Getting ready to paint a FRIDGE

[MoniqueEstelle]

I'd love some advice from anyone who has painted a refrigerator before!
Mine is off-white, and I want to paint it white to match the rest of my kitchen appliances. I think I have all the necessary materials: sandpaper, primer (by Rustoleum), and epoxy spray paint. I plan to wheel the fridge into my garage, give it a good cleaning, remove the doors (I want to reverse them so they open the other way), sand it down, prime it, and paint it. I'm also going to spray the handles red to match my kitchen. Any tips, suggestions, or warnings? Thanks.
M.E.

[prowallguy]

Is this epoxy paint in a spray can, or for use with a real sprayer?

[MoniqueEstelle]

It comes in a spray can. It's RustOleum brand.

[prowallguy]

Then be prepared for it to look like you painted it with a spray can.

[joneq]

If you are going to paint the refrigerator white I would not bother with the primer. The epoxy will stick to a properly cleaned and sanded surface fine.Clean it completely before you do any sanding. Epoxy may however yellow with time. Regular enamel car paint that is applied with a sprayer or from a can[duplicolor (http://www.duplicolor.com/)]will not yellow and is more like what is on there now. You shouldn't need a primer with that either if you clean and sand properly. If your ref is scratched up[small scratches will probably show in the finish coat] there is a filler on the duplicolor site to fill these scratches and make a perfect finish

If the spray cans do not have a fan spray pattern it will be difficult to get a nice even finish. The red tips that produce a cone shaped pattern are inferior to the fan spray[best is duplicolor not rustoleum imo].

I would have 2 cans -The one I am using an the other set to the opposite pattern. I would alternate with each coat 1 up and down the next sideways. You decide which way will be the final coat should be applied.Keep the cans shook up.

Puting on many many thin coats is the only way to go. Maybe four or five. Get plenty of paint from the same batch[even spray cans] and have it shaken up and ready to go immediately. I would have 10 cans and bring back what I didn't need. Better to be safe than sorry.

If there is any rust you need to get rid of it all of it or use a rust restorer]and prime, fill, and spot prime. Not sanding enough will produce a visible flaw. It is very important to spray the edges and the hard to get at spots first. If you have to do it after you just did a large flat areas you are asking for drips and runs. Don't event think about it. I would do all the edges and hard to get at areas 2 or 3 times before I even did a side. Since you will be removing the handles the edges will just be the corners

Clean under the ref especially the front and stuff paper towels under the sides and front or tape the front. If you have a black or grey condensor on the back do not get any paint on it. I usually take off the removable panel at the bottom front and fill up the space with paper towels. There is just too much garbage in there. After you clean under the frige and put the paper towels in you can put the panel back on.

Of course you will have to mask the inside off so when you open the door it all looks great and you dont see the old color where the door closes on or around the plastic on the door.


I would clear coat the handles. They will need the extra protection.

I would have to disagree with the PWG on this one. One refrigerator I went to paint had to be done with Duplicolr paint from the cans with the fan spray tip. My spray gun was clogged up and I couldn't find the clog. It came out beautiful. I wrote this reply when I first saw the original thread but decided to see if someone else would reply then forgot about it. Just added this last paragraph now.