Description
Prepare, finish, and protect interior and exterior surfaces by cleaning, repairing, priming, and applying paints, stains, and protective coatings with brushes, rollers, and spray equipment. Mix and match colors, ensure proper film build and curing, and maintain safety and quality standards.
- • Inspect surfaces and application to detect defects; adjust technique or settings.
- • Check paint viscosity and flow by visual tests or viscometer.
- • Measure and mix paints, coatings, and additives per specifications.
- • Set air pressure, fluid flow, and spray patterns on guns and equipment.
- • Start and stop spray and ventilation equipment safely.
- • Document colors, batches, materials used, and job conditions.
- • Operate sanders, mixers, pressure washers, and drying equipment.
- • Fill spray cups, pots, or paint trays with materials.
- • Mask, cover, and prepare adjacent areas to protect from overspray.
- • Attach and adjust hoses, tips, and nozzles on spray equipment.
- • Remove masking and stage finished items after curing.
- • Inspect coated surfaces for coverage, thickness, adhesion, and finish.
- • Apply coatings with spray gun, brush, or roller to specified mils.
- • Use heat lamps, infrared ovens, or ventilators to aid drying.
- • Prime bare or repaired substrates.
- • Apply undercoats, sealers, caulk, and rust inhibitors as required.
- • Sand, de-nib, polish, or buff finishes to achieve final sheen.
- • Clean tools, spray equipment, and work areas.
- • Disassemble, clean, and reassemble spray guns and pumps.
- • Dispose of paints, solvents, and rags according to regulations.
- • Fill holes, cracks, and imperfections with putty; sand smooth.
- • Tint and match colors using formulas, scanners, or samples.
- • Monitor for runs, sags, orange peel, blisters, or streaks and correct causes.
- • Use ladders, scaffolds, or lifts to access work areas safely.
- • Remove grease, dirt, old paint, and rust using solvents, abrasives, or blasting.
- • Sand between coats and apply sealers or clear coats as specified.
- • Set up ventilators, exhaust units, drop cloths, ladders, and scaffolding.
- • Spray or brush on primers and finish coats to coverage and finish requirements.
- • Hand-paint trim or touch-up areas unreachable by spray.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
