Advice on painting a concrete patio.
February 10, 2012 10:14 AM Subscribe
I want to re-paint my friend's concrete patio...
The patio in question (first 3 pictures) is concrete, 7 slabs roughly 7' x 7', but it in pretty rough condition. Optimally, I would like to paint the slabs maroon, with 2 large yellow/gold stenciled designs of their favorite college mascot.
I can manage cleaning, maybe pressure washing, but if the entire thing needs to be scrapped, that would be a bit more effort than I want to put in.
I've seen concrete paint at home depot, but aside from that, what do I need to know? I've painted many interiors, but never on crete.
If it makes a difference, this project does not need to come out 'perfect'. The patio sees quite a lot of use, it gets a good baking in Arizona summers, and the homeowners are committed to the house for some time, most likely well past the patio needing another coat.
The patio in question (first 3 pictures) is concrete, 7 slabs roughly 7' x 7', but it in pretty rough condition. Optimally, I would like to paint the slabs maroon, with 2 large yellow/gold stenciled designs of their favorite college mascot.
I can manage cleaning, maybe pressure washing, but if the entire thing needs to be scrapped, that would be a bit more effort than I want to put in.
I've seen concrete paint at home depot, but aside from that, what do I need to know? I've painted many interiors, but never on crete.
If it makes a difference, this project does not need to come out 'perfect'. The patio sees quite a lot of use, it gets a good baking in Arizona summers, and the homeowners are committed to the house for some time, most likely well past the patio needing another coat.
Painting, on concrete or not, is all about preparation. If you've got a power-washer, that's great. The key is to make sure there's no loose paint still on the surface. Go over it with the power washer, then get a stiff wire brush, steel wool, or coarse sandpaper, and scrub any areas that seem loose. A power sander can really speed this up. If nothing comes up when you scrub/sand a small area, then you can skip it for the rest. If you really don't want to scrub, the worst case is that the paint flakes off prematurely.
Prime (using primer suitable for concrete/masonry) and paint, using concrete paint (consider mixing in some anti-skid material if the surface is smooth, which it looks like it is). Concrete paint is designed to go on thick. This Kelly Moore paint for concrete and masonry says 80-100 sq. ft./ gallon. That's 4x what you would use for interior walls. However, the result was really nice when I did our concrete porch, and since it's the floor, getting the surface perfectly even and free of lap marks isn't so crucial.
posted by wnissen at 11:34 AM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
Prime (using primer suitable for concrete/masonry) and paint, using concrete paint (consider mixing in some anti-skid material if the surface is smooth, which it looks like it is). Concrete paint is designed to go on thick. This Kelly Moore paint for concrete and masonry says 80-100 sq. ft./ gallon. That's 4x what you would use for interior walls. However, the result was really nice when I did our concrete porch, and since it's the floor, getting the surface perfectly even and free of lap marks isn't so crucial.
posted by wnissen at 11:34 AM on February 10, 2012 [1 favorite]
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http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-paint-a-93887
posted by countrymod at 10:34 AM on February 10, 2012