How To Paint A Concrete Patio

We painted our old concrete patio and now it looks amazing.

It totally transformed our worn, cracked and faded cement.

And we did it in one day.


When we first moved into our sweet beach cottage, the backyard was a blank slate, filled with trees and grass.

While it was very picturesque, there was no place for a patio set or any seating for that matter.

We knew things had to change.

Looking to put in something that would fit with the style of the home and the time period it was constructed, we went with a simple, colored concrete patio.

It was inexpensive and suited the house well.

Of course, after about a decade of heavy use, full sun summers and extreme winters, the color began to fade.

And our charming cocoa tinted courtyard started to look like a parking lot.

Not good.

That's when we decided to take a risk and stain the concrete. And it was a fabulous decision...for a while.


The process was easy enough and the results were very nice. Initially.

However, after two seasons, the salt we put down to prevent slips in icy and snowy conditions began eating away at the surface and we needed to stain again.

And then again. That was not ideal.

Neither was the fact that while the stain did a wonderful job of adding color, it was too transparent to hide any of the imperfections that popped up as patio aged...chips, cracks, divots.

When my husband tried to patch them, they just became darker colored chips, cracks and divots, but we weren't fooling anyone. It wasn't a good look.

By this spring we'd had enough of staining and decided to try paint instead.


First, here's a quick video about it.


Also, I just want to be clear that there was no we.

I was simply the color picker and errand girl. My husband did all the heavy lifting. Big surprise.

How To Paint A Concrete Patio (or A Concrete Porch)

1. Power Wash The Patio

He began by power washing the patio to remove any dirt, debris or loose stone. He didn't use a cleaner at this point, just water.

2. Patch The Concrete

Next, he picked up some concrete patch, followed the instructions on the package to mix it up and then filled in the deep cracks and holes.

When it was dry, he used a dishwashing soap, bleach and water mixture to clean the patio again, this time with a nylon bristled broom to scrub the concrete clean.

Once again he let it dry. We did not use any etching chemicals, the paint we used did not require or recommend it. 

3.  Apply The Paint

He used a roller to apply the paint to the concrete patio surface.

He rolled straight up to the edges and right over the wood dividers.

He did use a brush in a few tight spots near the house, but you could tape off any areas you don't want to get painted.

The paint went on evenly and dried quickly. Once coat did the job, but we applied two coats for a deeper tone.

It was super easy to work with, had great coverage and the difference was immediate and dramatic.

The Results

The patio turned out better than we could've imagined. The surface is durable and not slippery, which is important, especially since it's near a pool...lots of wet feet.

You also can see how well it covered all the patched areas. The coverage is full and even, but does let the texture of the concrete show, which I really like.

It honestly looks like we put in a brand new patio.

We've been enjoying it for several months now, since we completed this task way back at the beginning of the season.


This morning, as I was writing the DIY up, I decided to snap a more recent photo.


Morning Glories and Zinnias in full bloom.

And a fifteen year old patio that looks like we installed it this year.

That's some makeover.

Painted Concrete Patio Frequently Asked Questions

Turns out, painting a concrete patio is a pretty popular topic and over the years I've been asked a lot of questions. Of course, the number one thing everyone wants to know about is the paint.

What Paint Should I Use To Paint My Concrete Patio?

We looked at a lot of paint, then specialist at our local hardware store recommended Benjamin Moore Floor and Patio paint.

They said it covered really well, was easy to apply and lasted. For a long time. They were right.

It definitely pays to consult the pros.

Will the paint work on damaged concrete?

Well, that depends. It will color the cement and camouflage flaws, but it's not a cure for a badly damaged concrete floor. 

At first, we were sure that we needed to rip the whole thing up and start over.

Then my husband thought about renting a machine to grind away the surface of the concrete and level it all out with a skim coat.

The surface was that bad in spots.

You can see the lighter and darker areas in the first photo...darker where the stain settled into divots, lighter in the areas where the rock salt and sand had worn away the finish.

The more defined lines are where my husband used a concrete patch to fill in the cracks and larger holes. This was done after we made the decision to try paint, as part of the prep.

Initially, I was reluctant to use paint.

I thought it would make the patio look like...well, a giant painted slab.

It's why we originally went with stain all those years ago, it was more transparent, but the paint did a much better job of hiding the patch.

And no construction was necessary.

How'd the concrete paint hold up on the patio?

Well, it's been several years in a very tough northeastern climate and so many people have asked how it's held up, that I had to come back to let you know.

The answer is fabulous!


The color still looks great and we get full sun all day long. The area under the chairs looks good, too, and even the wood is still well covered.

There are a few divots here and there from where we hit the patio with our snow shovel once or twice over the past two winters (oops!), but other than that, it's in great shape.

All in all, we're very happy.

Oh and for all of you that have inquired...

What color did you paint the patio?

Well, it's a little complicated because we were picky.

We used The Benjamin Moore paint, but we couldn’t find a color we liked.

Instead, we picked a Home Depot Behr color called Pyramid and we brought the swatch to Benjamin Moore and they mixed that color for us.

How nice.


Would you ever paint concrete?