Categories: Outdoor

The Best Paints for Plastic

Published by
James marcus

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″>

Nothing beats a fresh coat of paint in an attractive, new color to revive those dingy, faded, plastic objects around your house and yard. DIYers love to update inexpensive plastic items from thrift stores or dollar stores, transforming them into on-trend home decor.

For satisfactory results on your next plastic painting project, you’ll want to find a quality paint that’s formulated to cover plastic surfaces and learn the painting techniques and types of paint that yield good adhesion and a smooth finish on plastic.

Plastic can be a tricky surface to paint successfully, but modern paint products available on the market make painting plastic an easy job that offers pleasing results. With these paints, you’ll learn to love your plastic items again. Fortunately, this guide can help you find the best paint for plastic; read on for advice and recommendations.

  1. BEST OVERALL: Krylon Fusion For Plastic Aerosol Spray Paint
  2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Krylon Fusion All-in-One Spray Paint
  3. BEST OUTDOOR: Rust-Oleum Paint for Plastic Spray
  4. BEST FOR PLASTIC TOYS: Iris & Olivia Acrylic Paint Markers Set
  5. BEST FOR PLASTIC FENCE: Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover
  6. BEST FOR AUTO PARTS: Rust-Oleum Automotive 11-Ounce Paint

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Paint for Plastic

If your next DIY project involves painting plastic, you’ll want to purchase high-quality paint for the job. Will your finished project be in a humid or a damp environment? Do you want a high-sheen finish or a matte finish? Is it a large job or a small job, requiring more or less paint? How long will it take for the paint to dry? These are considerations you’ll need to keep in mind as you shop for the best paint for plastic.

Quality of Paint

Paint is composed of four main ingredients: pigments, resins, solvents, and other additives. Pigments are fine particles that give paint its color and allow it to cover and adhere to a surface. Resins bind pigment particles together, and solvent is the carrier that binds resins and pigments. Other additives promote desirable qualities, such as resistance to mildew or scratches.

In high-quality paints, there are more pigments and resins with less solvent. When the paint dries and the solvent evaporates, you are left with a thicker, more durable surface.

Low-quality paints contain more solvents and fewer pigments and resins. The dried finish from low-quality paints is not as tough, and coverage is not as smooth and long-lasting.

Resistance to Moisture and Water

Kitchens and bathrooms tend to have more humidity and condensation than other areas of your home, so moisture-resistant paints are beneficial in these spaces. If you’re painting an item for outdoor use, you’ll want it to be water-resistant as well. Exposure to moisture and water can cause paint to crack and peel.

For high-moisture areas, choose paints that have a high sheen value, such as satin, gloss, and semi-gloss finishes. These paints dry to a hard finish that creates resistance to moisture. An additional bonus is that you can safely wash or scrub any satin or semi-gloss paint after it’s dried and cured.

Drying Time

When you’re spray-painting a plastic surface, the paint might feel dry to the touch in about 15 minutes, but you should allow for 30 minutes of drying time between coats. Paint dries best when the temperature is above 50 degrees and below 90 degrees. Make sure to provide good airflow and ventilation to aid in drying.

There is a difference between drying time and cure time. When paint is cured, it is 100 percent dry and has reached its maximum hardness. If you handle or use an object before the paint is cured, you can mar the surface of your newly-painted piece.

Check the product description or label information for the dry time and cure time of any paint that you plan to use.

Size of the Paint Can

The best way to paint plastic is with spray paint which is generally available in 12-ounce cans. A general rule is that 12 ounces of spray paint will cover 10 to 12 square feet of surface, but this is only an estimate.

Several factors influence how many 12-ounce cans of spray paint you’ll need for a project. Darker colors tend to require more paint than lighter colors to ensure good coverage. If you plan to paint a light color over a darker color, you’ll need more cans of spray paint. On the other hand, if you apply primer before painting your plastic-based project, it may require less paint for full coverage, depending on the color.

Material You Plan to Paint

In the past, plastic surfaces posed a problem for DIYers. Plastic is a tricky surface for adhesion, and paint may drip, smear, and chip. Today, several paint manufacturers offer paints that are specially formulated to provide solid adhesion and coverage with chip-resistant durability on plastic surfaces.

Spraying paint on your plastic surface provides the best coverage and leaves a smooth finish. It is possible to brush paint onto plastic, but it tends to smear, pool, and leave visible brush strokes. Priming the plastic surface before painting may make brushing more successful.

Before painting any plastic object, be sure the surface is clean and dry. With most spray paints that are formulated for plastic, you won’t need to sand or prime before painting.

Finish

Most spray paints formulated for plastic leave a gloss or a semi-gloss finish, but specialty finishes are available too. Metallic, hammered, textured, and camouflage finishes give new interest to old plastic items. Consider a specialty finish if you want to upcycle old plastic pieces to look like metal, stone, or other materials.

Metallic spray paints for plastic, feature colors such as gold, copper, nickel, bronze, and more. Hammered-finish spray paints are available in multiple color choices and leave a finish that resembles hammered metal.

Textured finishes in various colors may create the appearance of sand, stone, or metal. A camouflage finish transforms a surface into a variegated look in brown, green, khaki, or sand tones. Camouflage spray paint is especially useful for reviving your plastic hunting and sporting equipment.

Our Top Picks

Perk up your faded and worn plastic pieces―including patio furniture, fencing, toys, and automotive parts―with the best paint for plastic. The following recommendations suit a variety of indoor and outdoor applications, as well as budget considerations.

Tips for Using Paint for Plastic

For upcycle and DIY projects like painting plastic lawn furniture or planter pots, spray painting yields the most satisfactory results. As you shop for spray paint, read product descriptions to verify that the paint is recommended for use on plastic surfaces.

If your project involves precise, detailed painting on plastic toys, miniatures, or models, you may want to explore acrylic paints in markers or 1/4-ounce bottles. Markers allow you to paint as if you’re holding a pen, or you can use a detailing brush to apply acrylic paint from small bottles. The following tips will help you to achieve a long-lasting coat when painting plastic objects:

  • Be sure your surface is clean and dry before you begin painting.
  • Work outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
  • Apply several thin coats, allowing recommended drying time between coats.
  • If spray painting, cover the surrounding surfaces to protect them from overspray and hold the can 10 to 12 inches from the surface during application.

FAQs About the Best Paint for Plastic

With products specially formulated for painting plastic, you can infuse new life into old, faded, and discolored objects around your house and yard. The upcycling project ideas are endless for DIYers and casual home improvement buffs alike. Check out some of the most frequently asked questions and their informative answers to help you get started on your next painting project.

How do you spray paint plastic?

Use a spray paint that is intended for plastic, and apply several thin coats for full coverage without buildup.

What is the right kind of paint for outdoor plastic?

For outdoor plastic, you want reliable adhesion and resistance to moisture and mildew. Check product descriptions to discover which paints are formulated for outdoor plastic.

Does acrylic paint work on plastic?

Acrylic paint is suitable for small plastic miniatures, toys, and models. For durability, apply primer to your surface before painting, and finish the piece with a spray-on acrylic sealer.

Do you need to apply a primer when painting plastic?

Apply primer to plastic before painting with acrylic paint. Priming is not necessary when you use enamel or oil-based paint to coat plastic.

James marcus

Garden Courte is a blog written by [James Marcus], a passionate gardener and writer. She has been gardening for over 20 years and has a deep understanding of plants and how to care for them. In her blog, she shares her knowledge and experience with others, providing tips and advice on gardening, plant care, and more.

Share
Published by
James marcus

Recent Posts

DIY Turmeric Scrub for Hyperpigmentation

For all my beauties with dark inner thighs, armpits, bikini area and spots, etc, this…

1 year ago

Top 15 Cook Interview Questions and Answers

Are you a passionate cook aspiring to embark on a rewarding culinary journey? Whether you're…

1 year ago

What Color Walls Go With Grey Kitchen Cabinets [Schemes]

Discover the perfect wall colors to complement your grey kitchen cabinets, creating a harmonious and…

1 year ago

10×10 Kitchen Remodel Cost: Everything You Need to Know

Generally, a 10×10 kitchen remodel ranges from $15,000 to $45,000, but several factors could cause…

1 year ago

How Much Do Quartz Countertops Cost?

Sleek and durable, quartz countertops are the latest trend in kitchen and bathroom renovation. Comparable…

1 year ago

Australian IKEA Kitchen Design & Installation Costs

IKEA kitchens are designed to be as simple as possible to assemble and install yourself.…

1 year ago