Inside: Can you spray paint plastic out door chairs? Yes you can, and it will get you a few more years out of your chairs, but the type of paint matters! Learn what type of spray paint works best for plastic outdoor furniture.
One of my most popular posts is How to Spray Paint Plastic Outdoor Chairs and since so many people are searching for information on the topic, I wanted to give you all an update on how mine are holding up one year later.
It turns out that there is a spray paint for outdoor furniture and I’ll tell you which one worked best.
If you haven’t read the post about the original problem with my chalky residue plastic Adirondack chairs, you can get caught up right here, but let’s just say that even with a little bit of fading, they’re still way better than what I started with a year ago.
And they’ve been a lovely place to enjoy an adult beverage if I do say so myself 🙂
There they are, my spray painted plastic Adirondack chairs when I first painted them, and what they look like now.
Clearly you can see that the blue one held up quite nicely and the green one faded quite a bit.
Just to give you some background info, I live in sunny Southern California and keep these chairs outside where they endure a lot of sunshine.
So why did one fade and not the other?
Well I used 2 different types of Rust-Oleum spray paint and one did a much better job.
In my experience when using Rust-Oleum spray paint on something that you’re going to have outside, it’s best to use a satin finish.
For some reason it doesn’t fade as much (or really at all in this case) and keeps your plastic outdoor furniture looking nice for longer. Neither of the finishes chipped at all, which sort of surprised me.
So the answer to the burning question, “Can you spray paint plastic outdoor chairs?” is YES!
It works great and is a great way to add a huge pop of color to your backyard. And anytime you can save money and revamp something to give it new life it is worth a bit of time, right??
Wendy Bosler says
After painting our chairs, the paint chipped. We sanded and repainted but now the chairs are very rough. Is there any way to fix this?
Corey Willis says
Honestly I can’t say since I can’t see them, but it could just be that the plastic is too old. Giving a light sand with a very fine grit paper, a good wipe down and one more coat would be what I would try next.
Jen says
Use a higher grit sandpaper and it will turn out smoother. I would do a minimum of 220 grit sandpaper (it’ll likely still be a bit rough). The bigger the number of grit, the smoother the finish.
Corey Willis says
Thanks for the tip, Jen!
Wendy says
Thank you both. Fine sandpaper certainly helped
Thomas says
Do you think putting a clear coat on at the end such as an acrylic would work with this rustolem paint provide more protection against scratching and chipping?
Corey Willis says
Certainly Thomas. Krylon, Rustoleum, and Plastikote all make clear coat sprays that would work.
Jen says
I have white chairs similar to yours. And dirt and dust sticks to them and stains them up baddd. Even with a good scrubbing, they wont come clean. Are they easier to clean after you spray paint them? Or does the dirt and dust still stick to it?
Corey Willis says
My chairs didn’t seem to grab dirt as much after I painted them, Jen. I definitely think using a higher gloss will help this situation. Let me know how it goes!
Sheila says
Awesome tips! It’s April 2019 and it’s so awesome to ask Google…can I spray paint plastic Adirondack chairs!? And voila..there’s your blog answer! They internet is amazing! Now…can you please tell me how to spray paint old cushions that have faded haha….wishful thinking! They are sooo expensive to replace!!!!
Jessica says
Sheila you can spray paint cushions with any enamel spray paint. They will not be as soft as they were before but it is cheaper then buying new ones.
Terence Snoeberger says
Hi, I live in Indiana and would take mine in and stack them. Will the paint scrap off, stacking and installing? Thanks in advance for your reply. I know what you mean about prep. If you thoroughly clean them , chipping should not be a problem.
Corey Willis says
Hey Terence, assuming the chairs were prepped correctly before painting, and that they are made to be stacked, stacking should not cause chipping. To be safe, separate each chair with a sheet when stacking.
T says
So I painted plastic chairs last year and I need to repaint because of chipping. What’s the easiest way to get paint off and restart another color
Corey Willis says
Hey there, I didn’t have a problem with my painted chairs flaking so I don’t have a solution from personal experience. But I did some googling and recommend you follow these instructions on how to repaint a flaking plastic chair. Let me know how yours turns out!
Ken Martz says
What brand of chairs are pictured above. I have some that look that style but can’t find more. Need two.
Corey Willis says
Hi Ken, We got them at Home Depot. I think they are the old version and have been redesigned since. So you may not be able to find them….maybe eBay? Good luck!
Brady says
I think it might be more of a color issue, rather than gloss vs satin. Some colors tend to fade allot faster than others.
Yoeun Aun says
Hi! I want to spray paint Levana seashell plastic pool for the kids. The color of the pool is blue !what kind of spray do I use .
Corey Willis says
Hi Yoeun Aun, please research this carefully before doing any painting on a pool that kids will be swimming in. Any marine paint (that would take being submerged) could be toxic in such a small environment.
A pool paint won’t stick to plastic. Plastic paints do not claim to hold up under water, or not to be toxic in this instance. I don’t recommend you try this; get expert advice first.
Brandon says
Yup, you are absolutely right.
Melody Drinkwater Wagner says
Hi Corey! Beautiful job! I too used the Satin Lagoon but on my mini (real)pumpkins and skeleton for my back patio. They lasted the whole season. I love the color! I’d be honored if you could take a look @ my teal pumpkins. Search Melody Drinkwater Wagner. Then click on Melody Drinkwater Wagner Pinterest. Click on-Fall Back Patio with Teal Pumpkins. Let me know what you think. I think my teal pumpkins and your teal chairs would look beautiful together. Loling!
Corey Willis says
Thanks Melody; I’ll check it out 🙂
MaryJo says
Does it work on PVC outdoor chairs?
Corey Willis says
Great question, MaryJo! Yes, select a paint made specifically for plastics.
Nita says
I played around with the idea of painting my patio chairs and now I found this blog. It feels great to know I’m not crazy nor alone lol. Will the paint bleed onto clothes?
Dennis says
Interesting results,my daughter used this paint also and so far the results are similar. She did have chipping on just one chair but really think it was caused by someone’s belt! The paint is good although the coverage was not that good,a smaller patio chair required about two cans to complete.(from dark green to light green)
Corey Willis says
Thanks for the feedback, Dennis. Going from a dark to light color would definitely require more than one can!
Adrienne Bradley says
I love that you did an update on this! I love this paint and use it all the time. It’s good to know that it lasts and stands the test of time.
Corey Willis says
Thanks for stopping by, Adrienne. Yes, it’s a great product!
Keilor Autobody says
Really nice painting work on chairs thanks for sharing
Deborah Leeds says
My chair chipped horribly! What did I do wrong?
Corey says
Hey Deborah. It is hard to say. Usually when paint chips it is because the surface wasn’t prepped correctly. Using a primer usually helps tremendously.
Mogie says
How well was it cleaned before it was painted? The paint is only as good as the surface it has to adhear to. If the chairs have a slick finish the paint might not bound too well. A light once over with a light grit sand paper would help with that. Just enough to give the surface teeth so to speak.
KathyJB says
I very much appreciate that you posted your findings. Very good thing to know here in Texas
Karen Martin says
I have a fear of the paint transferring to my (or my vistors’) clothes. Has that been an issue?
Melody says
How much paint does it take for one chair? Thanks!
Corey says
I think it takes about 1/2 a can per chair.
Karen says
Hi Corey,
I have two chairs with the same problem, chalky residue. We had family over last summer and one of the guys sat in the chair with a black shirt on. To my surprise when he stood up is whole back side was white. Was I embarrassed. I have bought the paint to spruce them up, just haven’t done it yet. I think I will drag them out this weekend and give them a spray. Thanks for the update on the paint.
Peg C. says
I had those chalky chairs that sat up on my pool deck. They were the heavier ones that you pay a little more for so you hate to them throw away. I decided I had nothing to lose to try and paint them. I didn’t want to have to scrub too hard because I am old and there were four of them. Two words! SOS Pads!!! It took the chalk off so easy that it was amazing! It scratched them up a little bit but boy did they hold that paint well. I sprayed a light coat of paint (Rust-Oleum 2X), waited 24 hrs. and painted them with a second coat. After they are done you will want to wait a week before you use them. This gives the paint time to cure and adhere to the surface. Mine are holding up perfectly (no chips, no rubbing off,etc.) and they are sat on daily with wet swimming suits. They still look like new! Worth every minute of the work! Good Luck!
Corey Willis says
Thanks for a sharing your experience, Peg. SOS does work great!
Tracy Cannon says
I spray painted a Large LT outdoor play structure and it chipped. Any suggestions? I used Krylon Fusion.
Corey says
Hi Tracy.
Any time something chips it’s due to the paint not adhering well to the surface. So it needed to be cleaned or sanded better before painting. At least that is my experience.
Victoria says
I’m pretty sure it may have to do with the color. Chartreuse has a lot of yellow in it & a person from a paint store once told me that yellows used outside almost always fade faster than other colors. I didn’t care though; I painted my front door a gold & even though it faded, I still love it. 🙂
Dria says
How well do you think a gloss black will do on vinyl shutters?
Corey says
Hmmm. That is a tough one. I think that my best advice is to use a primer first because it is hard to get paint to stick to vinyl. Definitely test a spot first or if you can find a scrap piece of vinyl similar to your shutters test it there. I love the idea of gloss black on shutters though!
Jami says
I agree here. Used both these same colors and the green faded but blue and pink didnt!
Donna says
Was there any prep before painting?
Corey says
I just washed them really well. Then started painting.
Carolyn says
Are you sure it was not the color? Better test now would now be to test blue in glossy and green in satin.
Teresa says
Were you still able to stack the chairs once they were painted?
Corey W. says
Yes indeed!
Melissa says
Wow! This is great to know I just started my patio furniture makeover today and I’m relieved to know I used the right finish. I took a picture of the before and after of the chair and it looks completely different! I’m very pleased with the outcome.
Corey W. says
Awesome Melissa! Hooray for summertime!
Fran says
I have fifteen-year-old plastic outdoor furniture with that chalky, oxidized surface. I’ve been wondering if a coat of spray paint would solve the problem. I tried one chair just to be sure. It looks great! For less than $40, I’ll have usable furniture for at least another season. Thanks!
Corey W. says
Hooray! I’m so happy this worked for you! I was in the same boat. I just needed to extend the life of what I had, and it was a perfect opportunity to go with really fun colors! Hope you have a fun weekend ahead!
Sandra says
I just painted my plastic chairs today. I used gloss. Wish I had read this earlier. Oh well, they look great for this summer! Thanks for the post.
Corey W. says
Awesome Sandra! They will be fine. I think I could really tell the difference because they were side by side. Hooray for fun colorful chairs for summertime!
Shelley says
Love your bright chairs! Just a thought though…could it be the COLOR and not the sheen that affected whether the chair faded?…I dunno…just was wondering 🙂
Kelly S says
How many bottles does it take to spray one chair?
Thanks!
Kelly
Alma says
Thanks for sharing the type paint that is best! I have been thinking about doing this project.
Corey W. says
No problem! Let me know how it goes!
bethC says
Hi,
The chairs look great. I’m wondering about the feel of the chair after painting. Do they feel sticky or tacky? Do they feel different then the original? And do they chip or scratch at all?
Thanks,
Beth
tinysidekick says
Great questions Beth. I did not notice a difference it the way that they feel. They aren’t sticky or tacky at all. I’ve also not had any chipping or scratches except on one, but that was my little boy actually digging at the leg of the chair with a garden shovel. 🙂 Let me know if you have any more questions.
Megan says
Oh wow, so interesting! Good to know! I would have thought the glossy would last better!
tinysidekick says
That is what I thought too, but I think because the chairs are a matte finish, the satin worked better. Who knew right?
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says
Thanks for the tips!
Sonnet @ SohoSonnet Creative Living says
Good to know Corey!! Such a great idea to do a follow up post, thanks!
Chelsea says
Such great info, Corey! I’m so glad you gave an update! I almost always buy a satin finish anyway. And really, having to freshen up the paint job once a year still isn’t bad!
Alexis @ Persia Lou says
Good to know! Kind of weird that the finish would make such a difference in fading. Would have never thought…
Jennifer @ Brave New Home says
Thanks for the tips. I use Rustoleum spray paint exclusively and it’s good to be informed of the different finishes.
Krista @ the happy housie says
Great tip about the satin paint – thanks Corey! I have some chairs in need of freshening up:)
Tina says
I used the krylon fusion plastic paint on some dingy chairs that were left at our house when we rented. They have been outside for two years and are still the same color as the day I painted them. I live in the Seattle area so they see all the elements.
Maybe try that next time. 🙂
Carol Newkirt says
Hi wondering did you use a primer ?
Corey Willis says
Great question! I did not use primer. See the details of how I did it here. Thanks for stopping by, Carol.
Lusine says
I pinned your original post on these chairs a while back and can’t wait to do this to our hideous, filthy looking, plastic chairs! Thanks for the satin vs. gloss tip, I’ll definitely keep this in mind when choosing a a color. All I need is a free afternoon without rain to make this a reality 🙂
tinysidekick says
It was fun to be blogging long enough to do one of these update posts. So excited for you to try this, it is so easy and makes such a difference! Hope the weather dries up soon 🙂
Amanda @ Cutitvate Create says
Thanks for sharing. Now I won’t be afraid to buy the ugly hunter green chairs they sell everywhere. I can just spray paint it. I spray paint everything, but I don’t know why I never thought to spray those chairs until now.
Eagle Mom says
Good info. I am finding that Rustoleum products are usually the winners over other brands. I especially like the Rustoleum Universal products with the great spray gun feature.
Katie @ Upcycled Treasures says
What a great tip! I never would have thought the satin or gloss finish would make such a difference, so that’s really good to know. Wow, the blue chair still looks fabulous!