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I have a white desk that I want to turn into a black desk. It looks very out-of-place at the moment. The desk surface is wood but it's been painted over. I assume I can just append another layer or two of paint and be fine, but what about the desk's metal components and plastic siding? There is a plastic strip running around the sides of the desktop. Will the same paint I use to paint the wooden surface do the job on the plastic, or do I need special paint? Can I also use the same paint to paint over the metal parts (all of which have already been painted once)?
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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If you want the paint to adhere well you should sand all surfaces, especially the plastic. And hopefully someone else will weigh in on the type of paint to use... I know there are some that will work on the wood and not so well on the metal, and some that shold work on both, but I really don't remember which is which.
Edit: Actually, I'm not sure about sanding the plastic. Definitely the wood and metal, though. But don't take my advice on the plastic. I wouldn't.
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Sanding the plastic would be a bit of a pain because it's curved on the edges. I could do it, though, if it's a good idea.
How many coats of paint should I need? And is there any simple way to budget paint volume by surface area to be covered?
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Is "primer" distinct from paint? Or is the primer just another name for "first layer of paint?"
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Primer is a distinct type of paint that will help keep the layer beneath it from showing through. It will also make whatever color you put over it look better.
As far as how many coats, I would say two, maybe three. Just make sure the previous coat is dry.
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Primer is a specific kind of paint, that does a good job of covering what is below and gives you a good surface to start from.
Sanding serves two main purposes... it makes the paint adhere better, so it's less likely to flake off, and it smooths the surface, removing imperfections, so the final result looks better.
If you're painting a dark color, like black, you might need two coats to get it to cover well. The paint can or helpful person at the hardware store should be able to tell you how much you need. Although you might check out spray paint, considering the different surfaces you want to cover. You'd have to haul the desk outside to do that, though. With spray paint, the trick is to put it on in a light, even coat. Otherwise it can kinda pool up, and that looks bad.
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Does spray paint go everywhere? Because I could conceivably do it on my patio but it would be tight and I don't want my patio to be black. Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Use lots of newspaper underneath. Also, don't do it unless your patio is well ventilated. If its enclosed and not well ventilated, don't spray there.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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My patio is very well ventilated, and I'll definitely be using lots of newspaper. My concern is that the spray paint will wind up on, say, the railing, which would be very awkward to cover with newspaper...
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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You're talking like an apartment balcony type patio, yes? Don't do it there. Especially not on a windy day. Not only will the railing get it, but the side of the building, too. Also, don't do it near any parked cars.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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