Spray or Brush and Roll: 15 Years of Hard-Won Wisdom from a Kiwi Painter

G'day mate, pull up a seat. Name's Brad, and I've been slinging paint around New Zealand homes since 2009. Started as a young fella in Auckland, worked my way through Wellington's wind tunnels, and even did a stint painting beach houses down in Queenstown. After fifteen years, countless litres of paint, and more than a few mishaps (including that time I accidentally sprayed a client's prize-winning roses), I reckon it's time to settle this age-old debate once and for all.

The Truth Nobody Tells You About Spray vs Roll

Here's what the paint shop won't tell you: there's no bloody "one size fits all" answer. I've seen cowboys with spray guns make an absolute dog's breakfast of perfectly good weatherboards, and I've watched artists with rollers create finishes smoother than a baby's bottom. The real secret? It's about matching the technique to the job, the conditions, and, let's be honest, your skill level.

Interior Painting: What I've Learned the Hard Way

When I Reach for the Spray Gun

After 15 years, I spray interiors in exactly three situations:

Empty new builds: When the sparkies and plumbers have cleared out and there's not a stick of furniture in sight, spraying is magic. I can knock out a three-bedroom house in two days flat. The finish? Like silk, mate. No roller texture, no brush marks, just pure, beautiful colour.

Commercial spaces: Did a massive open-plan office in Wellington CBD last year. Would've taken my crew two weeks with rollers. Sprayed it in four days, including the prep. The client nearly fell off his chair when he saw the invoice. Saved him thousands in labour.

Cabinet doors (off-site): Here's a trade secret: I take cabinet doors back to my workshop, hang them on my spray rack, and give them the treatment. The finish is factory-perfect, and the missus doesn't have to live in a paint fog for a week.

When the Roller is King

But here's the rub: 90% of my interior work is still done with good old rollers and brushes. Why?

Occupied homes are a nightmare to spray. I once quoted a spray job for a family home in Ponsonby. By the time I'd factored in the labour to mask every bloody surface, remove all the furniture, and protect their flash carpets, the quote was double what it would cost to roll. They went with rolling. Smart move.

The overspray ghost: Even with the best masking job, spray mist has a way of finding gaps. I've seen it settle on kitchen benchtops three rooms away. Found out the hard way when a client discovered a fine paint dust on her wedding china a week after we'd left. Never again in an occupied home.

Touch-ups are a breeze: With rolled walls, I can come back five years later and touch up a spot perfectly. Sprayed walls? Different story. The texture never quite matches, and you end up having to respray the whole wall.

Exterior Painting: Where Things Get Interesting

The Great Kiwi Weather Factor

Let me tell you about the time I tried to spray a house in Wellington during a "calm" day. Forecast said 10km/h winds. Reality? Gusts up to 40km/h that sent my paint halfway to the Hutt Valley. The neighbour's car looked like a Jackson Pollock painting. Cost me a full detail job and a crate of beer in apologies.

My wind rules (learned through painful experience):

Anything over 15km/h: Put the sprayer away
Coastal properties: Add 10km/h to whatever the forecast says
Wellington: Just don't spray. Ever. (Kidding... sort of)

When Spraying Shines

Rough sawn timber and weatherboards: Nothing beats a sprayer for getting paint into all those nooks and crannies. I did a 1920s villa in Grey Lynn with the gnarliest weatherboards you've ever seen. Brushing would've taken three weeks and killed my wrists. Sprayed it in four days, and the coverage was perfect.

Large, simple surfaces: Modern homes with big, flat walls? That's sprayer territory. Did a contemporary place in Queenstown, all clean lines and massive walls. The sprayer saved us a week of labour, easy.

Fence lines: Here's where spraying really earns its keep. A 50-metre fence that would take two days to brush? Three hours with a sprayer, including tea breaks.

When Rolling Rules

Detailed heritage work: Those gorgeous Victorian villas with all the fretwork and finials? You need the control of a brush and roller. I spent six weeks on a heritage home in Dunedin, and every minute with a brush was worth it. The detail work would've been impossible with a sprayer.

Multi-colour schemes: When you're dealing with different colours for weatherboards, trim, and details, masking for spray becomes a nightmare. I can cut in with a brush faster than I can mask, and the results are cleaner.

The Cabinet Conundrum: My Professional Opinion

Right, let's talk kitchens. I've painted hundreds of them, and here's the gospel truth:

The Spray Advantage

If you want that glossy, factory-smooth finish on your cabinets, spraying is the only way. But, and this is a big but, it's not just about having a spray gun. You need:

A dust-free environment (good luck achieving that in your garage)
Proper spray technique (takes months to master)
The right tip size for your paint viscosity
Temperature control (paint behaves differently at 10°C vs 20°C)

I've got a purpose-built spray booth in my workshop now. Cost me $15K to set up properly, but the results speak for themselves. When clients see the difference between sprayed and rolled cabinets, they're happy to pay the premium.

The Rolling Reality

That said, I've done beautiful cabinet jobs with just a quality mohair roller and a steady hand. The secret?

My cabinet rolling technique (free of charge):

Sand between EVERY coat (220 grit minimum)
Use a paint conditioner (Floetrol is my go-to)
Work in sections no bigger than one door at a time
Keep a wet edge, always
Final coat: thin it 10% and use the lightest touch possible

The Economics: What Your Wallet Needs to Know

Equipment Costs (The Real Numbers)

Spray setup:

Decent airless sprayer: $800-3000
Hoses, tips, filters: $500
Proper respirator: $200
Cleaning gear and solvents: $100/month

Rolling setup:

Quality roller frames: $50
Variety of sleeves: $100
Brushes (good ones): $150
Trays and buckets: $50

But here's the kicker: that sprayer needs maintenance. I budget $500 a year for repairs and replacement parts. Rollers? Replace the sleeves and you're golden.

Paint Usage: The Truth

Spraying uses 20-30% more paint. Fact. I've measured it job after job. That overspray isn't going on your walls; it's floating away or settling on your masking. On a typical house exterior, that's an extra $400-600 in paint alone.

My Hard-Won Tips for DIYers

If You're Going to Spray

Start small: Don't make your house the learning project. Practice on your fence, your garage, something that won't matter if you stuff it up.

Rent before you buy: Hire a decent sprayer for a weekend. If you don't end up covered in paint with overspray on everything you own, maybe you're ready to invest.

The 80/20 rule: You'll spend 80% of your time prepping and 20% actually spraying. If that ratio bothers you, stick to rolling.

If You're Rolling

Invest in quality: A $40 roller sleeve will change your life. I use Purdy or Wooster. Worth every cent.

The wet edge is everything: Never let your edge dry. Work in manageable sections. In summer, that might mean sections half the size you'd do in winter.

Two thin coats beat one thick coat: Every. Single. Time. I don't care what the paint tin says about "one coat coverage."

Special Considerations for Kiwi Conditions

The Coastal Challenge

Salt air is a paint killer. If you're within 500 metres of the coast, here's what you need to know:

Spraying in coastal areas is risky because salt particles in the air affect paint adhesion
Always use a primer, even if the paint says it doesn't need it
Expect to repaint 2-3 years sooner than inland properties

The Four Seasons in One Day Problem

Classic New Zealand weather, right? I've started jobs in brilliant sunshine and finished in horizontal rain. For this reason alone, I often choose rolling. You can stop instantly if the weather turns. With spraying, once you've mixed your paint and loaded the machine, you're committed.

The Professional's Verdict

After 15 years, thousands of jobs, and every mistake in the book, here's my bottom line:

Spraying is brilliant when:

You have the right conditions
The prep time is justified
You need a flawless finish
You have the skills (or budget for someone who does)

Rolling wins when:

You're working in occupied spaces
Weather is unpredictable
You need precise control
You're on a tight budget

But here's the real secret: the best painters I know use both. I'll spray the weatherboards and roll the windows. Spray the cabinet boxes and brush the frames. It's not about choosing sides; it's about choosing the right tool for each part of the job.

The Bottom Line

Look, I could spray everything if I wanted to. I've got all the gear, and after fifteen years, I can lay down paint like butter on warm toast. But you know what? Half my jobs are still done with rollers and brushes. Why? Because that's what makes sense for the client, the conditions, and the outcome they're after.

My advice? If you're a DIYer, start with rolling. Master that first. It's more forgiving, the skills transfer to other projects, and you won't accidentally paint your neighbour's cat. If you're hiring a professional, ask them to explain why they're recommending spray or roll for your specific job. If they can't give you a detailed answer based on your unique situation, find someone else.

One Last Yarn

Best job I ever did? A little bach in Coromandel. Nothing fancy. The owner, an old timer, specifically requested brush and roller only. Took me a week. Could've sprayed it in two days. But you know what? The slight texture from the roller gave it character. The brush marks around the windows showed it was hand-painted with care. Five years later, he still calls me to tell me how good it looks.

Sometimes it's not about the fastest or the smoothest. Sometimes it's about the right.