Tags: upholstery

During this series, we are talking about the difference between Simply Spray and my method, as well as what I think of Simply Spray, how it’s best used and tips.

We’ve made it to week four!   Time for the big project – my faded patio furniture.

✓Week 1 – Introduction
✓Week 2 – Painting a pillow from the original chair and comparing it to the original pillow
✓Week 3 – Painting pool umbrellas
✓Week 4 – Painting a patio furniture set
Week 5 – Conclusions

Don’t forget, after the series is over, I’ll host a giveaway from Simply Spray!  So, if you want to try it, you may get your chance!

Last week, we tried painting a pool umbrella, which is a water resistant fabric and not recommended by Simply Spray.  It wasn’t a total fail, but not great.

This week, I’ll talk about painting my patio furniture with Simply Spray’s charcoal gray fabric spray paint.   Note that my patio furniture isn’t as water resistant as the umbrella was, but it’s is fairly water resistant.  It’s not a greatly absorbent fabric, so I ran into a few kinks.

How was it before?

Sorry, the one cushion is tested with the gray paint.  I forgot to snap a photo before I did that.

Let’s take a closer look at the patio furniture before.  We purchased these in 2010 and by the end of 2011 when we moved from AZ back to TX, they were this faded.  And, they sat under a covered porch.

This photo will give you an even better idea of what you are seeing.

And, if you still aren’t sure of the severity of how bad they looked and how faded they were, look at these photos of the cushions once they were removed, cleaned and ready for paint.

Alright, so you get the idea.  They were faded, but only in spots where the sun hit.  Not pretty.  It was time for a facelift.  New cushions can be costly, especially if custom made.  I had new ones made for the lounge chairs and they were over $200.

We may as well try painting them!

First off, it can be trouble if you try a can that has been opened.  The nozzle does clog up fast.  This is how it looked when I tried to use and already opened can, even though I followed the rep’s tip and put the trigger back in its original position.

And, just a reminder, when you spray paint anything, always start spraying off the object and stop spraying off the object.  So, go all the way across on each stroke.

Here they are after a couple of quick coats of paint.  I let them dry for 1-2 hours in between coats.

After another layer or two.

In the end, I did about 4-5 coats of paint, depending on the cushion.  I used 14 cans of paint.  At $11-12 a can, that is about $155, though you can buy them in a six pack and get a bit of a discount if buying by the case.  $155 is a reasonable price to pay to freshen up patio furniture, I think.  New cushions would be at least $30 each and possible $150 each if custom.  That would be $300-1500.  I know, crazy.  At some point, it’s cheaper to just get a new patio set, huh?  Especially if you wait until just after the summer when they are on sale.

One thing to note is that Simply Spray is more of a dye than a paint.  Patterns and darkness will show through.  Here are examples where you can see that there are still dark spots.  Luck for me, most of these will be hidden once the cushions are back on the frames.

A few more photos of the finished product?

Overall, I was happy with the outcome.  However, it’s not perfect.  If you look really close, like in the photo below, you can see some of the original color showing through along the piping/ creases.

I think if the fabric was more absorbent (not water resistant), it would have worked super well.  Of course, I can’t prove that, but I think that was the problem.

The texture is also a little different.  The texture of the pillow that I tried Simply Spray on did not change, but this did.  Perhaps because it took more coats?  Perhaps because the fabric was water resistant.  It’s a little stiffer, but I do think it will soften up as it’s used.

What did I learn?
- Try to use water absorbent fabric as they suggest.  Or, be prepared that it may not take quite as well and/ or you may need to do more coats.
- Test it on the underside of a cushion first.  Realize, though, that this spray paint will soak around to the other edges.  So, I’d test it on a pillow or somewhere that it will not matter.  It does bleed.
- Let it dry completely between coats.  It will take longer to dry on something like this that is not as absorbent.
- As stated in previous posts, it’s more of a dye.  Dark spots will continue to be dark.  This method is not for covering anything.  Ideally, your fabric is nice and consistent with no stains, patterns or dark spots.
- If you spray too heavily, it will create fuzz balls.  So, again, test your method first.
- Try to use up the can as it can be ruined if you wait more than an hour in between.  I had to throw almost a whole can out due to the issue you see above.

So far, based on this series, what are your thoughts?  Would you try it?  Do you have a project in mind?  How do you think it compares to my method?   I’ll draw all of my conclusions next week and compile all of my tips there!

I can’t wait to finish decorating our patio now!

I hope you are enjoying the series!