Painting Cat5 Cable?

January 31, 2008 8:02 PM

Do I need to do anything special to apply latex paint to cat5 cable or to coax cable tv cable? Do I need primer or anything of that sort?
posted by cm to computers & internet (3 comments total)

All cables are not created equal. It would certainly depend on the material the insulation is made out of.
posted by mr.dan at 8:18 PM on January 31

You should be fine if it's just latex. Cat5 and coax both have inner insulation underneath the plastic coating. Latex won't eat through plastic like enamel might. Why not test on a small length of spare cable to verify? But again, I'd say that latex will just be like coating the plastic cover.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:24 PM on January 31

Cat5 and, I think, TV coäx both typically have PVC jackets. Acrylic latex paint ought to stick well and not damage it. A brief google tells me that some people suggest roughening it with sandpaper etc. (Note that the material the insulation is made of is often not the same material the jacket is made of!)
posted by hattifattener at 9:17 PM on January 31