Painting a LOT of white trim (or: "Should I buy an airless sprayer for home use?")

[Adam Herman]

I'm telling ya, that Graco X5 at $300 puts down paint as well as any pro rig I have ever rented. But as to the original question, best to stick to brush and roller for a novice especially if the house is not empty. But use a good self leveling paint like Sherwin Williams Pro Classic Interior Acrylic Latex Enamel.

we have the x5 as well, and it works great. We painted every surface of our remodel flat white after demo was done.

[Tom M King]

With airless, the gun is more important than the pump. You don't need a 3.3 gpm pump unless you're a pro. I'm still using a twenty five year old pump. A few years ago, the old gun finally got past the point of aggravation. I had bought an air assisted airless Graco, and it was nice, but after buying the latest model gun for the airless that uses the same Fine Finish tips that the aaa rig used, I sold the aaa rig while I could get close to what I paid for it.

The newer guns, with the Fine Finish tips, allow you to spray with less pressure. The old guns would put heavy edges on the fan if you turned the pressure down much below max. The aaa uses compressed air to blow those heavy edges out, but the FF tips almost do away with that problem. I'd even suggest buying a pump off craigslist, and buying a new Graco Contractor gun for it. Use the recommended tip size that's on the S-W paint can or bucket.

Use a 1/4" 15 or 25 foot hose in a house. Do start with Pro Classic. Put on less than you think you need. It takes WAY more time to try to get coverage with a coat, and end up with runs and sags. In small rooms, practice passes first. If you bump your elbow in something like a closet or bathroom, you can make a big mess in a hurry.

I almost always use an extension. It gets you out of the bounce-back, will reach a ceiling while standing on the floor, or keep you from having to bend over. If I'm spraying anything over a quart, I'll almost always use airless.
I almost always use a tip extension. Even when spraying cabinets, I'll use a 6" extension. It gets you back out of the bounce-back. Longer extensions can reach a ceiling, or keep you from having to bend over.

If I'm spraying anything over a quart, I'll almost always use airless.

Since there is no air in the system, you can leave the paint in the pump and lines until you finish the job. I take the tip out and clean it, and drop the gun in a bucket of water until tomorrow. Shoot some Argon on top of the paint if you have it, and put a lintfree cloth over the paint.

Do the trim first, walls second, get the thin wall drapes with tape attached to drape the walls, and do the ceilings last. It's harder to mask a ceiling.

In a city, I push the last paint out of the hose down a garbage disposer with water running wide open. At home, I spray it out on the grass outside the shop, and it's gone after a couple of grass cuttings. You can spray it in a bag, and put some paint hardener in it, but do that outside the first time. Keep running clear water through it until it runs clear, and leave Pump Armor in it. Pump Armor is not cheap, but I've not been in my pump since I bought it in the early '90s.

[Tom M King]

Also, I almost always use an extension. It keeps you out of the bounce-back, allows you to reach the ceiling from the floor, and from having to bend over. They come in a wide range of lengths.

With airless, there can be no hesitation ANYWHERE. You've got to be ready to go, and go from the start.