6/25/11

Looking for a Weekend Project - Painted Concrete Floor

With the holiday weekend fast approaching you may want start thinking about a quick weekend project for an old tired concrete surface. I had originally painted my back porch floor in 2006, however I had chosen a light color which ended up not working very well for me with regard to keeping it clean. The constant mud and dirt coming up onto the porch from kids, dogs and husband, was enough to drive me nuts. So this year I decided to repaint it only this time I was going to out smart the whole lot of them by painting it a darker color.


The first time I painted the floor the paint was literally sucked up by the concrete, so I had to put down 3 coats. This time I did not have that problem. I went ahead and repainted the porch in the leftover color I had from when I originally painted it. The porch paint is from Home Depot and the color is called "Gathering Place". Then I taped off my space using regular old masking tape. I measured in 12 inch increments. (Above photo) 

Using a natural sponge and some paint on a paper plate, I dabbed on and blended together a dark brown and battleship grey porch paint purchased from Walmart. The Walmart paint is about half of the price as the Home Depot version, but since this floor is protected by a roof and trees, I was able to get away with using the lesser quality paint. If your porch is exposed I would recommend using the better grade paint.


I let it dry over night and then I pulled off the masking tape to reveal my new porch floor.

The darker paint definitely helps to camouflage any dirt brought up onto the porch. All I do is either vacuum or broom sweep to keep the floor clean. The paint actually protects the floor from stains which would occur whenever food or drink was dropped onto the bare concrete.



And I love it!!!
One more tip...if your concrete is porous as mine is, you will have no problems with the paint adhering and staying on the surface. However if you have a smooth concrete surface, you may want to use a sealer to keep the paint from peeling off during heavy use.

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12 comments:

  1. Love the idea Barb of the "painted concrete"! Just wish I had some to paint! We have a deck and no patio ... yet! I will definitely keep this inspiration in mind though if & when I get to re-do the back yard! THX ; ) - Tom

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  2. This is absolutely beautiful and what a great and cost efficient idea....

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  3. Barbara,

    Your concrete floor is beautiful. A lot of work but so worth it.

    Dee

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  4. Beautiful!!! Love the straight-to-it simple instructions! Will be painting our patio this weekend - thank you :)

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  5. I love this! I'm looking for ideas for my screened in porch floor which is concrete. This would look awesome....I do wonder how you got your lines so straight??

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  6. I love this! I did my front porch/stoop this summer. The concrete now looks like brick. No one can tell the diff. We are on the verge of doing our back patio and have been struggling over which direction to take regarding colors and patterns. We think we might try this and want to start today. Thanks for giving your exact paint colors and where to purchase!!!

    "Anonymous" brings up my biggest issue with the project. LOL You can't paint a straight line on porous, sidewalk-type concrete. (At least I can't with bad eyesight and a shaky hand.) I also found my concrete slab had no perfect right angles and threw everything off. When lines were painted I discovered even the pillars on each side of the door were crooked and we had no idea! HA Masking tape is about the only way to go, really, but your paint will bleed under the masking tape. This is fine and no one will notice...unless you are MONK. LOL!

    My project would have gone from 2 months to 2 days had I been able to find narrow masking tape. 3/8" tape was too wide and didn't seem natural to me. But that was brick and I think it will look fine with your tile pattern. I believe since I finished my project I saw narrower tape and I'm racking my brain to remember where I saw it. I think it was Wal-mart. People have also been known to use pin stripes for painting cars.

    One thing is for sure, once you see everyone's projects online, you can't bear to look at your old bare concrete anymore! LOL Even if you mess up and don't like what you did, you can just paint over everything with one color and it will be a big improvement!

    I have a lot more to say on this wonderful new hobby, particularly how to fix messed up lines, but I've probably bored you by now. ;-) Thanks, Barbara!

    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/394346511095940827/
    http://michellefontaine.com/painted-concrete-projects/

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  7. The sky is the limit when it comes to concrete. You can stain it, paint it, create designs and stamp it. It is the most used building material in the world. Love your patio!

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  8. Hi I'm not sure how you laid out the tape it looks like you started from a corner how do you start? I want to do this but I want it to come out the right way so when I get to the other side of the room it won't be of center?

    Thanks,
    Vickie

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    1. Hi Vickie...If I remember correctly I started with my first piece of tape running diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner, then worked my way out on both sides from that center line of tape. Hope this helps and thanks for the question!

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  9. Barbara, can you tell us what type of paint you used? I'm wondering if it is a special type of paint since it is on the floor and will get worn.

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    Replies
    1. I used paint made specifically for painting outdoor porches. It was purchased from Walmart.

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