Immediately I knew it wasn’t going to the trash pile and
that I wanted to try to revive it. Sure it was faded and had a few scratches
but nothing a little elbow grease and spray paint couldn’t fix.
Throughout our marathon, it was basically used as one of the
only flat surfaces within sight so at any given time it was piled with
miscellaneous tools, and I think it was even used as a tile saw bench. Either
way it was Dirty with a capital D.
So the bench got a thorough cleaning twice over. The basic
method, wearing gloves as usual, was a mixture of hot, hot water with Dawn dish
soap. Every nook and cranny of this baby was removed of insect webbing and
baby nests, grass clippings, dirt and everything else. Since it was a warm
sunny day it was set out in the sun to dry.
The next day the bench was elevated and placed on a scrap
box from our bathroom remodel so grass wouldn’t stick to the legs. That box
served as a ‘painting tarp’ for many projects and is now covered in paint. Anyhow,
I also found the elevation was easier for the paint to reach many small
crannies.
Next up, my favorite part- spray paint. We used Rustoleum’sUltra Cover 2x’s in the gorgeous Satin Lagoon. Rustoleum 2x’s is my go to paint
since it really has the 2x’s coverage, less time painting more time for drooling
over the results. I think we picked up more colors and paint cans than needed
during one of Menards spray paint sales when a can is under $3.
I choose the color because I just can’t get enough of what I
like to call peacock teal. Since the interior color pallet didn’t exactly jive
with my newfound love, I had to go all out- outside. While at the paint store,
I also choose a Key Lime Green spray paint for some exterior accent pieces
later down the road. Both colors were run by the beau so he didn’t feel left
out and I got his stamp of approval- as in “whatever you want.”
Moving on, with everything in its place and my trusty
painting gloves it was time to put on a first coat. Now I don’t know about you,
but sometimes I get overly excited for results right away that I have to hold
myself back from overspray. Overspray usually means unsightly streaky paint
globs all over the place. It may have happened once or twice but luckily I
quickly wiped them away and went over each spot with a lighter coat.
After a while, it became second nature just to perform a
lighter coat which also wastes less time and paint. Reading the directions on
the can, I waited for the recommended time frame to flip it over and give the
underside its first coat:
Second coat on the
bottom.
After a few days, this baby was looking like new. Of course
it probably could have taken a day but I get distracted on other small projects
that I forget to come back during the small window of time to apply another
coat that I have to wait the cure time. I think it took two and a half cans and
four coats to adequately spray the entire piece. So about $6 later I had a new
pretty bench.
One important lesson we learned was that after a month or so
in the harsh summer sun, the paint started to slightly fade. To remedy I added
another light coat of the Lagoon (left over from the half can) concentrating on
a few main spots and then added a Clear coat of Rustoleum.
I think the salvage was well worth it, when I looked around
the stores for outdoor furniture nothing was in the shade I wanted, so this way
I paid less for the color I really wanted. Win Win. The color and the
transformation caused a waterfall of various garage sale finds and curbside
salvages. It even inspired me to pick up an outdoor fabric and my sewing
machine, but those will have to wait for another day.
What do you think? Totally worth the $6 to upgrade the free
bench? Have you ever saved something from the trash to revive it?
P.S. We were not paid or perked from any of
these vendors; we just happily picked up the supplies necessary for the job.
nice! how has the paint job held up?
ReplyDeleteAfter two years of 'gentle use' and indoor storage during the winter, it has held up very well. The clear coat has helped. I did notice a small gouge (someone must have had keys in their pockets), and I touched up with a few sprays of the paint followed by another round of clear coat. Hope that helps!
DeleteLove it! Great job!
ReplyDelete