How to paint (and last!)

Whether you have some lawn furniture that’s been getting better and better or a kid’s toy that’s worn out with use, knowing how to paint plastic means you can bring it back to life. new for an item (instead of saying goodbye too soon).

Plastic is one of the more difficult surfaces to paint because of its smooth surface, and plastic reacts to heat more easily by expanding and contracting, so it is more prone to cracking or peeling over time.

By being a little more careful, you can get a new paint job that looks great (and will last longer) than if you rushed it and skipped the paint job right away.

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I drew my daughter’s plastic slide on Mid-century DIY makeover I made it for her, and this plastic is the most beaten up of any item possible. It is located directly in the sun, so there is a lot of swelling and shrinking with the weather.

Plus it’s outside in winter and all the other factors, and there are kids literally sliding down and climbing on it almost every day. It has to be applied once, but you can easily renew the coat as needed.

And when you paint a plastic object in your home or use it more gently in a sheltered space, you can imagine how long the paint job will remain pristine.

Prepare your area before painting: Spray painting is always best done outside whenever possible because of the smoke and excessive glue spray. Check the temperature requirements in the paint can that are not too cold for the paint to set.

Lay down a tarp, plastic sheet, or a large piece of cardboard to protect your lawn/yard—the paint soaks into the cardboard easily, so that’s what I usually use.

Paint tips! If there are areas you don’t want to paint (or want to paint in a different color), tape those areas back up with painter’s tape or wrap plastic wrap around them and use painter’s tape to keep that plastic in place.

Munition:

Step one: Clean the surface with a scrub brush. Using it dry first will remove any loose or peeling paint if the item has been previously painted, and wiping it again with a little soapy water will also remove surface dirt. .

If the item is outdoor furniture, you may need some elbow grease to remove areas with mold or algae growth.

Step two: Polish your item with fine sandpaper. Since most plastic is smooth, you’ll want to roughen the surface a bit to allow the paint to adhere.

Fine sandpaper will roughen the smooth surface without leaving any rough marks, so be sure to keep the surface smooth.

Third step: Remove sanding dust. Now that your piece has a rougher surface, make sure to remove all the sanding dust so that there is no barrier between the paint and the item so they can adhere well.

Use a dry cloth to remove most of the dust first, and then use a wet rag soaked in mineral alcohol or isopropyl alcohol to trap the last particles.

Step four: Paint with primer. Lay your item flat on cardboard or tarp and spray it with a thin even coat of primer.

Continue going in one direction in a close zig-zag pattern (don’t go against where you sprayed). Allow to dry completely according to can instructions before proceeding.

Paint tips! Spray a test material first to make sure the paint is mixed well enough, or not past the expiration date if it’s a paint you’ve used a bit. Sometimes the nozzle on the sprayer can become clogged, which you can usually fix by removing the nozzle and soaking it in mineral solution or paint thinner for a few hours before reinstalling.

If you’re just starting to spray your item right away, you may get a thick layer of spray that you can’t really fix while it’s spraying, so it’s better to test it first to Make sure it sprays out evenly and smoothly.

Step five: Spray paint with your final color. Plastic is waterproof and doesn’t absorb paint like most other materials do, so you really have to add a light coating to prevent dripping.

Patience and lightly paint coats at a time, waiting for an appropriate drying time between coats in the direction of paint until the entire item is covered.

Paint tips! Make sure not to spray too closely! Hold the can 8-12″ from the item and tilt it down at a 45° angle to spray light coats of paint.

How to paint Plastic paint tips:

• If the item is something that has been handled or aged, wait a few days for it to be completely cured before using it.
• If you feel the paint is a bit rough in spots, you can use extra fine sandpaper to gently smooth those spots in a gentle circular motion once the paint is 100% dry. Then, wipe off the paint dust with a dry cloth and then a wet cloth (just wet it with water).
• Remember to shake the paint can often so that the paint is evenly mixed.
• When you’re running low on cans, don’t use the last of the paint. It tends to run out near the end, so just leave the last in the can.

Here you have it! Now you can become your own plastic painting expert and refresh the plastic items in your home to give them a whole new life. so so. Laura