Earlier this year we began work on our backyard to prep for the English garden I planned to build. Today I am sharing a quick and easy DIY project that has helped to camouflage the ugly electrical meter on the back of the house. Since starting our backyard project, one of the biggest tasks we took on was removing the large shrubs against the original fence and around the back of the house.
The shrubs in the backyard had grown high and created an odd fortress in a square with only one entrance. We thought maybe it was carved out for a hot tub, but it turned out that it was created for nothing at all. One purpose that it did actually serve was to hide the ugly electrical meter and box! With the shrubs now gone, it has become a not so pretty backdrop for my English garden.
How to Paint Your Electrical Meter
This project took less than an hour and has helped tremendously and hiding the meter box. Because it is attached to predominantly white brick, I chose white matte as my paint color and sheen. I would recommend finding a paint color that is closest to the color of your house so that it blends in nicely.
Here is an image of the garden just one year later. The electrical meter is definitely not the most eye-catching item anymore!
Step 1 | Clean the Meter
Using a rag and a cleaning agent (I like to use Krud Kutter), clean the electrical meter box to remove dirt and dust.
Step 2 | Tape the Glass Cap
Tape off the glass meter to protect it from paint. This still needs to be visible after the electrical meter is painted.
Step 3 | Protect the House & Paint
I did this project the quick and dirty way. I used leftover cardboard in my garage and held the cardboard as I sprayed different areas of the meters.
You can absolutely take more time to tape off the back of the house to prevent any overspray from getting on the home. I used one can of spray paint to complete this project but it cut it close. I would recommend two cans to be safe and not run out.
Step 4 | Remove the Tape
Once I finished painting the meter and gave it time to dry, I removed the tape from the meter.
Of course, the meter is still visible, but it is not the first thing my eye travels to when I look at my garden grow. The leftover pole next to the meter is no longer in use so we are going to remove it from the wall soon. As we continue to work on our backyard, we will remove old wires no longer in use and any other attachments like the metal rod next to the meter.
I have planted perennials strategically to help in camouflaging the meter. Tall grasses and plants like hollyhock are great options to plant to help in hiding a meter.
The backyard at our new home we call the Cape Cottage is starting to resemble her name! If you enjoyed this DIY, check out our other garden DIY projects like installing a brick border for your flower bed and upcycling an old, rusted arbor.
Materials Needed for the DIY:
- Krylon Spray Paint
- Krud Kutter
- Rag
- FrogTape
- Cardboard
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