What Is The Best Paint For Outdoor Concrete

Paint A Concrete Floor

In order to find the right concrete color for your concrete floor, you must first consider the loads to which the floor will be exposed. A concrete floor in a garage or workshop is subject to different mechanical loads than one in a living room.

In the interior of an apartment, the paints should be non-toxic above all, but also have a high durability. The colors should not fade and should have a certain UV resistance in bright rooms with large windows.

If a garage floor is to be painted with concrete paint, mechanical stress from furniture and shoes is added to the abrasion from car tyres and possibly heavy tools. The cement paint for the garage floor should therefore be very hard-wearing, but also resistant to softeners from car tyres and other chemicals. Two-component paints based on epoxy resin or acrylic copolymer paints are particularly suitable for this purpose. These work on a dispersion basis. The latter are not quite as hardwearing and waterproof as 2K epoxy paints however, they can be applied immediately without having to be mixed.

By the way, a very corpulent and even more noble alternative for the interior is the epoxy resin floor or a garage floor coating with epoxy resin. You can find more about this in our extra articles.

Alternatives To Patio Paint

Numerous options exist when it comes to coatings for your patio. Even within the paint ranges, there are several types of paints, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Its important to understand how each of these types of paints functions according to their manufacturing properties and the best way in which to make use of them in your own project.

Epoxy coatings tend to give a stronger finish that is able to last longer than most other paints. They can also, however, create a far more polished and glossy look which makes it highly recommended to mix in some sort of anti-slip additive that ensures the sleek finish does not create a slippery surface.

Polyurea is a coating option that tends to be more expensive than epoxy and others, requiring a professional to perform the application of the paint. It is extremely flexible and tends to be abrasion-resistant, while it can also create quite a smooth surface, often requiring the addition of an anti-slip compound.

Concrete staining products allow you to change the color of your concrete patio through a chemical reaction that penetrates into the concrete itself. This can permanently change the appearance of the concrete without creating an additional layer of product over the surface.

Priming: The Essential Step Of Painting Concrete

Oct 11, 2022 | Advice & Tips, Featured Products

Priming concrete is the all-important third step when painting concrete right behind cleaning thoroughly to remove dirt and efflorescence and applying a sealer to inhibit moisture damage.

For exterior and interior projects, applying a specially-formulated primer to concrete prepares the surface, accomplishing several essential functions. Read on to learn more.

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What Do You Need To Paint A Patio

• Patio paint – specialist concrete floor paint or masonry paint

Prepare the concrete surface

Start by tidying your outdoor space area, clear it of furniture, flowerpots, and toys then sweep and clean thoroughly to remove any dirt and dust. Cover any plants or landscaping that cant be removed with tarps or cloth to protect them from chemicals and water run-off. Next, scrub the patio surface to remove grease or any type of grime from the concrete. Grease or oil on the surface will bleed through the new paint, interfering with the longevity of the paint and causing it to discolour.

Remove moss, roots, vines and anything else that has grown on the surface of the concrete before cleaning. Its probably worthwhile to rent a pressure washer to remove the stubborn grime and stains. Alternatively, you can mix water and some mild detergent and scrub over the concrete using a broom or scrub brush.

If you have previously painted your patio any old paint can be removed with paint-removing solvent and scrapers. This may take you a while, but it is essential for a beautiful painted finish. If you dont do this, you can end up with bumps and an uneven texture on the surface. Allow for the patio to fully dry before proceeding to the next step.

Repair any defects

Clean out any cracks in the concrete with a wire brush, hoover up any dirt and use a broom to make sure the crack is fully clean.

How To Choose Paint For A Concrete Surface

Concrete surfaces require special paint because otherwise there might be no effect or it will not last for a long time. One of the best choices would be acrylic and two-part epoxy paints. If the surface you need to paint is used a lot and people often walk on it , the paint you choose should be durable.

In case you would like to paint your walls as well, you dont have to pick a paint with a strong effect. For example, you can get latex paint for your walls inside the house and acrylic for exterior walls. But when you finished painting a porch and something is left, you can use these materials to apply to other surfaces as well.

Another thing you should consider when choosing paint for the porch is how exposed the surface is to the sunlight or rains. Not all paints will be able to last for a long time if the porch is constantly under the bright sun. Things like weather conditions and heat or cold should always be taken into account since you might make a mistake if you decide to buy just regular paint.

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Behr Premium Interior/exterior Concrete And Garage Floor Paint

The Best Custom-Color Concrete Paint

BEHR Premium Concrete and Garage Floor Paint gives you the smooth surface look of an epoxy floor without the headache and labor. This one-part epoxy system is ready to go right out of the can theres no need to mix the activator and base before application.

The durable epoxy coating offers garage floors UV protection from the sun, and the satin finish is resistant to stains, chemical damage, and harsh weather exposure. A gallon covers up to 500 square feet. It can be tinted to any of BEHRs paint colors or custom blended to the color of your choice.

With BEHR technology, this concrete floor coating is tintable to a wide range of popular colors. The epoxy coating can also be custom matched to your color swatch.

Why Should I Buy A Best Exterior Foundation Paint

You can tell if you need or want a best exterior foundation paint by looking at your existing inventory. You probably dont need it and should reconsider buying it. If you can’t bear to go with the old one, you could always sell it and put the money toward the purchase of a replacement.Finishing your project in this manner is a lot of fun and simple to do.

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Looking For Primer Paint Or Concrete Equipment Reach Out Today

Runyon Surface Prep provides concrete equipment for rent or purchase nationwide and beyond. From paint and primer to ride-on power trowels, we cover every step of the surface installation process.

Give us a call or send us a message online. You can also check out this blog post on how to paint concrete floors.

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What Exterior Paint Is Used On Concrete

Surely, a person applies paint to an outside concrete floor to protect it against water damage or peeling. Not every kind of paint is suitable for concrete and patios.

The most effective paints for concrete contain binders allowing coatings to expand with concrete because of their properties to shrink.

Concrete porch and patio paints are frequently low-luster acrylic latex paints hiding all imperfections. Also, resist fading, scuffing, cracking, and UV damage. Epoxy-based commercial grade paints provide high durability and stain resistance, making them ideal for garage or patio floors. Masonry paints are a perfect cover for brick and other masonry applications but also provide effective concrete protection.

This type of paint will not last longer than specially designed professional coatings. Our recommendation to DIY users is to avoid using exterior house paints on concrete as they tend to crack and peel.

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The Right Concrete Color For Interior Areas / Areas Of Application

There are differences between concrete paint for exterior use and concrete paint for interior use that should not be ignored. For example, concrete paints for exterior use often contain biocidal substances, as they are intended to protect the underlying masonry from algae and moss formation. Of course, paints containing substances that are hazardous to health are not suitable for indoor use. In addition, UV resistance plays only a minor role here. An exception to this is rooms that are very light-flooded, for example those with glass fronts.

On the other hand, diffusion openness plays a major role. The colors should be easily permeable to water so that the moisture that inevitably arises indoors does not settle on the walls and can escape.

The following colors are suitable for interior concrete coating:

Best Value For Money Patio Paint

Sure Step Acrylic Anti Slip Coating Paint .

This product is exceptionally well-priced while retaining excellent quality throughout. The surface that it creates is highly durable and has excellent skid-resistant qualities. The finish incorporates a fine aggregate with a very subtle sheen, ensuring that the surface is pleasing to look at while remaining highly functional and slip-resistant.

This paint product is extremely versatile in that it is able to be used on a wide variety of materials, ensuring that it will never go to waste with having the potential to be used on many other home-repair projects.

The fact that this paint is made of acrylic latex also means that it is able to retain its color when exposed to UV rays.

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Prepping Your Outdoor Concrete Patio

Yes, concrete is hardy and can withstand lots of wear and tear over the years. This fact doesnt mean you should slap a coat of paint on it right away.

First, youll want to make sure the concrete is as clean as possible. For newer outdoor concrete patios, you might be able to get away with a good scrub with a solution of TSP and water. Make sure to rinse the patio and let it fully dry after this step. Muriatic acid is often called upon for extremely dirty concrete surfaces.

For older patios or especially dirty surfaces , power washing is the way to go. We strongly recommend bringing in a professional for this project, as the wrong power washing setting and solution can cause more damage to your outdoor concrete patio, or even strip it of its sealant.

Next, fill in and sand any holes and cracks. You might need to remove any old spackling or mortar and refill. This step is where the real elbow grease comes in, since you will want your surface to be as smooth as possible before you apply new sealant or paint. Again, we recommend bringing in the professionals for this type of project, as your prep work can take hoursif not daysto complete on your own.

Best For Porch: Kilz Interior/exterior Slip

Courtesy of Amazon

A porch is a place that people should want to gravitate to and find a comfortable place to relax. If the flooring is cracked or faded from the elements, a coat of Kilz Decorative Concrete Coating can quickly breathe new life into older concrete floors. Reviewers raved about the ease with which the textured and colorful concrete paint slid over the surface in an even coat. Although the end result can be better than expected for users, it does require two coats for the best finish. The one gallon can cover just 50 square feet, which can be ideal for small porches but a pain for larger areas. The durable, protective finish lasted longer than other brands around water-prone areas such as porches, pool decks, and patios. It filled in troublesome hairline cracks to create a smooth surface and stop the cracks from spreading and creating serious structural issues.

Price at time of publish: $45

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Here Are Some Of The Pros Of Painting Outdoor Concrete:

• Stops Stains From Penetrating the Surface The coating on painted exterior cement forms an effective barrier between dye in spills and the pores of the cement itself.

This will keep most dyes from penetrating deep into the surface where they can cause problems later on. If some dyes do penetrate, painted exterior cement is easier to clean because its smooth and nonabsorbent.

• Doesnt Require Maintenance Painting exterior cement requires very little work, which means less money out of your pocket. If you applied the paint correctly, it should last for years without chipping or fading.

When the time comes to repaint, you dont even need to sandblast or powerwash unless there are particularly tough stains that have penetrated the surface.

• Will Last Longer Concrete is naturally porous and gains strength over time as more cement hardens around the particles of stone it contains.

As this happens, concrete becomes denser and less liable to crack under stress. As exterior cement is painted its surface becomes even smoother, increasing its durability without weakening its structure significantly.

• Will Retain Heat Better One of the biggest benefits of painted exterior cement is how much heat it will retain during colder months when its properly insulated.

You can actually feel the surface of painted exterior cement retain heat after sitting out in the sun all day, making it much more comfortable to walk on and helping ward off frostbite during winter months.

Best Paint For Outdoor Concrete Patios

Outdoor concrete patio paints have come a long way in the last decade. Many of them are formulated for concrete and for the wear and tear of the elements and heavy foot traffic. Choose a concrete or masonry paint or epoxy specifically formulated for the application. Staining certain untreated concrete is also a popular option that lets the grains and natural stone shine through. PPG has several different paint formulas for outdoor concrete patiossome more heavy duty than others. A professional paint expert will determine which is best for your slab.

In general, though, youll want a concrete paint that is weather resistant, can cover surface defects, is non-skid and fade-resistant, andwhen applied properlyis self leveling.

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Best Colors For Outdoor Concrete Patios

One of the best parts of these newer outdoor concrete patio paints is that you can get them in every color of the rainbow. A great patio paint like PPGs Portercrete Exterior Concrete Finish System can be tinted to the exact color you specify.

We recommend painting your outdoor concrete patio in a color that matches your lifestyle, decor and intended use for the space. If you want a patio that looks clean and simple, standard gray is a good bet. If youd like your outdoor concrete patio to fade into your landscape more, a modern rust color can give the patio an earthy-look without drawing the eye to it too closely.

We really enjoy when clients introduce a pop of color to their outdoor space with their outdoor concrete patio color. Deeper saturated jewel tones work well on a slab, especially when they coordinate with your homes exterior color. Weve also seen clients add a modern and stately vibe to their outdoor space when they paint their outdoor concrete patio a deep charcoal color.

A few things to note about outdoor concrete patio paint colors:

• Like all colors in the outdoors, dark colors will absorb heat, light colors will reflect it.
• Lighter colors may show wear and tear and foot paths more readily than darker colors.
• Trendy colors may look dated over the next decade.
• Always consider if you want a second different color that is a border color around the edge of your concrete patio.

Use Of Concrete Stain:

You may have some concrete floors that are so damaged, cracked, and porous that you can use no paint on them. Paint will not stick well to the damaged or porous concrete surface. In such conditions, you can use concrete stain rather than using an actual paint. Concrete stains are just like the regular wood stains and they will hold upwell into the concrete surface and will change its color. However, working with a concrete stain can be little complicated and is more difficult job than working with epoxy resin. This is actually not a job that can be done by a do-it-yourself painter. This is the reason why you should call a professional painting contractor to apply concrete stain on your floors.

All you need to do is to talk to your local painting contractor and give them the description of your project requirements. The contractors have the experience in handling simple to complex projects and can meet your specific need.

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Is The Best Paint For Outdoor Concrete Right For Your Needs

The question that you have to ask yourself before buying any of the best paint for outdoor concrete is whether or not they will suit your needs. Besides, you must clearly define what your needs and purposes are. From there, you can choose the best product and serve it according to your requirements.