Terracotta pots are one of the most popular types of containers for succulents around the everyday home and garden. Terracotta pots are famously inexpensive and their natural, earthy red colouring works great with practically any colour palette. Vibrant containers are a fun way of adding a splash of colour to your garden, so why not spice up those classic terracotta pots with a coat or two of Frenchic Al Fresco paint?
For our own terracotta pot makeover, we selected the limited edition “Raspberry Punch” and “Dive In” as our chosen colours.
Preparation is key, because if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail! With this in mind, we recommend giving your pots a heavy scrub down with a good quality concentrated sugar soap and some warm water beforehand, this is especially important if the product is old, or has been previously painted. As with any surface you’re about to paint, make sure it is clean, dry, dust and debris free.
Once the product has been cleaned, you can begin your preparation. We would firstly advise sealing your pot with a reliable product such as Frenchic’s finishing coat. This is mainly because, once you have added your soil and potted your plants, you will begin to water them on a daily basis. The water you’re using will not only absorb through the plant and soil, but also through the terracotta, as this is an incredibly porous material. Therefore, your paint work will slowly start to flake and eventually, it will be pushed off the surface of the pot.
Start by sealing the inside, and then you can move onto the top rim, as well as the outside of the pot. The sealant is touch dry within 15-30 minutes, so once it is, you can start on your second coat. Always remember, you will also need to seal the base of your pot before applying your first coat of paint. Once your second coat is dry, for best results you could even apply a third layer of finishing coat, and then you’re ready to start painting.
Al Fresco paint is a water based, durable, weatherproof, UV resistant chalk and mineral paint, specifically developed to transform your garden or indoor furniture. It’s incredibly versatile, eco-friendly, smooth, creamy and virtually odourless, with a pallet of 20 best-selling colours to choose from, plus exciting limited edition offers annually. Requiring simple preparation, it’s self levelling, self-priming and self-sealing, with excellent coverage. The Al Fresco range has minimal VOC content and has gone through rigorous testing to be certified UKCA and EN71-3 compliant, meaning it’s safe to use on children’s toys. With a very low, almost flat finish, suitable for wood, laminate, UPVC and metal, it is a great choice for your kitchen, bathroom, front door or just about any type of garden furniture.
Once you have painted the outside of the pot, you can begin painting the inside. We recommend to only paint a couple of inches inside the pot, as the soil will cover up most of the surface. It’s important to cover the inside first before the rim as this way you won’t get any paint on your wrists.
After you have applied your first coat, leave this to dry for a couple of hours, before starting your second coat. Although the Al Fresco paint is touch dry within 2 hours, it won’t fully cure to its final strength until about 3 weeks of drying, so it is important to hold out for a week or 2 before adding your soil and planting your pots.
So that’s it, your terracotta pots are now complete and all that remains is to add your soil, pot your plants, stand back and admire your handy work.
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