When you look at the outdoor or indoor concrete stairs of your house, you feel that it does not match up with the exterior or interior design of your house. Painting concrete steps is an excellent way to enhance the look of the dull, boring, unpainted concrete surface. It is the easiest and the most inexpensive way of improving its visual appeal. The paint will not only give them a refreshing look good but will also protect the concrete surface from regular wear and tear and enhance the exterior painting.
Instructions
For the painting job, you will require some materials. These include masking tape, slip-proof concrete paint, heavy duty stripper, paint brush with firm bristles and paint roller. Once you have procured these things, follow the step by step instructions given below:
Step 1: The first step is cleaning of the surface on which the paint needs to be applied. To begin with, it has to be thoroughly cleaned to get rid of the dirt, grease and debris as they tend to prevent proper adhesion of the paint. If there is some old paint already existing on the concrete steps then it has to be removed completely with the help of a heavy duty stripper.
Step 2: The second step is preparation of the surface which starts with concrete step repair. Check for any cracks, holes or bumps on the concrete. The uneven bumps on the concrete need to be sanded down. Then sweep off all the sanded debris. Any cracks and holes need to be smoothed up with patching some material. Allow the repaired area to dry up completely before you start with the painting job. Cover up all the adjoining areas of the concrete steps where you do not want to apply paint.
Step 3: Once your surface is clean and dry, it is time for application of a coat of primer. This is done to ensure better adhesion of the paint. Select a concrete or masonry primer for this purpose. To apply the primer on the edges and corners of the steps, a paintbrush will be more convenient to use. For broader surfaces, you can use a paint roller. After applying the primer, sufficient time should be given for drying up of the coat. The instructions provided by the manufacturer on the label of the container should be followed in this regard. In general, an oil based primer, requires around ten hours to dry up. On the other hand, epoxy primers need much less time and would be ready within 6 hours.
Step 4: Finally, the time has arrived to paint the concrete steps. While selecting the concrete paint, the texture of the paint finish is very important. A smooth finish will make the steps slippery in wet or soiled condition and hence, it should be avoided. For this reason, the paint requires a suitable additive like non-slip marine additive to improve the grip of the steps when they are wet. The procedure for applying the paint is the same as that of the primer. Here too, the corners and edges should be painted with brush and for the remaining surface, use a paint roller. For best results, apply a number of thin coats of paint on the concrete surface. Make sure that you apply a fresh coat of paint only when the previous coat has dried up properly. A single coat of concrete coat paint usually takes 2 to 4 hours to dry but a layered coat would require at least 8 hours.
There is not much difference between painting concrete steps outdoors and indoors. However, as the exterior surface is exposed to a lot of weather elements, you must apply a coat of sealer before applying the first layer of primer. This will provide adequate resistance towards water. Another aspect that needs to be taken care of during painting outdoor concrete steps is the weather. Check out the weather forecast to ensure that there is no precipitation for the next four days.
