# Plastic Structure Care



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

I've recently acquired a few plastic structures. Some were just great deals and others were things I can't/won't build myself- Aristo Transmission towers, Aristo signal bridges, Pola fire spotting tower, Pola water tank. Should I bother to paint these before they go out for the season? Or should I at least give them a spray of Krylon clear UV protection? I _assume_ they are UV stable, but as Felix Unger once said- "Never ASS-U-ME!" (The Odd Couple, TV trivia fans) They will only be left out for the operating season (which is way too short here in the North East!!!)- April through September. All recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks. -Kevin.


----------



## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

kevin I only have experience with the Aristo Transmission Towers. By all means give them a UV coating. Mine became very brittle being outside all the time uncoated.. They are virtually useless now due to this fact.
Rod


----------



## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

My "town" is out all year, the wife likes to see the lighted buildings from the house. Most are Pola, and sprayed with Krylon Matte finish. Once a year given a once over to re-glue pieces attacked by birds, etc. and a wash off with 30 second algae and moss remover. They have been out four-five years now.


----------



## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

i see your in the northeast-im in colorado 

my two cents from a rather dry and UV intensive area 
and from a POV that i tend to like things to stay in great shape 

IMHO POLA is the most robust of all the lines 
and even POLA items that dont have thick plastic will show wear or worse warpage (and even the thick piece may warp badly on a really hot day) 

its my experience that apart from glue failing and bits and pieces falling off and or being broken 

plastics can fade and they can warp badly and irreparably-in hot bright sunlight -at least here at 5280ft 

you may not have any of these issues 

and paint -while a maintenance item -will help-and silver or white roofs, for example, will fare better in scorching sun than brown grey or black 

because i have virtually all POLA, and a few boutique resin buildings,and because even before LGB went under and the exchange rate was good-they were expensive, and now are very very expensive 

so i keep mine shaded when possible, keep them away from falling debris, and public eyes-i wash them with dishwasher soap and a soft stream about every three months to remove rain spatter and the myriad of insects that like to take up residence 

since sun (and wind) are my biggest problems, i have used alu foil to cover black roofs if i dont want to paint them, and keep an eye on overhanging branches


----------



## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

They make the Krylon Clear Matte in both UV and Non UV resistant, so make sure you get the that is marked UV-Resistant on the front of the can. Now they also make it in the Krylon Fusion, which is made for plastic. The number for this is 2444 and it's listed as "Clear, UV Protection", but it does not indicate if it's Matte, although it does indicates it's for use Inside & Outside. The regular UV-Resistant Matte is number #1305, but no where does it indicate if it's for outdoor use. 


I've used both with good results. 


Mark
*http://mmg-garden-rr.webs.com/*


----------

