Choosing the Best Paint for Concrete Patios

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.

Considerations

Before you choose to paint your patio, consider these pointers.

How much time do you spend on the patio?

How much sunlight does the area get?

Are you ready to maintain the floor regularly?

Are you willing to get professional help to do a neat job?

Best Paint Brands for Concrete Patios

Experts suggest that the best paint for an outdoor surface such as a patio is an epoxy paint. This paint can resist extreme temperatures, wear and tear, UV radiation, and chemicals. However,it does not come with many color options, it is quite expensive, and is more suited for garage floors where the heat, and wear and tear is extremely high. If you wish to use it anyway, a good brand is Rust-Oleum EPOXYShield Concrete Floor Paint.

Ideally, you should choose a paint designed specifically for outdoor surfaces such as patios. In this regard, Behr Premium ® Porch and Patio Floor Paint may be a good choice. It comes with exact instructions on application as well as maintenance.

Tips to Make Your Paint Job Last

As mentioned earlier, making a paint job on an exterior surface such as a porch last is slightly difficult. To make sure it does, follow these tips.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to a tee. If you are confused, speak to the paint dealer who will give you a better idea about how exactly the paint should be applied.

Simply sweeping the surface to be painted to remove dust and debris is not enough. It requires a pressure wash before even etching the surface.

Etch the surface with muriatic acid so that the paint adheres to the surface strongly.

Add an anti-skid agent to the paint to reduce its slipperiness.

Allow each coat of paint to dry thoroughly before you apply the next one. Keep pets and people out of the way.

Follow the temperature guide provided by the manufacturers, which means you may have to wait until the external temperatures are suitable to your requirements.

Apply a sealer once your paint job is done. Sealing is the final most important step to ensure that your paint lasts. Apply a single, thin coat and allow it to cure for 72 hours. Then apply a top coat and wait for another 72 hours before you place any furniture on it.

Choosing Concrete Stain Instead of Paint

Choosing to stain the patio instead of painting it offers several benefits. Let's 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 you'll be stress-free and have a great looking porch by the end of it.

(Buzzle)