Painting a concrete pad
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There is a concrete pad in our back yard and I want to use it as the starting point for a patio. I decided it would be cheaper than trying to remove it, so I was thinking about painting it but just not sure what product to use and how to go about it. Thanks for any input
4 answers
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Tonya, this is a great DIY type of project that can be completed in as little as one day. The trick to success is the prep. Start off renting a power washer if you do not already own one. Something around 2400 psi will work well. You need to clean the surface really well. If your uncomfortable using this type of machinery you can go old school that uses a liquid cleaner that is applied by a mop or garden sprayer. Wet the patio well and using a scrub brush on a long pole scrub away the years of soils and mildews that have grown on the cement. Rinse really well once done. Ideally this should be done on a cooler day early am or late afternoon. A cloudy day is ideal. You do not want the solution to dry until everything is clean and rinsed off. Now your ready for paint. There are two methods of coloring the patio. Stain and or paint. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The stain tends to last longer but the patio needs to be in pretty good shape or the flaws tend to show through. It can be applied by sprayer or roller. You need to work on cooler day also as you need to keep a wet edge as you apply the product. If the patio is more on the rough side I would suggest the painting route. There are many products that can be used. The prep is the same and the application is by roller or spray machine. Restore, is one of the many brands that make a cement paint that will transform the look of the patio. The only disadvantage of paint products they tend to wear and require more frequent touch ups then the stain method. But the advantage is you can cover and hide pretty much any defect on the surface of the cement. I would also do a search on this site for cement painting. And look around. The same methods of doing the basement can be done on the patio. You can get creative and do a design making the patio look like expensive tile was installed to a simple one color cover. Lots of great ideas and suggestions will be found in that search.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on May 06, 2014
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Sherwin Williams has a very nice selection of paints that can be used for this. The key is the prep. The paint has a sealer in it as well. Not too difficult for the do it urselfer! Keep the color light as not to retain too much heat. Good Luck! Debbie
Dtu186937
on May 06, 2014
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Woodbridge is right - prep in any project is key to success. Don't take any shortcuts if you decide to do this. I have checked out several approaches to concrete stain and I have been too chicken to do it. But this one impressed me http://www.directcolors.com. I am sure there are others. If and when I decide to do my concrete porch or basement I will go with this company.
Liliana Wells
on May 07, 2014
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I would suggest you stain it! Paint will peel!
Jeanette S
on May 07, 2014
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