Mailbox

I am a professional artist & decorative painter with a gift shop. I want to hand paint mailboxes but want to make sure the paints I use hold up to heat, sea air, and sun after they are purchased – and that the sealer won’t yellow later on down the road. If you’ve had a lot of experience painting mailboxes I’d appreciate your input on your favorite products and techniques.

Normally I would use Decoart & Americana regular craft Acrylics and Fletco/Varathane Exterior Varnish (brush on) or perhaps a spray but I’d like to hear from some of you with experience working with mailboxes what brands & techniques you prefer to use. I don’t like how straight exterior paints blend. I don’t care for the blending of Patio Paints brand, and artist acrylics are too thick and peel. I want to make sure the paint will not peel off in winters or summers and in the past I found in the past that spray varnishes stay kind of sticky and attracts dirt or may yellow.

Hi Barbara,

I live in Portugal and the american paints market is much different and has a wider and better range than we have here.
However there are some universal considerations :
Do they already come with paint or in metal ?
If with paint it’s important to know what kind and if metal on sight, what kind of metal. Light metals as alluminium (sp?), zinc and alikes are problematic and will need an appropriate primer such as a wash-primer. Then you’ll apply the appropriate primer taking into account the kind of paint you’ll use.
Now, when you mention acrylic do you mean waterborn or thinner ?
One more thing, the metal should be sanded with a sanding pad and then degreased.
You may e-mail me with more specific details if you wish to since I don’t paint mailboxes but I sell auto-refinish paints.

Kind regards,

José
http://www.hushcolours.com
http://theartinquirer.blogspot.com

2 Responses

1. hushcolours Says:
   February 12th, 2010 at 4:25 am

   Hi Barbara,

   I live in Portugal and the american paints market is much different and has a wider and better range than we have here.
   However there are some universal considerations :
   Do they already come with paint or in metal ?
   If with paint it’s important to know what kind and if metal on sight, what kind of metal. Light metals as alluminium (sp?), zinc and alikes are problematic and will need an appropriate primer such as a wash-primer. Then you’ll apply the appropriate primer taking into account the kind of paint you’ll use.
   Now, when you mention acrylic do you mean waterborn or thinner ?
   One more thing, the metal should be sanded with a sanding pad and then degreased.
   You may e-mail me with more specific details if you wish to since I don’t paint mailboxes but I sell auto-refinish paints.

   Kind regards,

   José
   http://www.hushcolours.com
   http://theartinquirer.blogspot.com
   References :

2. nomadic_rogue_usa Says:
   February 12th, 2010 at 4:33 am

   Krylon makes a product in a spray can of course, called Krystal Klear….or crystal clear…not sure of the spelling. At any rate, I used it on a friends mailbox years ago, and it held up great….it is still there to this day.
   In addition, I also made a mistake on the mailbox and had to sand off a letter….After correcting the spelling error, I resprayed the mailbox it with krystal klear and the error could not be detected. I highly recommend this product to you, as it has worked miralcles for me in the past….Good luck and God bless….Nomadic
   References :

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