Follow along as I show you how to paint a concrete porch. Whether you have a small porch like mine, or a wide one that wraps around the whole front of your house, you can completely refresh your old, stained concrete with just a bit of paint and an afternoon of work. I’ll show you step-by-step exactly how to paint a concrete porch and which products I used for amazing results.
This was a bit of an “if you give a mouse a cookie” type situation. First, I painted the front door and it looked so good, almost like a brand new door. I put in a new porch light which matched the door and fit the space better. Once that all looked great, my stained and discolored concrete porch stood out like a sore thumb.
You don’t need much to paint your concrete porch, just a few basic supplies and a couple hours on a free afternoon.
Tools and Materials
- Hose
- Push broom
- Paint roller frame
- Roller sleeves
- Roller tray
- Paint brush
- Valspar Fast Prep Etcher
- Valspar Porch, Floor & Patio paint
How to Paint a Concrete Porch
Before you begin you’ll want to clear off your porch. Remove all furniture, dirt, leaves, etc.. It’s not a bad idea to blow it over with a blower or even a pressure washer.
Step One: Etch the Concrete
As with all paint projects, preparation is key for paint to last a long time. I prepared the concrete by using an etching solution. Etching concrete opens up the pores and creates a surface that the paint can really stick to, similar to sanding before priming/painting wood.
First, using my Giraffe hose reel I sprayed down my porch with water.
Next, I grabbed a bottle of Valspar Fast Prep etching solution. I just poked a hole in the safety lid. It’ll be easier to pour a bit at a time through a smaller opening.
I poured the solution onto the wet concrete. As you pour, the etching solution will fizz and bubble a bit, which is normal.
I used a stiff bristled push broom to work my way across the concrete patio, scrubbing.
Then, rinse the solution off the concrete. You’ll want to rinse off your broom and anything else that touched the solution.
You could wait for it to air dry, but I wanted to move onto painting as quickly as possible. So, if you’re impatient like me, grab a handheld blower and get your patio dried off quicker.
Step Two: Paint the Concrete
Now that the concrete is dry, we can paint. Buying the right paint for the job is important. You can’t just use regular, interior paint. Make sure you are buying paint that’s designed for porches. It’ll be able to withstand the outside elements, as well as the foot traffic.
Most of the concrete porch was painted with a roller, but first I used a paint brush to cut in the edges where my roller won’t reach.
I started by refilling my roller from a paint tray, but quickly realized it’s much faster to just pour some paint straight onto the patio and then use the roller to spread it out.
Then, I got even smarter and realized I could make it easier on my back by adding a pole to the roller. You can use a pole designed for paint rollers, or you can do like me and grab your broom handle. The threading on these things is almost always universal.
As I finished the first coat, I went back over to the beginning and started another coat.
Then, I grabbed my paint brush to paint the front edge of my steps.
All done! That’s all you need for how to paint a concrete porch. Look how clean and fresh it looks! It’s the perfect backdrop for my fall porch decor, but looks great year-round as a first impression for my guests.
It’s been about 9 months since I painted my concrete porch, and we have done more than a few projects since then, including expanding the porch, as well as adding some DIY concrete curbing, and low-maintenance landscaping. You can see that the paint job is of course not as pristine as it was on day one, but it’s held up well and looks good.
Links for Porch Decor
- Woven baskets
- Short concrete planters
- Tall concrete planters
- Boxwood topiary balls
- Faux boxwood trees
- Artificial camellia trees
- Adirondack chairs
- Bench
- Porch light
I’m glad I was able to show you how to paint a concrete porch, because it’s a fast project with big results, and many possibilities for colors or even designs with stencils. Your imagination is the limit here.
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