Disclosure: This DIY post and the feeling of satisfaction that came from finishing something–ANYthing–were sponsored by HomeRight, who provided the Finish Max Fine Finish Paint Sprayer for my review.
We all know the feeling, right? You write up a huge to-do list and start the day with the best intentions, but by day’s end you’re exhausted, the kids still have energy to burn and the to-do list is, well, it’s probably wherever your keys and left shoe are.
Or is that just me?
Since the kids came along, my formerly crafty self has hit a wall. I can’t seem to start, let alone finish, anything lately. It’s so frustrating. But that’s about to change. The folks at HomeRight felt my pain and sent me a Finish Max Fine Finish Paint Sprayer with the hope of making my DIY dreams a little easier (or even possible.) Here’s how it went down:
I had this old white cabinet that I was keeping my gardening tools in. It had gotten a little funky from sitting outside. Plus, I’ve done neutrals for years, and now I’m totally craving color, so I got the itch to paint!
See? Boring. And quick to show dirt.
First, a good scrub and light sanding. Then, I decided on a self-priming Olympic outdoor latex paint in a cheery tomato red, which had to be thinned to put in the Finish Max. I had never thinned paint before, and I wasn’t quite sure how to do it (but it’s a common step in using most paint sprayers.)
Even though I’m terrible with reading directions (I usually just jump in and get started during those precious naptime minutes, relying on the directions for troubleshooting) I did use the paint thinning chart in the manual, following directions for enamel paint. It just needed to be mixed with a tiny bit of water at a time until it flowed through that little blue cup down there in the number of seconds indicated. Note: The Finish Max can also be used with polyurethane, clear sealer, primer, stain and varnish.
At first, I got speckles, like this:
That meant I needed to add a little more water, and once I did, the spray was perfect. I went from in-the-box to a good, steady spray in about 10 minutes.
It’s pretty fine, but you can sort of see it here. You can also turn that part where the paint is coming out to adjust the width and intensity of the spray, and adjusting the trigger control knob can change your spray pattern from 1″ to 6″ wide.
My biggest surprise was how little overspray there was. The paint covered really quickly and precisely (which is good, because I tape about as well as I read instructions.) Here’s a short video that will show you what I mean:
After one coat, the coverage was a little sparse. It was thinned, after all, so I expected that.
Did I mention I did all this with the kids? Yup. My son was all up in the project, inspecting my work, and for the first full coat, my daughter was on my back in the Ergo. The whole first coat took about 10 minutes, so there was barely time for them to realize Mommy was busy and need a snack. 🙂
Spraying took way, way less time than painting with a brush would have. Of course you have to clean out the sprayer, but that’s easy enough. There are only a few pieces to take apart and rinse, and then you spray soapy water through the paint nozzle. Done.
We did 3 coats total, and the coverage was great. Nice and even, no drips. And when I was done, I let my son help me paint the inside of the drawer with a fun Valspar green. These funky sample colors catch my eye every time, and now that I have the Finish Max, I can start adding tons of color to all those yard sale finds that have been waiting since, oh…before my daughter was born.
So here it is, all done. The only thing that held up progress was a little rain, but the Finish Max made it super easy to turn my idea into reality quickly! And we all know how important it is to save time where we can, right?
Now I totally understand the benefits of using a paint sprayer over a can a spray paint:
- More control with customizable paint spray and coverage
- Unlimited choices for paint colors! Go crazy!
- Overall cost savings
- Fewer cans to throw away
Check out the HomeRight Finish Max Fine Finish Sprayer or the new Finish Max PRO and turn your next idea into a finished project, too! HomeRight has tons of other products to help you take on your DIY to-do list, so stop by HomeRight.com and follow them here for tips, ideas and current promotions:
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Next up: Restaining our deck! Do you think I can do it? What’s your next DIY project?
It came out awesome. You must be so happy with it! It looks great.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) recently posted…15 Simple Entertaining Recipes
It came out SO cute. And I love the pop of color on the inside of the drawer. Great idea!
Tracie recently posted…The Goldfinch And My Inability To Give One Sentence Book Descriptions
Well, that sure made it more fresh & fun.
Robin {Mom Foodie} recently posted…Grilled Stuffed Chicken Italiano Recipe #WWStringIt
I absolutely love your finished product! So bright and cheery! I love paint sprayers and I need a new one! Checking this out!!
Laurie – Steals and Deals for Kids recently posted…Daddy & Me Matching Ties for Dads and Boys $9.99 {reg. $16.99}
I have about a million, um, a few projects to paint. I have been wanting to get a sprayer. Thanks for this review- I wanted a real persons honest opinion. I’m excited, now about the projects I can get done!
Wendy recently posted…8 Ways to Avoid Raising A Bully
Do Did A Great Job This Sprayer Is What I Need So Easy To Use Great Results Thank You!
Pretty decent job it did. I like the way it sprays and easy cleanup
Well, is that not the cutest thing!! You did a fantastic job fixing this up. 🙂
Deanna Ritz recently posted…Pretty Pintastic Party #5
I love the way it turned out! I had been considering buying a paint sprayer for my crafty furniture projects, and I think you convinced me.
thsat turned out amazing, how cute it that! Sounds like an amazing tool!
Mama to 5 BLessings recently posted…Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes & Icing
Oh the things that I could do with this wonderful tool! I painted my first room on my own this year, only a few months before we moved out of our home, unexpectedly. I want to paint so many other things – right now! lol
Now, that is awesome! Love the colors and it looks so easy to do. I have a bunch of items I could definitely use that paint sprayer for!
Lois Alter Mark recently posted…win david gray’s beautiful new album, “mutineers”
Looks great. I love DIY projects and look forward to doing more.
Francine @ Teresa’s Family Cleaning recently posted…3 Benefits of Power Washing
how cute is that. I love finding great furniture pieces that yo can revive .
this is totally something i would do. love the color
janet recently posted…This Weekend K-LOVE FAN AWARDS
Wow! Now that looks awesome! What great color too, that really does pop!
Dawn Lopez recently posted…Cool Off with Mix and Match Ice Cream Deal at Safeway
Oh wow, what a transformation! That is absolutely beautiful, well done 🙂
Danielle recently posted…Turn Your Manicured Lawn into an Edible One
Wow love it, and love you painted it in red looks gorgeous. I need to visit homeright, I’ve their steamer and love it I think it’s time for some new products!
That made it so much easier and did a great job. Love the knobs for the color pop too!
Liz Mays recently posted…Easy Party Planning #PartyBlooms
I just got this huge grin on my face! This is so awesome! I can’t wait to get this!
WeWe were talking about a paint sprayer today for out walls.
Debi recently posted…The 7 Day Challenge from Tula
I so want a paint sprayer!!
We have to redo the fence on both sides of our property and that would cut our work in half!
Love the orange on the cabinet.
How was the clean up with the sprayer?
Totally easy! I probably picked one of the hardest colors for cleanup, but overall it wasn’t hard. They recommend spraying some soapy water through the sprayer until it comes through clean, and that really helped a lot.
Wow that cabinet looks amazing! The color looks great and it gives me hope for a DIY project around my house!