If you look beyond the polished wood and plaster in your home, you’ll find that plastic is still used a lot, even on brand-new properties. In fact it’s only older buildings that lack it entirely, and many of those have had UPVC window frames and plastic guttering installed over the years.
There’s no denying the versatility of plastic, but to some these surfaces can be a bit of an eyesore. Although they take a long time to fade, they can become dirty or damaged, ruining the look of your home. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution that doesn’t involve replacing them.
Can you Paint Plastic?
You absolutely can! But you need the right paint for the job. Plastic surfaces are very smooth, so using a regular emulsion paint or other water-based paint will lead to a streaky or thin finish that looks worse than if you’d left it alone.
But before we explain which paints you can use for plastic, let’s first talk about the plastic surfaces you can paint.
The Best Plastic Surfaces to Paint
The most common plastic surfaces are UPVC windows and window frames. We’ve talked about window paint in the past – how it can make your windows look unique, adding curb appeal or revitalising a tired surface.
An often-overlooked paintable surface is your guttering. Although designed to blend into your roofing and walls, dirty or damaged guttering can be a serious eyesore. Few people will paint them a colour other than black, but if you want to do something bold, we’ll help you do it.
Although they pride themselves on quality, IKEA furniture still uses a lot of plastic. Chairs, tables, and even some of their larger items can be plastic or plastic-coated. If you want yours to look unique, or they just need a freshen up, a paint for plastic is the way to do it.
Last but not least is your plastic garden furniture. When exposed to the elements they easily become coated with dirt, grime, or something worse if you have a lot of birds in your garden. Now is the best time to repaint them before you start entertaining in spring and summer.
That’s quite a lot of options! To get the most out of your decorating budget, you need a plastic paint that you can trust. Don’t worry, Paintmaster has the best.
The Best Paint for Plastic
In order to stick to the smooth surface, you need paint with a strong adhesion. Like we mentioned earlier, a regular paint won’t be able to stick to the surface, and will come off quickly. You should be cautious when choosing a paint for plastic, as some may look like they work, but after a month or two it starts to look worn.
Specialist paints are best for plastic. These have strong adhesion that makes them right for the job, and have a durable finish that makes them work both inside and outside your home.
We have paint that is specifically designed for UPVC window frames. This is our specialist cladding paint, one of the toughest in our range of paints. If you want to revitalise your windows and window frames, look no further. Our cladding paint can be water-based, or an oil-based cladding paint, giving you more options for your surfaces.
You can improve both the adhesion and the final finish of your paint by pairing it with a primer. This is recommended for most painting projects, but many people still skip this step. Our GripMaster primer is designed to cling to the unpainted surface, creating a better canvas for you to paint onto. This means that you get bolder colour, better sheen, and additional toughness – a quality primer can add multiple years to your paint, saving you a fortune.
So now you have your paint, it’s time we explain how best to use it.
How to Paint Plastic Surfaces
The exact best method for painting plastic will vary depending on what you’re painting. For example, if you’re painting IKEA furniture, you may have a lot of large, open spaces that suit a roller better than a brush. You’ll also be able to keep the item away from other surfaces while you paint, so protecting them with masking tape is less necessary, but sheets are still recommended.
But here’s everything you’ll need for 99% of your painting projects:
- Paint
- Dust Sheets (or plastic sheets if you have them)
Let’s get started.
STEP ONE – Prepare the Room
Even the most careful painters can’t avoid some splashes of paint, or the occasional spillage. That’s why you should remove all furniture away from where you’re painting, and cover walls and floors with sheets as thoroughly as possible. This can be a hassle, but it’s better than having to remove paint from walls.
STEP TWO – Prepare the Surface
Equally as important, you need to make sure the surface is ready for paint. If there are any imperfections, they’ll show through even multiple layers of paint and primer.
You should clean the plastic surface as thoroughly as you can before you begin. Thankfully plastic is easy to clean, so a bit of soapy water and some elbow grease will be plenty.
However, if you spot any damage, no amount of paint will fix it. If there are cracks, dents, or splits, you should address them first before you paint or you’ll only make them more noticeable.
Some plastics are rough, but can be sanded down with your sandpaper. This can feel like a lot of effort, but the results are more than worth it.
STEP THREE – Prime the Surface
Once the surface is clean, apply an even layer of primer to the surface. Depending on the size of the surface, you’ll either be using a paint brush or a combination of brush and roller. Paint rollers are better for flat, open surfaces, while your brush will handle the edges and tricky bits.
STEP FOUR – Paint your Plastic
Now for the fun part. Your dry layer of primer will make the paint much easier to apply.
Use your brush and/or roller in the same way, making sure to overlap each stroke to ensure even coverage. The paint you use will determine how many layers are needed, and drying times can vary – consult the manufacturer’s recommendation before you start planning so it doesn’t need to be put on hold before you’re done.
STEP FIVE – Admire your Work
Once the final layer has dried, take a step back and admire your freshly painted plastic surfaces. How does it look?
The UK’s Most Trusted Paint Supplier
Plastic is a material not often painted. Instead we choose to focus on our floors, walls, ceilings, and wood and metal more than plastic. But they’re still parts of our home, so they need some attention every now and then. If you choose a quality plastic paint from us, and follow our guide, we guarantee that you’ll get the best results.
If you have any questions about us or any of our painting products or painting accessories, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
FAQ's
Can you paint a plastic bath?
Yes, plastic baths can be painted using specialist bath or bathroom paint kits. The surface must be thoroughly cleaned, degreased, and lightly sanded. Proper ventilation and curing time are essential for a durable, water-resistant finish.
Can you paint a plastic front door?
When painting plastic front doors (uPVC front doors) good surface preparation and weather-appropriate painting conditions are key to a long-lasting results. Just like painting anything you need to sand the front doors and then add a multi-purpose primer, and then use a durable water-resistant external paint such as our oil-based gloss paint.
Can you paint plastic garden furniture?
Yes, plastic garden furniture can be painted. Clean thoroughly, sand lightly, apply a primer suitable for plastic, and use an exterior paint paint suitable for plastic like our oil based cladding paint. This helps prevent peeling and fading in outdoor conditions.
Can you paint plastic guttering?
Painting plastic gutters can be difficult as you need to clean all the dirt and algae before you start. Once you’ve don’t that you’ll need to lightly sand the gutters and apply a multipurpose primer, before using an exterior durable paint for guttering.
Can you paint plastic plant pots?
Painting plastic plant pots is a great way of making your plants stand out in your garden. The basic brown and black plastic plant pots tend to blend in to the surroundings, so adding a bright paint really makes a difference. To add paint to your plat pots you need to lightly sand them, then add a coating of primer, and most importantly use a durable waterproof exterior paint that can be applied to plastic, such as our fence paint.
Can you paint plastic window frames?
Painting plastic window frames (uPVC window frames) can be important for the look of your home, as the defaulted white window frames might not be the look you’re going for. Proper preparation is important when painting uPVC windows which means properly cleaning, a light sanding, and applying a primer suitable for plastic. Once your window frames are prepped then you can use any interior paint for plastic.
How to remove paint from plastic?
You can remove fresh paint from plastic using warm soapy water but you’ll need rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, or a specialist plastic-safe paint remover for older dried paint. Always test any product on a small, hidden area first to avoid damaging the plastic.
Will acrylic paint stick to plastic?
If you paint plastic with acrylic paint with no prep at all, then the paint is likely to chip or peel. To avoid this you need to use sand paper to make the plastic less smooth and create a texture for the acrylic paint to adhere to, and we also recommend using a primer.