Beginner’s Tutorial for DIY Painted Concrete Floors

Is your drab concrete surface in need of some TLC? There’s nothing a few gallons of paint can’t fix! In today’s DIY tutorial, let me show you how I transformed my dingy porch floors in less than 4 hours…

Have you ever procrastinated TF out of a DIY project only to realize, once you actually complete it, that the thought of doing it was worse than the actual freaking doing of it?

As a DIY blogger, it feels kind of shameful to admit, but that was me last weekend. You see…

For two whole years, I wanted to do something about the nasty a$$ concrete floors of my screened-in-porch, but a combination of design paralysis and dread (I hated the thought of having to move my hot tub and furniture out of the porch for a few days) basically led my brain to make a mountain out of a molehill. That is…

Until my kiddos had spring break last week and I realized that if I wanted to have my porch spruced up in time for summer BBQs and gatherings, time was no longer on my side. Checking the weather report and seeing five consecutive rain-free days, I knew I had to seize the moment and do something about my sponge-painted concrete slab- compliments of 1976…

What to know before painting your concrete floors-

Once you decide on the type of concrete paint you want to use, you need to do a little due diligence. It is extremely important to read the manufacturer’s product details and recommendations as each concrete floor paint formulation is different.

Given that my concrete was previously painted and did not exhibit a glossy sheen or any peeling, my prep work was minimal. However, if you are working with unfinished concrete or a surface that is peeling, your prep work will be a little more involved.

If your previously painted concrete is peeling, you will need to remove the loose paint and sand the surface. Concrete/ masonry primer will then need to be applied to the areas where the paint was removed. Moreover, be sure the manufacturer specs say it is ok to apply the paint on previously painted or stained surfaces.

If your surface is not peeling but very glossy, you will want to scuff up the sheen a bit to ensure adequate adhesion of the porch paint.

If you are working with unfinished concrete, you will need to use an etching product on the surface first. Once it feels like 150 grit, you can clean, dry and then apply a primer coat to your concrete.

So now that you know what sort of prep is required for your unique conditions, it’s time to execute!

How To Paint Concrete Floors-

Materials Needed:

• concrete cleaner or soap and water combo
• mop or pressure washer
• broom
• painter’s tape
• 3/8 nap paint roller
• extender pole for roller
• nylon/polyster paint brush
• masonry and concrete primer* (Optional if the old paint is not peeling. Refer to the previous section for important considerations.)
• concrete floor paint (I used 4 gallons of Behr Premium Textured Low-Lustre Enamel Interior/Exterior Porch and Patio Anti-Slip Floor Paint in the color “Fresh Cement”)

(Step 1). Once you have chosen your paint color, you will also need to decide on your paint finish.

While the Behr paint I chose also came in Gloss and Low-Lustre , because my porch has an inflatable hot tub in it and is next to a pool, I was concerned that a smooth finish would be a slipping hazard. As a result, I chose the “Textured Low-Lustre” option. Just be aware that the sand added to this particular formula will not give an entirely smooth surface. You will be able to see some variation in the texture. 

Tip: If you don’t like any of the “popular” porch paint swatches they provide, you can have Home Depot color match to various colors. I went with “Fresh Cement” because I wanted something that looked like true concrete and, compared to the other swatches, it looked a bit warmer.

(Step 2). Before beginning the entire process of prepping and painting, it is a good idea to be aware of your weather and humidity conditions. This particular porch paint formulation requires 72 hours to fully cure!

(Step 3). Time for prep! Since I was working with previously painted floors with no peeling, I was able to get straight to cleaning. If you are working with raw concrete or peeling paint, please read my previous section on what to know before painting concrete.

To ensure a clean working surface, sweep and vacuum your floors.

(Step 4). Depending on your unique setting, you could certainly use a power washer for this step. Unfortunately, we did not want to expose our wood cabinets and built-in bench to excessive water.

Therefore, my little helper here used soap and water to mop the floors. We had originally purchased a concrete cleaner, but when we got it home and read the label, it said it wasn’t suited for painted concrete. Womp…Womp!

(Step 5). Once your floors are dried and clean (make sure there’s no soap residue left behind), apply painter’s tape to your perimeter.

Tip: If you have any cracks in your concrete floors that you would like to repair, now would be a good time to apply some masonry crack filler with a putty knife.

(Step 6). Once you have dry, clean floors and you’ve applied concrete filler to any cracks, you can now apply your first coat of paint. If your floors were not previously finished with paint or concrete stain, you will need to etch and prime the entire floor before painting!

I decided to first cut in the entire room first with a paint brush at the perimeters.

(Step 7). Starting at the corner of the room farthest away from your entry/exit door (so that you don’ t get trapped), begin rolling your paint on. Because this product is super thick, we did not use a paint tray. We simply threw it right on the floor and rolled it on in small batches.

See how great one coat of paint covers? This process took about 45 minutes if that!

(Step 8). After you have allowed 2 hours for your first coat of paint to dry, you can now apply a second coat if needed. The picture above is after only one coat.

We probably could have gotten away with just one coat, but there were just a few places where you could see some uneven roller strokes.

(Step 9). For this particular type of porch paint, you must allow the new paint a full 72 hours to cure. For best results, I would honestly wait even longer. We didn’t move our furniture back into the space until about 100 hours of drying time. Depending on your humidity, dry times will ultimately vary.

Do I need to apply a concrete sealer?

Because Behr customer service states on their website that there is no need to use a masonry sealer top coat with this particular product, this is where I ended the whole process of my porch paint job. Of course, if you want to add an extra layer of protection to your paint you can do so, but keep in mind that this may hinder the non-skid texture component of the finish.

For less than a day’s work, I am thrilled with the finished product. It truly is amazing how a little paint can dramatically transform an entire space. It looks so much cleaner now!

While ideally, I would have loved more of a stained concrete look (versus just one solid color), I had to work with the cards I was dealt. Nonetheless, you really can’t go wrong with the timeless simplicity of cement floors. I think they especially go well the whole white modern farmhouse exterior that I have.

And while I certainly love the overall look of the porch paint (I mean..my old floors were nasty AF), considering I have only lived with my newly painted concrete floor for a little over a week, so far, I can not yet attest to the durability of this particular product, but I will certainly keep you posted if anything goes awry.

If you have been putting off a home improvement project like I had been for so long, this is your sign from the universe to get to work, friend! After all, most of the time, the anticipation of a task is worse than the actual action. You got this!

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending some time with me this week.

It would mean so much to this small business of mine if you could share this post with a friend or on social media…

Now get out there and design some good vibes along with a fabulous life!