How To Paint Your Concrete Patio
- Written by Justin Stewart on Sep 18, 2009To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by
If you want to add some color and life to a drab, gray concrete patio, spruce it up with paint. You can paint the patio to match the color of your home or to provide an appealing contrast that helps set your patio apart.
When painted properly, your colorful concrete can last years.
Step 1 Clean the Concrete Patio
Thoroughly clean your concrete patio to remove any dirt and debris. You don’t want anything getting in the way of the paint and the surface, or even worse, mixing in with the new paint.
For the best cleaning, mix water and some mild detergent, and then scrub it over the concrete using a broom or a long-handled scrub brush. Make sure that you completely rinse all of the soap away and allow the patio to dry.
After it’s dry, use a good quality broom or shop-vac to remove any dirt and dust that still may have been left behind.
Step 2 – Apply the Exterior Paint
As long as you’ve chosen a high-quality exterior paint that is rated for use on concrete, you should have no problem adequately covering the patio surface. Paint products usually specify if they are suited for outdoor use and what surfaces they will work best on.
Step 3 – Clean the Patio Again
Step 4 – Apply the Clear Sealer
How To Paint A Concrete Porch Or Patio
I finally tackled a project I have wanted to tackle for quite some time and I am happy to report I am thrilled with the after!; We have worked hard to make out back porch/patio an extension of our home and a place where we love to spend time and the ugly/dirty/stained concrete was such an eyesore.
Here are some pictures of the before with all the stains.; This is after pressure washing and using a concrete cleaner/etcher which did help clean some of the red mud staining off but still, lots were left.;
So after debating for over a year if I wanted to or should paint it I finally bit the bullet and did it and I am so glad I did!; I will detail the process and what products I used below and next spring I will try to add an update to how it has held up.;
;As far as color you can get the Behr Porch and Patio paint in several pre-mixed colors or a selection of colors that they recommend for concrete, or you can have it custom mixed in any color you want.; I opted to have it mixed in the same paint color as our house which is SW Elephant Ear.; Keep in mind that paint used outdoors will always look lighter because of the sunlight and sky reflection and paint on a horizontal surface will look even lighter.;;; I almost wish I would have gone one level darker just because it reads much lighter on the flat horizontal surface than on our house even though the color is a perfect match.;
What you will need:
Heres the process I followed:
4. Paint!;
Choosing Concrete Stain Instead Of Paint
Choosing to stain the patio instead of painting it offers several benefits. Lets compare the two.Paint coats the concrete surface. The surface does not absorb it. This makes it easy to wear away. In the absence of a vapor barrier in an exterior surface, paint is more likely to bubble and flake. Problems may also occur depending on the weather of the area you reside in. Paint can become slippery and thus, become dangerous. Finally, if your patio is heavily used, the paint job will not last very long.
Stain, on the other hand, is absorbed by the concrete surface. This makes it less prone to wear and tear in comparison to concrete paint. It also maintains the texture of concrete making it less hazardous. It is definitely longer lasting and requires lesser maintenance than concrete paint. On the downside, staining is a relatively expensive procedure and is best done by hiring a professional. Also, the color options are more limited in this type of treatment.
Whatever option you choose, remember that regular maintenance is essential. If you are not confident enough to get the job done yourself, get it done professionally. It may cost a few extra bucks, but youll be stress-free and have a great looking porch by the end of it.
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Kilz L573611 Porch And Patio Latex Floor Paint
The Best Porch Concrete Paint
If youre looking to update a space and want one single paint that you can use across many surfaces, the KILZ Porch and Patio Latex Floor Paint fits the bill! It can be applied to concrete, masonry, wood, and architectural plastic such as siding, even if it was previously primed or painted.
Like other KILZ products, its mildew resistant, and the thinner consistency means it can be rolled on, brushed on, or applied with a sprayer. Once cured, the coating is resistant to scuffing, fading, cracking, and peeling. A gallon of paint covers 300 to 400 square feet if the surface is smooth. It can be used indoors and out.
As the KILZ Porch and Patio Latex Floor Paint is suitable for a range of surface types, you can paint multiple surfaces in one area using one single type or color of paint.
Base MaterialDry to Touch TimeSize
Other Concrete Coating Options To Consider
As mentioned earlier,epoxy coatings can yield a stronger, longer-lasting finish than paint for certain applications. Epoxy coatings can also give you a more polished, glossy look, so its often recommended to use mix-in anti-slip compounds to offset the slicker finish.
Note: While a one-part paint with an epoxy additive can achieve some of these benefits, a true epoxy product will always have a two-part formula with the epoxy and a hardener additive.
Polyurea generally costs a little more than epoxy, and professional application is recommended, but its more flexible and abrasion-resistant than epoxy. Similarly, a polyurea coating can be very smooth, so anti-slip compound is recommended.
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Choosing The Best Paint For Concrete Patios
When choosing a paint for a concrete patio, you should know that it is not as much the paint, as it is the painting process that determines how good the paint will look and how long it will last.
When choosing a paint for a concrete patio, you should know that it is not as much the paint, as it is the painting process that determines how good the paint will look and how long it will last.
The decision to paint a concrete patio immediately opens up a host of options about the desired final look. You can go from a dull gray to a stunning sky blue and breathe a whole new life into your patio. The tough part is choosing a good paint to make this visualization come alive. Here, we discuss which paint is best for a concrete patio, tips to make the paint last, and staining as an alternative to painting the floor.
Find The Best Paint For Your Home Improvement Projects
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Reinvigorate your concrete surfaces with The Spruce Best Home Interior Paint & Primer in One, a brand new 100 percent acrylic paint thats produced by KILZ. With the right coat of paint, you can take a plain concrete wall or other fixture and give it a new life. After taking consumer feedback into consideration, we formulated the perfect paint for the joband we couldnt be more excited about it!
Similar to other paints on this list, The Spruce Best Home Interior Paint is perfect for surfaces that need to withstand a lot of abuse. The durable formula will glide onto concrete and provide thick coverage for uneven surfaces. However, before you start painting, you might want to strip old paint and fill in any large holes or indentations. You can do this with either a paint scraper or nylon-bristled brush.
Because its a paint and primer in one, you can start painting right awayno need to prime your surface with a separate formula. Choose from 32 beautiful shades that range from gray to rich blues and greens. No matter your design preference, theres a shade to match!
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Did You Make This Project
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While we went with bold colors and big thick stripes, you could easily customize this project to suit your tastes and style! The Porch and Floor Paint we used is really high quality stuff .
The stripes were super simple to paint, but it did take a lot longer than I thought it would. Relatively speaking, it wasnt that long but I thought the base coat of white for example would only take an hour. Painting the concrete took nearly 3 hours! My tip is to take your time, and put on some good music or a podcast!
You also need to factor in dry times. I like to let each coat dry *at least* overnight . Ultimately its your choice, but follow the instructions on the paint can for best results!
I tried to use the delicateFrogtape when it was time to add the stripes but it didnt work at all. The tape wouldnt stick to the concrete and we didnt end up having any problems with the regular Frogtape on the fresh paint.
What Are The Advantages Of Using Paint To Color Concrete
You cant beat concrete paint if youre looking for a product that is:
- Easy to apply
- Offers a broad selection of colors
- Provides good coverage
Unlike acid stains, which must be applied with a sprayer, you can apply most concrete paints with a simple paint brush or roller. Cleanup is easy as well, since most concrete paints are water-based acrylic latex formulas. Concrete paints are also safer to apply, especially indoors. When working with acid-based stains, its important to take precautionary measures because they often contain corrosive components that can cause eye and skin irritation and produce strong odors.
Like latex-based house paint, most concrete paints are tintable, giving you an endless array of color options. And because concrete paints are opaque and can be applied in multiple coats, they are great at hiding hairline cracks and other minor flaws in existing concrete, as opposed to a translucent stain which would allow those imperfections to show through.
Also Check: How To Fix Hairline Cracks In Concrete Patio
Painting Your Concrete Porch: All The Questions Answered
It can be hard at first to decide which paint to use and how to actually paint a porch. This is a not very complicated process, but it takes some time to understand what and how you should do the painting.
You should consider many things when choosing a paint and doing the actual painting: weather, size of the porch, the color you want, etc.
To help you not to lose your mind, here is a compilation of all the popular questions answered. Here you can find the most detailed guides and explanations on how to paint a concrete porch and choose the right products.
How To Make The Paint Last
There are a few steps you need to take in order to make the paint last longer. Here are some of the tips you should try to follow:
- Prepare the surface. As said previously, you should first clean the surface. After that, you should sand it. And if there are any damaged parts of the surface, you should fill and level them.
- While the paint has just been applied, make sure that the surface is dry for some time. Even if you use water-resistant paint, it is still best to leave the surface dry for a few hours.
- Take good care of your porch. Just painting it is not enough: you should also make sure that it stays in good condition for a long time. If something breaks, repair it right away and dont wait until it will be even more damaged.
Only a few steps are required to make your paint last longer, so it is better to do all of these things than to attempt to fix the floor later.
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Do I Need To Seal Concrete Pots
Do Concrete Planters Need To Be Sealed? Concrete pots only need to be sealed if you are growing a plant in the pot that needs more acidic soil. Sealing the concrete will help prevent some of the lime from leaching into the soil. However, I recommend soaking the pots in water for three days before sealing.
Can I Color My Concrete Patio
There are numerous ways to color concrete, including adding the color integrally to the concrete mix or applying it to the surface in the form of color hardeners, stains or dyes. You can also combine various methods to achieve unique color effects. See these ideas for enhancing your concrete patio with color.
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How To Paint A Concrete Patio Stains & Cracks
Some of our problems:
- lots of staining from spills
- water splash staining from rain and snow
- plant debris staining it just blows onto the patio constantly!
This big stain pictured below, in particular, even after working with it and the pressure washer, it just wouldnt get off!
The cracks were already filled with silicone, which the paint cant stick to.; So we had to clean that out, but because of a lot of settling over the years the pieces had lifted the to slightly different levels, so we chose to grind them down.; Justin used a handheld plugin grinder and a diamond bit grinder blade in about a 4 inch diameter.
Poor Guy!; This work was pretty back breaking for sure and DUSTY!!
All ground down the cracks now looked like this:
Should You Paint Your Concrete Patio
Concrete patios can be beautiful, or they can be incredibly ugly. Paint, believe it or not, can both help or hurt. A great paint job on your concrete patio can make it really pop, but a bad paint job makes it pop for all the wrong reasons. When in doubt, assess the situation. How do you assess your situation? Were glad you asked!
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How To Remove Epoxy Paint From Concrete
Youll need a few special supplies to remove epoxy from concrete. Epoxy is often used to coat garage floors. When it comes time to apply a new coat, removing the old one can be a major hassle. There are several types of chemical solvent that can be used to remove an epoxy coating. Lacquer and acetone are some of the most popular ones.
With that said, many homeowners choose to use a floor grinder to remove epoxy from their garage floors. Epoxy binds with concrete for a lifetime of coverage. As such, it is one of the most difficult substances to remove. It often takes several coats of lacquer or paint stripper to cut away at epoxy concrete sealants.
Best Waterproofer: Ugl Drylok Masonry Waterproof
If you live in an area with a lot of moisture, such as the Southeast or the Pacific Northwest, youll likely have moisture issues with garages and basements that are completely or partially below ground. This paint from UGL excels at keeping water out of these areas while also offering stain resistance.
This product is available in blue, white, gray, and beige, and will run about $40 a gallon depending on the seller. You can expect to cover around 75100 square feet per gallon, and two coats are recommended.
Price on Amazon: Starting at $41.79
*Pricing information as of 05/21/2020
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Prepare The Concrete Surface
Start by tidying your outdoor space area, clear it of furniture, flowerpots, and toys then sweep and clean thoroughly to remove any dirt and dust. Cover any plants or landscaping that cant be removed with tarps or cloth to protect them from chemicals and water run-off. Next, scrub the patio surface to remove grease or any type of grime from the concrete. Grease or oil on the surface will bleed through the new paint, interfering with the longevity of the paint and cause it to discolour.
Remove moss, roots, vines and anything else that has grown on the surface of the concrete before cleaning. Its probably worthwhile to rent a pressure-washer to remove the stubborn grime and stains. Alternatively you can mix water and some mild detergent and scrub over the concrete using a broom or scrub brush.;
If you have previously painted your patio any old paint can be removed with paint-removing solvent and scrapers. This may take you a while, but it is essential for a beautiful painted finish. If you dont do this, you can end up with bumps and an uneven texture on the surface. Allow for the patio to fully dry before proceeding to the next step.
Even if the patio doesn’t appear to be dirty, clean it anyway. Specs of dirt may not be visible but they can ruin the finish of a new paint job. So basically, the better the patio surface, the better quality of your paintwork.
How To Paint A Concrete Patio
Make your old, stained concrete porch look beautiful again by learning how to paint a concrete porch. This detailed tutorial will show you how to clean the porch, then make it look fabulous with paint!
The back covered patio at our house has needed a new paint job since the day we moved in. But you know how projects get pushed to the bottom of the list, right?
Weve pressure washed it almost every summer, but this summer I decided enough was enough and went to Lowes for some porch floor paint. I knew it would make this space look and feel a lot better.
Lets look at some before pics
Yikes, right?! It looked bad. Also, my next purchase is a new grill cover. LOL Its seen better days for sure. Ha!
I found the paint supplies I needed at Lowes and they have a special cement floor primer, so I feel certain that this will look good for years to come.
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