Overheard a painter say to use primer on outlet covers before painting them

I was at the hardware store last week and this older guy was telling his friend that you should always prime plastic outlet covers before spray painting them. He said the paint just flakes off otherwise. I had a bunch of old beige ones in my living room that looked terrible against my new gray walls. So I grabbed a can of white spray primer for $5 and painted all 8 covers. I did a light coat of primer, let it dry for an hour, then two coats of matte gray spray paint. They came out looking just like the fancy ones at the store that cost $4 each. Its been 3 months and not a single chip yet. Has anyone else tried this or got a better method for painting outlet covers?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_ross11h ago

Wait, you're telling me you primed outlet covers and they still look perfect after three months? That's wild because I always thought paint would peel right off plastic no matter what you did. Maybe I've just been wasting money on those expensive colored ones this whole time.

anthony1277h ago

Yeah the key is a good primer first, I used that Krylon stuff meant for plastic and it hasn't budged. Sanding it real light with fine grit before priming helps it stick way better too.