that helps hide surface blemishes and makes touching up easier.
Sprayers use up to 30% more paint than rollers because of overspray. Some ways you can minimize the amount of wasted paint include selecting the best paint sprayer for the job, choosing a lower pressure sprayer and using a lower pressure setting, keeping the sprayer well-maintained, not spraying on a windy day, and holding the sprayer at an appropriate distance from the surface.
An exterior paint job lasts an average of 5 to 10 years, although some might only last 2 or 3 years and others up to 20 years. How often you need to paint your home’s exterior depends on various factors. The type and quality of the paint, the application quality, the surface material, and local weather conditions all play a part in the paint’s longevity.
