How to Spray Elastomeric Coating Without Burning Out Your Pump — A Contractor’s Field Guide

By Nnanna Otuonye, SprayersAndParts.com  |  2026  |  Contractor Technique

Elastomeric coating is the most demanding material most airless sprayers will ever see. It is thick, viscous, abrasive, and unforgiving of shortcuts. It also happens to be one of the highest-margin jobs in the commercial and residential exterior market. Contractors who master it win work that most painters won’t bid. Contractors who don’t respect it burn through spray equipment at a rate that destroys any margin the job might have had.

What Elastomeric Does to Your Equipment

Elastomeric coating has viscosity of 80,000–120,000 cps compared to 15,000–30,000 cps for exterior latex. The pump works substantially harder, generating more heat in the fluid section and wearing the packings faster. The three components elastomeric chews through most aggressively: pump packings, spray tips, and the intake valve seat.

Pump Packings

Under normal latex workloads, a packing kit lasts 12–18 months. Under regular elastomeric workloads, expect 6–9 months. The thick material exerts more shear force on the packings with every stroke, and higher operating temperatures accelerate wear on leather components.

Spray Tips

A standard RAC X SwitchTip shows measurable wear after approximately 40–50 gallons of elastomeric material — roughly half the lifespan of the same tip on standard latex. At $18–$22 per tip, plan to replace twice as often on elastomeric operations. The full range of RAC X tips for elastomeric applications covers orifice sizes from .025 through .031, which are the correct sizes for this material class.

Intake Valve Seat

Abrasive particles in elastomeric compounds accelerate wear on the tungsten carbide intake valve seat (part 239922). A worn seat causes a won’t-prime failure after service. Always replace 239922 alongside the packing kit on any machine running regular elastomeric work.

Equipment Selection

The minimum specification for regular elastomeric spraying is a machine capable of at least 0.60 GPM flow and accepting a .027 or larger tip. In practical terms this means the Graco Ultra Max II 695 or larger. The 695’s 2.0 HP brushless motor and Endurance Chromex pump are built for sustained thermal workloads — see the full Graco Ultra Max II 695 parts list including the 248212 packing kit and Chromex pump options before setting up for a production elastomeric schedule.

The Ultra 395 PC can spray elastomeric but runs at the top of its design envelope. For occasional elastomeric jobs the 395 handles it adequately. For businesses where elastomeric represents 20% or more of work volume, the 695 pays back quickly in reduced maintenance cost and motor life.

Tip Selection for Elastomeric

Do not use FFLP (Fine Finish Low Pressure) tips for elastomeric work. They are designed for low-viscosity fine finish materials and will clog immediately or produce an unusable pattern with thick coating.

Spray Technique

• Gun distance from surface: 10–12 inches (closer than standard latex)
• Stroke speed: slower — the material needs time to build film thickness
• Overlap: 50% minimum — elastomeric shrinks as it dries, and light coverage shows
• Spray angle: perpendicular to the surface at all times

On rough stucco and masonry, two coats at normal film build produce more consistent coverage than one coat at double thickness. Forcing thick single-coat application on irregular surfaces tends to produce voids that show through the dried film.

Post-Job Maintenance on Elastomeric

1. Flush immediately — elastomeric begins setting in 20 minutes on a warm day.
2. Warm water flush on water-based elastomeric until water runs clear.
3. Strain every bucket through 30-mesh strainer before loading — coarse particles and skin cause immediate tip clogs.
4. Replace gun filters after every elastomeric job — standard flushing doesn’t fully clear heavy-viscosity residue from fine filter mesh.
5. Fill TSL wet cup to full before storing the machine.See More

Parts to Keep On Hand for Elastomeric Operations

All parts listed are genuine Graco OEM. The complete range of elastomeric-compatible parts — 248212 packing kit, 239922 seat, gun filters, and RAC X tips — is available on our Graco paint sprayer parts page with same-day shipping from Houston, TX before 1pm CST. Call 713-931-4102 to confirm the correct kit for your machine generation.