A library for all seasons

June 20, 2018 3:33 PM

I am building a small self-service book exchange for a nonprofit in Montreal, Quebec. (For trademark reasons not a Little Free Library). It will be outside all year round through some very bad weather. Help me make sure it survives!

I've read some of the tip pages so I have an idea of the basics (sloping roof with plenty of overhang) but I am trying to do this on the cheap and with reclaimed materials as much as possible so a metal or shingled roof is likely not in the cards.

In particular, I want to know about paint / finishing options. Can I decorate with cheap acrylic artist paints and then cover it up with a few coats of deck sealant? I really want to paint multicolored butterflies on it but if I buy actual exterior paint I'll probably have to limit myself to 1-2 colors.

Are there other pitfalls I should know about? Other tips and tricks?

(Note : I won't be around after this summer to do maintenance, since I'm moving back to Iowa, and I don't want to put too much of a maintenance burden on the staff, so I'm trying to make this as set-it-and-forget-it as possible.)

posted by Jeanne to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

It might take a few trips to different stores, but paint/hardware stores often sell their mistakes on the cheap. Alternatively, some stores will sell sample pots. It's worth asking if they're available in exterior finishes.
posted by kate4914 at 3:57 PM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

I've built a few little libraries. In general, make sure you prime, paint, and seal your wood and your sloped roof should be fine. Semi-glass exterior paint is my choice for the exterior base coats.

I wouldn't use acrylic craft paint as you're more worried about fading due to light than your sealed paint being washed away. Instead, I've had good luck with oil-based paint pens. If you can, "white out" the area under the drawing with white primer and color with the markers - that should give the images a bit of a pop and help resist fading even more.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:00 PM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

I agree with looking for the “mistake” cans but in case you didn’t know, Home Depot and maybe many other places sell tiny sample cans for a few dollars. (The ones I got a few years ago were plastic.)
posted by warriorqueen at 5:55 PM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have managed four LFLs for almost five years. I would recommend shingles for the roof. You don't have to put them on professionally, just make a wood roof, get some silicon glue, paste them on, and then hammer them on.
posted by aetg at 3:48 AM on June 21, 2018

Also, we just repainted one of ours with acrylic paint and used outdoor mod podge on it.
posted by aetg at 3:49 AM on June 21, 2018

There is a (Montreal-based) organisation called croques livres that makes these and gives/loans them to organisations. We have one at our centre. I believe it's free and that you may be able to paint it yourself. It might be a good avenue for your organisation.
posted by eisforcool at 9:55 AM on June 21, 2018 [1 favorite]