With the sun’s steady re-emergence, you’re probably bringing out the garden furniture. But sadly, despite the enriching shimmer of spring colours that delight you ever so much, you’ve come to find that your chairs and table look old and washed out. Under the effects of the sun and the weather, your plastic furniture (PVC or resin) has simply yellowed or dulled and lost its original shade. Rather than replace them, especially if they are still in good condition, why not revamp your old plastic furniture with a little DIY? Indeed it’s quite possible to repaint all your garden furniture to either renovate, or simple change up the colours. There are two methods recommended for painting outdoor plastic furniture, here they are…

Coloured plastic chairsJojoandeloise

 

A good base

Before painting, it is imperative to prepare the furniture, to make sure it is clean, dust-free and thoroughly dry. To start, wash the furniture with soapy water, rinse thoroughly, let it dry, and then degrease it with a cloth soaked in white vinegar or alcohol. The next step is to lightly sand the furniture with steel wool to ensure better adhesion of the paint to the plastic and wipe it down with a clean cloth to remove the dust. The stand is now ready to be painted.

 

Method No 1: Specialized paint

In DIY stores, you can buy specific plastic paint; it will be UV and weather resistant. Its main advantage is that it doesn’t need a base layer, that is to say, it can be applied to the furniture directly. The down side is that your colour choices will be more limited. How to proceed? Shake the can before opening it, and once the lid is removed, mix the paint with a stick. Apply the paint using a small roller or short-haired brush depending on the surface you’re covering. You can also use a gun; to do this, simply dilute the paint with about 10% white spirit. Let dry according to the manufacturer's recommendation before adding a second coat. Twenty-four hours later, your garden furniture should be dry and ready for use.

Green paint on a plastic tableMr.Bricolage jardinage

 

Method No 2: Acrylic paint

You can also use a satin acrylic paint to paint your plastic furniture, however, it will be necessary to add a few steps to the renovation/makeover. The advantage of using regular paint is of course the variety of available colours. What are the steps? The first is to apply a coat of acrylic primer. Once the drying time is respected, start over and add a second coat. Once the base is dry, you can apply the first coat of satin acrylic paint. Once again, respect the drying time before adding a second layer. In order to protect the paint from the elements, you will need to complete the process with a matte acrylic varnish.

Before and after painted plastic furnitureJojoandeloise

 

Your plastic garden furniture has regained its shine, for both your pleasure and that of your guests. To top it all off, if you have a creative soul, there’s nothing to prevent you from customizing furniture with several colours, polka-dots, stripes, or even patterns using stencils. The choices are infinite, now it’s your move!

 

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