Tips for Painting a Textured Concrete Patio

One of my big home goals for 2015 was to give an update to the back patio.  I can honestly say it was after the lumberjack party I got serious about a vision for the space.  Having so many people over at once made me realize we really needed an outdoor extension to the indoor living space.  This was the back patio before.  See what I mean?  It’s definitely in need of an update.  It’s a little hard to tell in this picture but the patio is about 400 square feet.

One of the biggest priorities was to paint the concrete patio.  Picking out the perfect paint color was hard.  I mean, let’s face it.  If you paint the interior walls gray and you hate the paint color you can paint over it in a few days.  But I had no idea if that was even an option for textured concrete.  For weeks, I tossed around paint color ideas.  At first I thought maybe navy blue.  Then I thought maybe battle ship gray.  White would be almost blinding in the hot Florida sun.  We finally decided on Valspar’s Solid Color Concrete Stain/Sealer in Ember.  Tip #1 – Consider the color of your home’s exterior before you commit to a paint/stain color.

After deciding on a color, it was time to clean the surface and gather supplies.  It was a happy day when we moved the patio furniture to the grass.

As you can imagine the patio had a lot of build up from pollen and everyday grime.

It took an entire afternoon but I was able to get off most of the grime with just a pressure washer.  They sell chemical cleaners specifically for concrete at the home improvement store, which is something to keep in mind.  The surface has to be completely clean and free of grease prior to applying the stain.  Tip #2 – Preparation is key.

The next morning, after the patio had completely dried, we started prepping the perimeter of the space to be stained.  We used plastic sheets to protect the house and foundation securing the sheets in place with painters tape.

We also made sure to have a clear edge. This meant pulling weeds and cutting back any overgrown grass that had grown on the patio in advance. This proved to be really helpful once we starting staining.

I used a 4-inch brush to paint the trim and edges of the concrete.  I was really surprised at the consistency of the stain.  It’s really thin. We finished the first coat of the trim in about an hour.  Tip #3 – Make sure you’re using the right tools for the job.

I was so excited we were making great progress.  We secured the paint liner into the paint tray and poured in the stain. We screwed the paint roller onto the extender. Then slid the roller cover that was specifically designed to use with roughly textured concrete in place and set to work.

Obviously, wearing protective covering is of utmost importance.  This process is messy. Tip #4 – Protect yourself.

We were so busy painting trim and a good bit of the patio, we barely noticed the afternoon clouds rolling in. I could feel it growing cooler but honestly, I didn’t give it a second thought. After all, there was only a 20% of rain. I ignored the tiny little droplets as long as I could and then the skies opened up. It rained for the next 7 hours. I’ve never wanted to cry over concrete so bad in my life. Tip #5 – Make sure the chance of rain is ZERO for the duration of your painting/staining project.

The next day, after the concrete was completely dried (you’ve heard this before, right?) we started painting the patio again and this time there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  The first full coat went on without incident

and on day three we finished the second coat.

All in all, it took 6 and a half gallons of stain to finish this project.  I know! 6 and a half gallons of stain for 400 square feet of space.  The label said it would cover approximately 200-500 square feet per can.  But the rough texture of the concrete just soaked up the stain like a sponge.  Also, did I mention it rained? I’m so glad we stuck with it despite the obstacles.

The color is amazing and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

See you guys back here tomorrow. I gave the farmhouse style table that was on the back patio an update too.

Many blessings,

Coco