Painting plastic white moulded accessories?

Before we drift too far.


My understanding is that most plastic electrical fittings are blocks of melamine, a material chosen for its slick impervious scratch resistant surface that holds its colour and is easy to clean, ideal for fittings that will possibly be regularly touched by many fingers, some less clean than others.


You possibly could not create a surface that is less likely to accept a coat of paint that will hold indefinitely, even if you rough it up a bit.


Add to that any paint applied to them needs to be stain resistant and easy to clean without discolouration or being spoilt.


It is a big ask to paint melamine and get a good long lasting finish that will withstand being regularly touched and being cleaned.


If the designer is insistent then the fittings with the removable metal plates that can be painted that were mentioned above would be the best option, though that would still leave an unpainted white insert with the rocker switch in it, but painting the rocker switch would not be very sensible at all.


A toggle switch mounted in a wooden plate would actually be a better idea if it really has to be painted Such as these at least you know paint will adhere to wood and the toggle would keep fingers off the paint most of the time.


There is a huge selection of fittings available that will be far more enduring.


Andy Betteridge 

Before we drift too far.


My understanding is that most plastic electrical fittings are blocks of melamine, a material chosen for its slick impervious scratch resistant surface that holds its colour and is easy to clean, ideal for fittings that will possibly be regularly touched by many fingers, some less clean than others.


You possibly could not create a surface that is less likely to accept a coat of paint that will hold indefinitely, even if you rough it up a bit.


Add to that any paint applied to them needs to be stain resistant and easy to clean without discolouration or being spoilt.


It is a big ask to paint melamine and get a good long lasting finish that will withstand being regularly touched and being cleaned.


If the designer is insistent then the fittings with the removable metal plates that can be painted that were mentioned above would be the best option, though that would still leave an unpainted white insert with the rocker switch in it, but painting the rocker switch would not be very sensible at all.


A toggle switch mounted in a wooden plate would actually be a better idea if it really has to be painted Such as these at least you know paint will adhere to wood and the toggle would keep fingers off the paint most of the time.


There is a huge selection of fittings available that will be far more enduring.


Andy Betteridge