Restoration of Plastic planters.
Plastic planters that are exposed to sunlight can soon lose their appearance as the surface ages on exposure to UV. Heavy duty planters are generally more expensive than single use pots and can easily be restored and used again. The planter shown here had been in use for about 6 years. There are products on the market for protecting and restoring the appearance of plastics such as bumpers and trim on vehicles. By reusing planters and large pots we can save a bit of money and do our bit for environment by reducing plastic use. The product that I used here was Armourall semi matt. Other products are available.
Cleaning the Surface.
First wash the planter inside and out with warm soapy water. The surface will be powdery and easily marked. For this to be a success, The planter needs to be thick rigid plastic free from cracks. It's simply not worth the effort for flimsy single use pots.
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Planter after cleaning. |
Removing old surface.
The old powdery degraded surface can be removed by wet sanding with 400 grit abrasive paper. The more effort at this stage , the better the end result. The finish will look dull at this stage. The waste from this procedure is left to evaporate and dry out and then bagged and binned.
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Planter after sanding. |
Planter after restoration.
The new surface can now be treated with a resin to restore its appearance. I also apply this resin to new planters to slow down the ageing.
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Planter after restoration. |
