Can You Paint Over Flex Seal? (Find Out Now!)
Flex Seal is one of the many products created by the Flex Seal Family of Products Company, and it’s one of their most popular picks. This sealant is ideal for patching up leaks, keeping things glued together, and fixing any sort of cracks in concrete. Easy to use as it is, you might be wondering if you can make it match with the rest of your lime green walls…Can you paint over this stuff?
You can paint over Flex Seal. You will want to use paints like acrylic, acrylic latex, and urethanes as these work best for painting over Flex Seal products. However, make sure the Flex Seal product you are using is able to be painted over by checking the label on your product.
Do You Need Exterior Home Paint or Stain Services?
Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you.
Painting Over Flex Seal Products
When choosing a Flex Seal product to paint over, it’s important to check and see that the seal you choose is meant to be paintable.
As long as you do that, you can usually apply the primer, paint, and sealer right on top—just like you would a regular painting surface. Unlike other painting surfaces, sanding the area down is not advisable.
What Paints Can Work With Flex Seal Spray?
If you have Flex Seal Spray and need to paint the wall or roof you just sealed up, then you have a lot of options open to you.
Though there are some limits (very few, really), Flex Seal Spray works with virtually any mainstream paint or urethane that you might want to use. If you want to go and grab some Behr, now would be a good time.
What Paints Can Work With Flex Seal Glue?
Flex Seal Glue is a lot like Flex Seal Spray in this respect. The glue is meant to work with virtually any type of paint that has recently hit the market.
Most major paint types, including acrylic, acrylic latex, and urethanes will work well with it. If you are uncertain whether or not a specific type of paint will work with it, you can contact the company to find out what you can do.
How To Make Your Flex Seal Liquid Match
Liquid Flex Seal is one of the most powerful tools in the Flex Seal product family, which means that many people do not have a choice aside from using it. Obviously, this is one of those situations where most of us will want to think creatively. We all want that gorgeous, seamless look, right?
It may be a bit of a drag to hear that you have to paint match, but there is some good news. There is a quick way to make sure that you can get the Flex Sealed area to work with the rest of your home.
Instructions
- Start off by painting the area that you want to Flex Seal. It’s best to use a 2-in-1 primer and paint combo for this, since it’s the easier option to work with. If you have a larger hole, you might want to add filler to it to make sure you have an even surface. However, adding filler is optional and not a required part of prepping.
- Let the paint dry. You may need to wait as long as 24 hours before you are able to apply the Flex Seal. If you put the Flex Seal on your roof, you may need to wait as long as two days before you can apply the Seal.
- Rather than choose a colored form of Flex Seal, choose Flex Seal Clear. This applies a see-through coat of Flex Seal Liquid, which means that you will be able to see the paint that you added earlier without any problem.
- Let the Flex Seal Clear dry. Once it’s dry, you’ll have a relatively smooth and seamless look to your patch.
Why Can’t You Paint Over Some Flex Seal Products?
While Flex Seal is great for holding water back and patching up leaks, the truth is that their formulas are limited on what they can do. The Flex Seal company had to create a variety of different bonds and methods of application that suit specific needs.
Unfortunately, this means that they had to make some tough decisions on which applications can work with paints and which can’t.
Sometimes, the decision has to be made because there is no other way to make sure that the product hits the market. Shame, right?
What Happens If You Paint Over The Wrong Type Of Flex Seal?
That’s a great question, and it all depends on the paint and the type of Flex Seal. Sometimes, the paint just won’t take, even if you add primer to it. It’ll wipe off, look funky, or gunk up.
This is what happens when you try to paint over Flex Seal Liquid. Since it’s silicone, the primer, paint, and sealant will not take.
In other cases, you might have a different problem. If you apply the wrong type of paint (or paint chemicals) to the sealant, there’s a chance that the sealant will stop working.
This could lead to the sealant peeling off, dissolving, or otherwise not working with the leak that you have.
What To Do If You Need To Paint Over Flex Seal
The best thing you can do, if you want to paint over Flex Seal is to choose a sealant that is paint-friendly. The most paint-friendly one on the market is Flex Seal Spray.
This one sprays on, can be primed and painted over, and won’t gum up. In fact, if you want to paint over Flex Tape, you’ll need the spray in order to make it work.
While Flex Seal Spray is the most common choice, you can also use Flex Seal Glue as your paintable sealant of choice. It’s just as easy to apply and can work with most paints.
Can You Remove Flex Seal?
Flex Seal is great, but at times, it can be a bit much. Some people, for one reason or another, will need to remove it in order to do further fixes on their home.
The bad news is that this is going to be difficult to do. There’s no magic “unglue” to get rid of the seal that you made. That durability is why this is used to fix hairline cracks on tubs.
If you want to remove Flex Seal, then you will have to manually remove it. In other words, you may have to scrape it off or pry it off with pliers.
This can prove to be a pretty difficult thing to do. Therefore, we advise that you only use Flex Seal if you truly know you need it and won’t be removing it anytime soon.
Do You Need Exterior Home Paint or Stain Services?
Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you.
Related Questions
How long does Flex Seal last?
Flex Seal is one of the most durable types of seals on the market, which is a main cause of its popularity. When used properly, Flex Seal can last several years—most commonly around five to 10. If you want to store your Flex Seal on the shelf without using it, that’s a different story.Unused Flex Seal has a shelf life of approximately two years. To make sure that you have the most time for using it, store your unused Flex Seal in its original, unopened can in an area that is not extremely hot. Once Flex Seal is exposed to air, it will start to gum up.
How long does it take Flex Seal to become waterproof?
Believe it or not, Flex Seal is not going to be waterproof right off the bat. It will take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to fully cure. While it can take some time to fully cure and stay waterproof, the truth is that you can still use it in emergencies.The waterproof quality of Flex Seal still is there before it dries, but not quite as much. Extreme waterlogging can cause the Flex Seal to wash away, but light rain won’t harm it.This means that you can use Flex Seal in emergency situations, such as during rain or when your basement is starting to flood. It may need some touch-ups later, but it will still work in a pinch.
Is Flex Seal permanent?
Like most other sealants, Flex Seal’s primary “thing” is to be a long-term solution to leaks, spills, and cracks.This means that you should expect longevity and that you don’t need to treat it as a stopgap between different repair treatments. It’s a treatment that is meant to stick and stay watertight.
Related Guides
Ossiana Tepfenhart is an expert writer, focusing on interior design and general home tips. Writing is her life, and it's what she does best. Her interests include art and real estate investments.
More by Ossiana Tepfenhart