How to paint a light bulb at home, the 7 best remedies and what won't work

Bulb painting is a procedure that involves painting the glass with a permanent paint. As a rule, the paint is made to darken and give a special look to the lighting device. Before starting work, it is advisable to study the information on how best to paint a light bulb. Prepare dyes and a brush.

Why do you need to paint an incandescent lamp

Painting is carried out to solve the following tasks:

  • interior transformation;
  • reduce the likelihood of theft (painted objects are stolen less often);
  • create light and music from multiple bulbs.

The procedure is extremely easy to perform and does not require much time. Therefore, painting a lamp is considered a quick way to transform an interior.

Effective Painting Techniques

In order to change the color of the product, it is recommended to use highly effective painting methods. The best solution is to use a specialized paint specially designed for painting glass objects.

Ballpoint Pen Paste

If you don't have time to find a special paint, you can use a ballpoint pen paste. To perform staining in this way, the following steps are required:

  1. Take a stick with dough.
  2. Remove the tip and remove the paste.
  3. Using a brush, apply the paste to the bulb.

You can use a blue pen or any other pen as a paint source. The final result will depend on the amount of paste applied. It should be understood that with only ink from a ballpoint pen, it will not be possible to darken the product perfectly.

paint bulb

nail polish

With the help of nail polish, low-power light bulbs are painted that do not heat up much (the temperature during operation does not exceed 100 degrees C). The varnish has a pronounced adhesion and durability. It can also be used to evenly paint the entire surface. It is allowed to use varnishes of any color, from yellow to red and green. Clear varnishes can be used as a base for other colorants. After applying the varnish, any other paint will better and better lay on the surface of the bulb.

paint bulb

AVP

PVA glue is a good base for applying any coloring matter. If a high quality result is required, it is recommended to create a layer of PVA before applying the paint. Then you can paint the bulb with ballpoint pen paste or special ink.

Automatic email

Automotive enamel is a specialty paint sold in aerosol form. Its advantages are good adhesion, convenience, high application speed and durability. Autoenamel is applied in a thin layer to achieve the desired darkening effect.You can find paint of any color on the market without any problem.

The application is carried out at a distance of 30-50 cm. Before that, the can is well shaken. It is important to make the layer thin so that the glass of the ampoule does not lose its transparency. If the layer is too thick, the light will not pass through it.

If the layer is too thick, the light will not pass through it.

Stained glass paints

Stained glass paints are specially designed for painting glass objects. With their help, you can give the glass the desired color, while maintaining its transparency. Water-soluble stained glass paints that can withstand high temperatures are used to change the color of the bulb.

The paints are sold in tubes. Substances should be applied strictly in accordance with the instructions. You will first need to prepare the surface by cleaning and degreasing it. To give the bulb a special look, fluorescent paints with glitter are purchased.

Tsaponlak

Tsaponlak is a varnish used to coat metal products and microcircuits to protect them from negative external influences. It is possible to buy transparent and colored tsaponlak. Using a colored liquid, you can try painting the bulb. The advantages of this varnish are high temperature resistance and wear resistance. The downside is the small choice of colors (only red and green tsaponlaki are available for selection).

Tsaponlak and bulbs

organosilicon

Organosilicon paints are characterized by extremely high thermal resistance. They can be applied to coatings which then heat up to temperatures above 500-600 degrees C. Organosilicon is used to paint powerful light bulbs which become very hot during operation.It is recommended to dilute the stain with a solvent before painting, otherwise the glass will darken too much. You need to act on the instructions of a specific silicone paint.

What funds will not work

Not all dyes are suitable for coloring a simple light bulb. The full list of products that cannot be used for coloring depends on the specific purpose. To achieve the most attractive decorative result, it is necessary to use stable and heat-resistant stained glass paints, organosilicon or tsaponlac. To quickly create an anti-vandal lamp, paste from a pen is suitable.

Zelenka

Almost every person has a brilliant green solution in the medicine cabinet. It is not recommended to use it for coloring, since it is not resistant to high temperatures, quickly fades and does not provide uniform darkening. When applied in a thick layer, brilliant green darkens the glass too much, because of which the lamp ceases to perform its main task - to illuminate the room.

brilliant green in bottle

Markers and markers

It is extremely difficult to paint the entire surface of the glass with felt-tip pens and markers. In addition, they are extremely easy to wipe off the surface after application. Even alcohol-based markers come off the glass with the slightest touch. That is why coloring with felt-tip pens is not performed when working with lamps.

How to paint an LED lamp

The method of painting an LED lamp depends on its type of surface. Because this type of product heats up less, more colorants are available. Even dyes that can only withstand slight heating up to 100 degrees C.The main parameter that you need to pay attention to when choosing a paint is its transparency and adhesion to glass. In order to maintain the shine of the product as much as possible, paste from a ballpoint pen and tsaponlak are suitable. There is no need to use expensive heat resistant stained glass paint.

How to properly dim a night light bulb

Dimming a light bulb is a simple process if you choose the right dimmer. Color tsaponlak is perfect for this procedure. It is also possible to darken with nail polish. In order to simply reduce the brightness of the light, it is enough to use any neutral color. Blue colors work best for a night light.

many light bulbs

You need to select a product based on the product type. For incandescent lamps, the substance should be thermally stable, while the surface should not be darkened too much, as this can lead to overheating inside the lamp.

Difficulties of painting at home

Among the main problems with coloring at home are:

  • difficulties in choosing a dye for a specific lamp;
  • inability to properly treat the surface before painting;
  • lack of specialized tool.

If there is no desire or free time to study the shades of paint, you can simply buy a ready-made painted lamp in the store. To choose the right paint, you must familiarize yourself with the table of lamp temperatures according to type and power:

A typeSurface temperature
Incandescent lamp, 25 watts100°C
Incandescent bulb, 75 watts250°C
Energy saving100°C
LEDs40-50C

High-power halogen lamps have the highest surface temperature, so it is impossible to paint them at home without special preparation. If you need to perform quick staining, you can achieve an acceptable result using the available means. High-quality paint requires more careful preparation and the use of wear-resistant dyes.



We advise you to read:

TOP 20 tools only to clean an artificial stone sink in the kitchen