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Writer's pictureTony

How to prepare your kiosk for repainting

Updated: May 2, 2023


Good preparation is the key to a good finish.

I am often asked about repainting kiosks. We strip back to bare metal for our restorations but this may not be an option if the kiosk cannot be moved. Instead it is a case of wash, key and repaint.

It is important to prepare your kiosk well. It needs to be clean and have all loose paint removed. I would clear any gathered soil from around the kiosk to stop damp. Dirt can accumulate in the vents under the telephone signs. Moss can gather in the horizontal glazing bars. The surface needs to be rubbed back to a stable, flat finish if not bare metal. We scrub and rub with wire brushes and very coarse grit paper to key the paint work and get a good bond with the new paint. We remove the door handle and clean with wire wool. The door hinges and shackles can be cleaned with wire wool. We lacquer them after cleaning to keep the shine. Painting requires a warm day with the kiosk totally dry, so it is best not to wash and paint the same day. Any moisture on the surface will stop the paint bonding so wait for any morning dew to dry. Cold can cause the paint to flatten so pick a warm day without a frosty night. Any bare metal will need priming with red oxide and bare wood with primer filler. If you cannot remove your backboard you may cover it and the floor to protect from drips. We start with the white ceiling and work down. We paint two coats of white primer and two gloss to build the surface.

Do not try to cover in one coat, the second and subsequent coats will look much better as the finish builds. Where you have polycarbonate windows it is easier to remove and refit after painting. You might decide to replace the polycarbonate with glass and frames. This would be done after the paint has cured. Any glass in your kiosk it can be left in place. You can paint over the edge of the glazing bars and make sure you have painted into the seam. Once the finish is satisfactory and dry, you can clean glass windows with a squirt of glass cleaner, a bladed scraper and coarse paper towels.

We paint to a satisfactory finish rather than a number but it will take at least two coats of gloss. Do not try to cover in one coat, the second and subsequent coats will look much better as the finish builds. Once dry we lubricate all the moving parts of the door closer and the hinges and refit the door handle.

Although we will not be available to restore on site we are happy to advise and we have helped and supplied numerous local groups. We are happy to advise throughout the restoration and we have full range of spare parts. Often a group will collect the parts from our workshops to save on delivery charges although we can send out. I have attached an image of a restoration that we did in Taynton to show what can be achieved.


I hope this is of help. Please feel free to ask any question. I am happy to explain over the telephone.


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