The math on exterior lattice makes it one of the most inefficient surfaces to coat by hand. A four-foot by eight-foot panel of standard diagonal lattice has approximately 200 individual strip intersections, each with four exposed surfaces that a brush or roller cannot reach without repositioning for every face. Attempting to brush lattice completely produces either a project that takes all day and produces uneven coverage, or a project that takes an hour and leaves half the strip surfaces unpainted. The practical result of incomplete coverage on lattice is the same as incomplete coverage anywhere outdoors: exposed wood weathers fast, and the coated surfaces begin to peel as moisture infiltrates from the uncoated side.

Why Brush and Roller Methods Fail on Lattice Panels

Brush painting lattice requires painting four surfaces on every strip: front face, two narrow edges, and back face. For a strip running diagonally across the panel, that means reaching into the acute corners where strips cross with a small brush, flipping position to reach the back face, and repeating for every intersection. On a standard four-by-eight lattice panel, a thorough brush job takes 90 minutes to two hours per panel. Most painters who attempt this either give up on painting the back faces and edges or accept incomplete coverage as a practical compromise.

The result of incomplete coverage is predictable. The front face looks acceptable immediately after painting. The uncoated back face and edges absorb moisture from rain and humidity. Wood swells and contracts around those uncoated surfaces, and the paint on the front face begins to crack and peel at the strip edges within one to two seasons because it is bonded on one side to a wood surface that is moving more than the coated side.

Roller application on lattice is even less effective than brush application. A standard roller leaves paint primarily on the peaks of the surface it contacts: the front faces of the lattice strips. The narrow strip edges and back faces are completely missed, and the roller introduces enough paint to the front face that it begins to run into the gaps and leave drips at the bottom of the panel. Mini rollers with a three-inch frame can access more of the strip face but still miss the back and edges.

Brush application is appropriate for touching up, for painting individual damaged strips, or for applying paint to the edges of an installed panel where a sprayer would overspray onto adjacent siding. For a full panel coating, spraying is the practical solution.

Sprayer Settings for Painting Lattice Without Buildup

An airless sprayer with a 411 or 413 tip is the correct configuration for lattice. The first number indicates the fan width at 12 inches: a 4 indicates a 4-inch wide fan at standard distance, which is the tight pattern needed for the narrow strips without generating excess overspray. The second and third digits combined indicate the orifice size: 11 or 13 thousandths of an inch. This small orifice produces fine atomization at relatively low volume, delivering paint to the surface without the heavy application rate of larger tips designed for wall painting.

For maximum control, particularly when painting lattice that is already installed and near structures you do not want coated, a 311 tip reduces the fan width further to approximately three inches. This is especially useful when the lattice panel sits close to a wall surface, window trim, or other finished element where tight overspray control is needed.

Set pressure at 1,800 to 2,200 PSI for standard latex paint through a 411 tip. Higher pressure on this small a tip produces excessive atomization and significant overspray drift. The goal is not maximum atomization. It is controlled delivery at enough velocity to reach the back faces of the strips through the open areas of the lattice pattern.

Hold the sprayer at 10 to 14 inches from the panel surface. This distance is slightly closer than standard wall spraying to improve penetration into the lattice pattern and around the strip intersections. Spray in diagonal passes that follow the lattice strip direction, then spray in the opposite diagonal direction. Two passes at opposite angles ensures the paint reaches all four faces of the strips including the back, using the natural openings in the lattice pattern to allow the spray to travel through and coat the far side.

For HVLP sprayers, start with a 1.9mm nozzle for standard latex paint and thin the paint slightly with distilled water if the viscosity is too high for the fan to atomize cleanly. Floetrol added at about four ounces per gallon improves flow and extends open time for latex paint without thinning it to the point that the pigment load drops below effective coverage concentration. HVLP produces less overspray pressure than airless and is the better choice in confined spaces or when working near other surfaces that cannot be easily masked.

Painting Lattice Panels Before Installation vs In Place

Painting lattice before installation is the single most effective way to achieve complete coverage of all four faces on every strip. Lay the panel flat on sawhorses. Spray the front face and diagonal edges in the passes described above. Allow to dry according to the product’s recoat window, flip the panel, and spray the back face. With the panel flat and free of surrounding obstructions, both faces can be coated completely without masking concerns or overspray reaching adjacent surfaces.

Pre-installation painting eliminates the most difficult part of the in-place lattice coating problem: getting the back face. Once a lattice panel is mounted against a wall or fence, the back face is inaccessible. The wall or fence surface directly behind the lattice receives whatever paint makes it through the openings, and the back faces of the strips on the mounted side may get partial coating at best from spray passing through the gaps, but not the complete coat that pre-painting achieves.

For wood lattice, prime with a 100 percent acrylic exterior primer rated for wood substrates before applying the topcoat. Unprimed wood lattice soaks in the topcoat, producing thin, uneven coverage and a color that looks lighter and less saturated than the specified color. The primer seals the wood surface and establishes a base that the topcoat adheres to uniformly. Sand lightly with 120 to 150 grit before priming to remove any splinters or raised fibers from the manufacturing process.

Allow the primer to cure for the manufacturer’s recommended time before topcoating. Apply the topcoat in two thin coats rather than one heavy coat. Heavy single coats on lattice run at the strip intersections where paint accumulates, producing drips that are obvious from any angle. Two thin coats build adequate film thickness without the accumulation problem.

For vinyl lattice panels, no sanding is needed for adhesion, but cleaning with a TSP substitute solution before priming is essential. Vinyl surfaces accumulate mold release compounds from manufacturing and outdoor contaminants that interfere with paint adhesion. A clean vinyl surface accepts bonding primer well. Painting vinyl lattice requires using paint with an LRV of 55 or higher, or a VinylSafe formula, to prevent solar heat absorption that causes vinyl lattice to warp and deform at high temperatures.

Protecting Plants and Structures Behind Lattice During Painting

Lattice is typically installed as a decorative privacy screen, as a covering for utility areas under decks or porches, or as a support structure for climbing plants. Any plants growing on or behind the lattice panel present a specific masking challenge: the gaps in the lattice that allow the sprayer to reach the back face are the same gaps through which overspray reaches the plants.

Moving potted plants completely out of the spray zone before painting is the simplest solution. For plants in the ground that cannot be relocated, cover them with breathable landscape fabric or canvas drop cloth rather than plastic sheeting. Plastic sheeting overheats plants within one hour of direct sun exposure. Breathable fabric allows air circulation while blocking paint particles.

Wet the plant foliage lightly with water before beginning spray work. A light water coating on leaf surfaces causes paint overspray particles to bead and run off more easily than dry foliage, which holds paint particles in the leaf pores. After finishing the spray work, rinse the plant foliage immediately with clean water from a garden hose to remove any paint particles before they dry.

For climbing plants like wisteria, climbing roses, or clinging vines that have grown into and through the lattice, complete masking is impractical. In these cases, either remove the vines carefully before painting and reattach them after the paint cures, or use a brush to apply stain to individual strips in accessible areas and accept that the paint coverage will be less complete in areas blocked by dense vine growth.

Drape canvas drop cloth or heavy plastic sheeting along the base of the lattice panel to catch any drips from the panel surface or runs from over-application at the strip intersections. Lattice at eye level drips onto decking, patios, or landscaping below, and fresh paint drips on pavers or concrete are much easier to clean while still wet than after they have cured.

Structures immediately behind the lattice, such as deck framing, concrete walls, or siding, should be covered with plastic sheeting before spraying. Even with a controlled 411 tip, some paint travels through the lattice gaps and reaches whatever is behind the panel. A single sheet of three-mil plastic draped behind the panel protects these surfaces with minimal setup time.