Polyvinyl chloride requires a long time to break down, making it a durable, cheap and long-lasting alternative for outdoor furniture frames. Originally made for water supply pipes buried underground, white PVC, with ultraviolet and time exposure, could yellow a bit or appear stained. Use a spray paint especially made for use on plastic to give your PVC outdoor furniture a facelift. Painting saves the cost of needing to purchase new outdoor furniture.

Wash It Off

Remove all of the fabric attached to the PVC furniture if it’s upholstered. Turn the furniture broke and bend off the backside to get rid of loose debris and dirt. Return it to its upright position and repeat. Insert 1/4 cup of dishwashing liquid to your gallon bucket to make a cleaning solution. Use a sponge to wash the furniture, then rinse and put it in the sunlight to dry.

Prep Work

After the furniture has completely dried and is free of moisture, apply grade 0000 fine steel wool to the surface of the PVC furniture. You don’t want to overdo it; only scuff it up a bit to allow the paint stick better. Wipe off any debris, and after that apply a primer meant for plastic. You can purchase primer in spray-on cans or apply it with a small paint roller. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for letting the primer dry before painting.

Paint It

Select a paint made specifically for plastics. You can find numerous unique paints — a few that even replicate the look of hammered metals. Decide on a painter’s dropcloth on the floor and then paint the furniture at a well-ventilated place, out of direct sunlight. Hold the spray can roughly 6 to 8 inches from the furniture and spray at a horizontal direction throughout the furniture, then overlapping your spray around 3 for 4 inches. Paint the bottom first. Spray in a constant motion to avoid putting too much paint and causing it to drip. Let dry as recommended by the label directions. Insert a crystal clear coat if desired.

Tips and Factors

The paint may take up to seven days to totally cure about the plastic, so don’t use the furniture until then. When applying the spray paint, use horizontal sweeping movements throughout the surface to avoid runs and drips. Hold the button down as you spray throughout the item, then release when you pass it. You may want to practice on a piece of cardboard to have the texture. If the paint runs at 6 to 8 inches, then hold it 10 to 12 inches. The closer you get to the surface, the more the paint runs when applied. Do not add a primer if the selected paint is really a paint-and-primer combination.