Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Spray-Painted a Dated Electrical Outlet


When you buy an older home you inherit the sins of the previous owners.  Usually those aren't so bad, and honestly our home here was pretty kicking.  The only truly awful monstrosity that this house had to offer was the dreaded Monkey Bathroom.  Not only had the entire room been wallpapered with a really obnoxious pattern, but even the outlets had been wallpapered.  Yuck!

So naturally in true fashion I gave the entire room a overhaul, and then looked at that discolored, outdated plug mocking me.  




So there was a blue dyed spot on the plug from being wallpapered.  I thought it was a scorch mark, and freaked out all over Señor Hotness.  He talked me down from the ledge, and told me it was just a discolored spot and not a sign of impending fire.

First, cut the power at the breaker.  Then I used a spray primer from Krylon especially made for use on plastic.  WARNING: This is a very thin product.  So make sure you use short spurts instead of heavy-handed spraying.  Otherwise it will just run right off of whatever your are spraying.  After the appropriate dry time I hit it with a white Krylon Fusion spray paint also for use on plastic.


Then my next step was to use a spray clear coat.  Also from Krylon.  I used this to protect my painted surface from the wear and tear of use.

Then try and I might I managed to overspray the tape just a smidge.  I also noticed that the sink surround needed to be re-caulked.  So after re-caulking the surround, I then touched up with the blue using a small fine tipped brush (the kind you use on hobby projects since I was dealing with touching up a really tight area).

You might ask why the heck would I do this instead of just replacing it.  While all the supplies will run you about $12 up front it could be used to transform many, many outlets.  In all honesty I would have normally just replaced this with a new outlet, but it was in a tricky place with the sink surround. So I would have had to modify the cover plate, and honestly I wasn't confident that I could do it without breaking it.  So I looked in my paint stash, and found all I needed for this frugal DIY project.

Its ok to continue to use something old if its still functioning.  Its better than it junking up a landfill somewhere, but there is no reason not to give it a little love and a new lease on life.




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29 comments:

  1. Hello Sarah, I am a day late responding to my Blue Monday post. Your DIY post is such a good read. I can see where the cover had been customized and what you did was perfect. Kudos to you. The cover looks great.

    Thank you for your comment and kind words.
    xo, Jeanne

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  2. It's amazing how making over small elements like this can really make a difference in the look of a room. I have several outlets and switches in my home that need to be updated! I'd love for you to stop by and link up you post with us at Friday Favorites.

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    1. Thanks Jerri! I totally linked up. Thanks for the invite.

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  3. As I always say, SPRAY PAINT TO THE RESCUE! hahaha I do have to say that I have not spray painted any electrical outlets. Yet. But now that you've given me the idea....
    :) gwingal

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  4. Question - did you turn off the electricity before you painted?

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  5. How did you keep from getting the paint on the electric contacts in the slots?

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    1. I did nothing other than spray gingerly. Honestly though it would have been ok to roll painters tape, and put in there after you cut the power. Then you can just spray around it.

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  6. What a great idea. My poor brain would have never thought of this. You are my kind of person.

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  7. Great little tutorial! Thanks for sharing. I'm following you on all the social media.
    I linked today too. Come over and visit my new blog...
    http://mychristmasjourney.blogspot.com/

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  8. I think trying to cut a new cover would have been tricky. Using the one you had and refinishing it was a good idea.

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  9. Great upcycle! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm!

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  10. This is a great solution!
    Thank you for joining us at Thoughts of Home.
    Hope to see you next week too.

    Laura
    White Spray Paint

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  11. Isn't it funny how such a small thing can make a big difference? Looks Great!! Thanks for sharing it with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  12. What a great idea!! I have so many almond color outlets in my house too!! never thought of spray painting!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 favorite things on Thursday! Pinned!

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  13. Great idea! I think I'd make a cardboard cutout for the outlet. Use painters tape as you did, but the extra wall coverage would help with protecting the walls from the spray paint.

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  14. very important thing you left out what glue did you use to put the frame on the wall with

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