Concrete Paint – Some Tips and Tricks to Dress Up Your Concrete With a Little Color

Concrete Paint – Some Tips and Tricks to Dress Up Your Concrete With a Little Color

Perhaps you have grown tired of looking out or down at the same drab concrete surface. Don’t despair. There are some easy solutions that will allow you to reawaken the washed out patio, driveway, walkway, or any other surface. The answer — concrete paint.

That’s right. For the DIYer on a tight budget, concrete paint is the perfect answer. These are generally easy to apply and only require a small amount of surface preparation before their application. Whether it’s a concrete floor, patio, or even a pool that you want to bring alive, there is a special concrete paint to help you complete the task.

Take the patio as the most common example of something that may need addressing. Give the surface a good cleaning before you go wild with paint. Use a power washer to free the surface of grease and grime. You might need to apply a chemical-based cleaning solution if there are some areas that are particularly dirty or troublesome. A good overall cleaning will open up the pores and allow the paint to adhere better.

For best results, you might want to try an epoxy paint. Its application will be slightly more difficult (not exceedingly, so not to worry) than a simple concrete paint, but it will help protect the surface against a large amount of foot traffic. Inquire at any hardware store or home improvement center about the proper applicator tools you will need to paint the patio. Using the correct tools is a must so as to avoid streaking, clumping or blotches.

Dress up your garage floor too. For the classic car aficionado, a freshly painted garage floor can help you turn a run of the mill garage into a showroom for your prized possessions. To properly prepare this surface for painting, you may need to use a bit more chemical solution to remove any extra grease or grime buildup. Once the surface has been prepared, the application process is the same as it is for the patio.

For the best protection, try adding a sealer on top of the concrete paint coat. If you opt for the sealer step, wait a week or so before adding it so as to allow for the paint to completely dry. Adding the sealer too soon may cause some of the paint to lift up and mix with the sealer, which will effect the appearance of your patio or floor.

If you go to the trouble to apply paint to spruce up any concrete surface, don’t skimp on quality. Buy good quality paints made by reputable and established manufacturers. Behr, Sherman Williams and Kemiko are just a few of the brands that you should consider.

So for whatever surface that is in need of help, concrete painting is the quick and effective solution. Why invest unnecessarily on heaps of new materials when a simple can of paint can give new life to a trusty, sturdy surface? Get started today and redo some or all the surfaces of your home for just a few bucks.