How to Paint PermaCast Fiberglass Columns

PermaCast columns are sold in a variety of sizes and shapes, but each variety has a bland white exterior. While white columns are considered "classic," the truth is that classical Greco-Roman columns were never intended to be white. The only reason Greek and Roman ruins feature whitish columns is because the original paint chipped off the underlying white stone. The Parthenon and other Greek architecture featured brightly painted columns before time ravaged these historical sites. If you want to colorize your PermaCast fiberglass columns for a true classical look and eye-popping curb appeal, you need to use the right painting tools.

A-frame ladder
Painter's tape
Plastic sheets
High-adhesion primer
Airless spray gun
Exterior latex paint

Instructions

- 1
  Position an a-frame ladder near the fiberglass PermaCast column. If you are tall enough to comfortably reach the top of the column without a ladder, you can skip this step.
- 2
  Cover the ceiling surface above the fiberglass column with painter's tape.
- 3
  Cover the base of the PermaCast column with painter's tape to protect your floor.
- 4
  Slide plastic sheets under the edge of both layers of painter's tape to protect the rest of the adjacent ceiling and floor surfaces.
- 5
  Spray high-adhesion primer onto the PermaCast fiberglass column using an airless spray gun. Hold the spray gun about 10- to 12-inches from the surface and spray the primer in parallel strokes. Regular general-purpose primers won't stick to fiberglass, but high-adhesion primers provide good coverage. Wait for the primer to dry. High-adhesion primers take longer to dry than most other types of primer. Most need to sit an entire day before painting.
- 6
  Spray exterior latex paint onto the column using an airless spray gun. Keep the gun's nozzle 10- to 12-inches from the column's surface. Mist the paint in parallel strokes for even coverage.
- 7
  Remove the tape and plastic sheets after the paint dries for 24 hours.

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