Can I paint these relay covers?

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brimorga

brimorga

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Aug 10, 2013
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Campbell, Ca (near San Jose)
So, I wasn’t very smart where I had them put the pool cover switch, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Now that we’ve completed inspection and Kelly Moore finally has exterior flat paint, it’s time to do something with this.

Would it be ok if I chopped down that post to make it shorter and then painted everything brown to match the shed?

I’m not sure exactly what I can and cannot paint. There are the black relay covers, the outlet boxes and the box for the pool cover switch.

I might also put a bit of lattice up in front but I have a power outlet towards the bottom that I use on a regular basis so I’m going to try painting it first and see how it looks.

I’m thinking to cover the shed with plastic and anything else I can’t paint, then use a spray paint primer and then brush on the brown paint that matches the shed.
 

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What's the doodad on top of the post ? It kinda looks like a sensor of some kind. (Which would have its own conduit/wires) If it's a personal item that you put down there, then chop away.

Everything else can be painted, including the clear plastic outlet cover. Maybe tape the lock looking thing up top to not gum up the insides of it.

I like the 2X spray paint at HD/Lowes. They have several kinds and finishes for plastics / metal / wood but I've never noticed a difference between them and have interchanged them many times when i had half a can left of the wrong one. I honestly think the labels are for us to feel better. 🤣

They have a great color selection and many to choose in the popular colors like your shed. I'm sure you'd find something close enough for government work.
 
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My personal opinion is that I would only paint the flex conduit but none of the plug covers or switch doors. You'd be better off simply hiding it with a lattice and some climbing vines. I don't like painting the covers and such because the paint obscures what is in there and will eventually peel and look ugly. I also find it annoying to work on and service access boxes that get painted shut which then requires running a blade over the plastic which invariably causes scratches and chipped paint. Again, my personal preference.

You can paint any of it and it will not impact the function, I just think it's better to hide it as best you can.
 
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* the clear plastic outlet cover is real bendy and will crack/chip in no time with use.

The top box with the lock looks particularly open-y and may be hindered with paint in the seams.

But like Matt said, it's up to you which bothers you more.
 
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Thanks for the input! The thing on top of the post are the keys for the cover switch.

I’m leaning towards painting everything that doesn’t move including the black relay covers, since I hope thats never an issue, but not painting the outlet cover and pool cover switch door cause I agree that wouldn’t look good over time due to use. At least now I have a recommendation to share with the boss and final decision maker!! 😁
 
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It's rather strange that the builder drove a post into the ground .... right next to a perfectly good wall that all of that stuff could have been attached to :scratch:
 
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Newdude said:
This one which is widely available at HD / Lowes / Target / online / etc.

I like to take a sample to HD for their wide selection when I want to color match.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recco, I love it. Gonna get the brown 2 in 1 which will make it much easier to have the final paint job look nicer as it’s easier to spray in all the cracks than brush them. I was thinking standard white primer but the 2 in 1 in brown is a far superior idea. Thank you!
 
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And if you want to do the job right .... remove the covers from the junction boxes first and spray paint them separately. You can then mask off all the wires inside those and spray paint the junction box base and conduit. Reassemble when all is dry.

... and turn off the power first at the breaker ...
 
I LOVE that stuff. Typical HD warnings apply though. They'll have your exact color in 12 finishes but not in the finish you wanted.

I literally find what I'm looking for on a long and full HD display by looking for the empty spot. Yup. That's it. *verifies sku tag* FOILED again !!!!!
 

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JoyfulNoise said:
It's rather strange that the builder drove a post into the ground .... right next to a perfectly good wall that all of that stuff could have been attached to :scratch:
Click to expand...
The shed isn’t permitted and they wouldn’t approve it even if I tried cause it’s too close to the property line. Since I wanted an outlet there they wouldn’t approve the plans if I ran it to the shed because you can’t electrify an unpermitted structure, so it’s pretty dumb but I had to get the post. Where I screwed up was not putting the post on the other side of the shed by the fence where it would have been more hidden
 
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Fwiw - i have used the rust oleum 2x paint in espresso (its my fave color) to paint literally every thing around my house to blend in better with the brick. I have even painted my security doors , patio poles, lounge chairs on the pool deck, mailbox, electrical panel & conduits with it. Overtime after 5/6 yrs the pvc that’s in the sun has required some touch ups but totally worth it for the aesthetics.
As i replace or add electrical peripherals I try to purchase boxes & covers that are already brown but that’s not always possible.
The LB & conduits that go from my shop to the pool are sprayed the color of yours to match the metal siding & have held up even better than the espresso (I assume because it is a lighter color).
Fyi - Walmart has the best price in my area on that paint so i keep myself stocked whenever i go there so i am always ready for touch ups & new projects 😊
 
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Oh yeah - my ancient freezer & ugly att box on the carport too! Blends in much better than the giant white/rust colored box it was before.
My kids joke that my favorite color is brown 🤣
 

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Mdragger88 said:
Fwiw - i have used the rust oleum 2x paint in espresso (its my fave color) to paint literally every thing around my house to blend in better with the brick. I have even painted my security doors , patio poles, lounge chairs on the pool deck, mailbox, electrical panel & conduits with it. Overtime after 5/6 yrs the pvc that’s in the sun has required some touch ups but totally worth it for the aesthetics.
As i replace or add electrical peripherals I try to purchase boxes & covers that are already brown but that’s not always possible.
The LB & conduits that go from my shop to the pool are sprayed the color of yours to match the metal siding & have held up even better than the espresso (I assume because it is a lighter color).
Fyi - Walmart has the best price in my area on that paint so i keep myself stocked whenever i go there so i am always ready for touch ups & new projects 😊
Click to expand...

I bought nutmeg cause it was the lightest brown I could find, but it was still darker than my paint color so I painted over it with my house paint. Still would have done it the same way though, there are nooks and crannies I couldn't get with the brush that are still protected with the 2x paint and it looks good enough even though it doesn't match perfectly.
 
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