Instructions for Painting Light Switch Wall Plate Coversįor an elegant finishing touch, easily change the color of light switch plates without replacing them. These will provide a hard surface that will help maintain the finish and allow for easy cleaning as needed. Finish Coat - For a protective finish, use an acrylic clear coat, spray on Varathane such as Flecto Diamond Finish Varathane, or liquid varnish such as waterbased Delta Ceramacoat Gloss Interior Varnish.Paint color may fade over time, so even if you are painting the walls the same color as before, it is quite likely that the plates still won't match. If you paint your switch plates the same color as the walls, then you will have to repaint them every time you repaint your room. Paint Color - Select wall paint or spray paint in desired color.We do recommend doing a test first to ensure your particular paint is compatible with the covers you are using.

Our paintable raw steel covers don't require primer. Be sure to clean off all the dust before proceeding. If you choose to skip this step, then lightly sand or rough up the surface of your plates to help with the adhesion of the paint. If you'll be using a spray-painted color, check the label for directions as a primer may not be necessary on certain plate finishes.

Primer - For best results when painting non-metal plates, we recommend using a primer paint, such as Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultracover Primer, to prep the plates first.

Clean, Dry Surface - Clean your plates with soap and water and be sure to dry completely.

Wall paint or spray paint in desired colorĬlean work surface covered with wax paper or plastic wrap

Paint primer (only if not painting on metal plates - Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultracover Primer is a great choice). Note: lightswitch plates that were painted while still on the wall (perhaps because a painter didn't bother to remove them) will never have a clean crisp edge again. Switchplates that have been painted too many times tend to have a thick, lumpy look, so it may be best to buy new ones in this situation. Previously painted cover plates may be used as long as they were prepared properly the first time they were painted. Should You Buy New Plates or Repaint Current Ones? Whether you are wanting switch plates to match your wall color, looking to add bold color accents, or are simply searching for an affordable way to freshen up ugly, dingy switchplates, this fun, quick project is a great way to add style and color to your home. So when you're ready to update your decor, you can easily give your wall switch plates a fresh new look. These guys cover up the outlets, so everything is disguised.Quickly create professional-looking painted switch plates using the simple step-by-step instructions below. Those are still white and very obvious! Sure, you can swap them out for a different color, but that’s a lot of work and won’t perfectly match your paint. This was key for me! If you buy a decorative outlet cover (like black or gold), it doesn’t cover the actual outlets. We use our island outlets all the time, and after almost 3 years there’s not a single chip or scratch on them. They’re plastic, but they have a slightly textured surface that holds on to paint really well.The paintable outlet covers I use have a few features that make them the perfect choice if you want an outlet to blend in. Probably pretty quickly, depending on how much you use the outlet. If you paint your regular outlet, it will chip over time. Most outlet covers are plastic and glossy – two characteristics which are notorious for being hard to paint. And you can paint the outlets themselves if you really want to. Sure, you can paint any outlet cover you already have laying around your house. I mean, isn’t any outlet cover technically paintable? Well, yes and no. Some people will argue that you can just…paint the outlet. Okay, let’s start off with the top question I get when I share these – WHY? Because, it’s truly one of my favorite little items around my home. So, I figured it was worth taking a second to create an ode to the paintable outlet cover. Despite the fact that they’re one of the most-sold items on my Amazon shop, I haven’t ever dedicated a blog post to my love for them.

Paintable outlet covers