The best paint to use for a concrete porch or patio floor
I have done my fair share of painting concrete and repainting concrete, and today I’m here to help you find the best paint for a concrete porch. I have learned that prepping the surface correctly is one of the most important steps, just like any other painting project.
The surface of the concrete is very porous (more than Swiss cheese, I might say), and paint or stain can penetrate the material. However, that doesn’t prevent whatever didn’t penetrate far into the pores of the concrete from possibly peeling off if you didn’t prep correctly. For best results, remember that before using any paint brand, no matter how good the paint is, prepping your concrete is just as important as the product. I learned that the hard way! Always read and follow the manufacturer’s directions before starting your painting project.
What types of exterior concrete paint can you use on a concrete porch?
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Not every type of paint works on concrete, so you should stick to the paints specifically designed for outdoor concrete.
- Concrete paints are often low-lustre acrylic latex paints designed to hide imperfections, resist fading from the sun and UV damage, and cracking/peeling from temperature changes.
- Epoxy paint provides a highly durable and stain-resistant finish.
- Oil-based paint for concrete provides a tough and shiny finish and is generally more durable than latex-based paint. However, oil-based paints are a bit harder to work with, especially when cleaning up your brushes and rollers, since you can’t use water.
- Solid concrete stains that feel, look, and get applied just like paint.
- Masonry paints are usually for (as the name states already) masonry applications, but they can also provide effective coatings for concrete.
Just a thought: Many concrete paints are epoxy-based, which I don’t recommend for porches and patios. Why? Well, they are recommended for garage floors and look like garage floors. Unless that’s the look you want on your porch, I recommend you pick a different paint finish. And I’m not judging if that’s what you like. I like breaking the rules myself. I personally can’t imagine that look for my outdoor porch or patio.
This is the reason that I didn’t include such brands as Rust-Oleum. Their concrete paints are mostly advertised as garage floor paint.
Guide on the best paint to use for a concrete porch or patio floor
There is no one-size-fits-all when picking the best concrete paint for your porch or patio. You have to see what is right for you.
Ask yourself these questions: What is the texture of your outdoor concrete surface? What look are you going for? Do you want to stencil your concrete floors? Do you want to have a taped-off design? What is your budget? And is the concrete porch paint easily available at your local home improvement store? Let’s face it; nobody wants to drive far for a gallon of paint when you run out. Or you don’t want to wait until it gets shipped to your house either, am I right?
When I painted our concrete porch, I used paint brands that weren’t necessarily the most recommended. I used the home improvement stores close to my house. Yup, I’m that kind of person. If I run out of paint, I want to be able to get more within minutes to be able to continue my project.
I also wanted concrete paint or a solid concrete stain with various colors to choose from. Many recommended paint brands for garage floors only come in standard drab colors, like gray variations, tan, black, and off-white. I like adding a pop of color instead.
So today, I want to share what I’ve used previously and why. As well as what other companies I would use because of the options they have and the reviews they get. The paints that easily come in various colors for a good price are obviously at the top of my list.
Olympic RESCUE IT!® MAX
I used one can of white and one can of black of Olympic RESCUE IT!® for our striped front porch. I have zero bad things to say about this solid stain that is pretty much like paint. It is actually called a resurfacer, ideal for worn or weathered wood and concrete. It is a 100% acrylic, high-performance deck resurfacer and concrete sealer coating that fills cracks up to ¼”.
The paint finish on our covered front porch lasted for years. I only changed the old paint because I wanted a different, unique look and not because the paint had gone bad. I’m not sure why it gets mixed reviews on their site. It sounds like people who used it on older, questionable wooden decks might not be that happy with it, but I used it on our textured concrete porch. I was beyond happy with it. One of the reasons I picked it is because it is super affordable (actually, the cheapest out of all the paints listed today), and there are so many color options to choose from. Plus, it was available at our local Home Depot. When I wanted to repaint our porch, they weren’t selling it anymore, so I chose a different brand. Now they are back to selling it again.
Check out how to paint stripes on your concrete porch. I was so happy with the paint job! To get more details about this project.
Here in Pennsylvania, we have frigid winters and hot, humid summers. The paint on our porch needs to withstand harsh weather. Our porch also gets quite a lot of foot traffic. I’m happy to report that I haven’t had any issues.
Behr Premium Porch and Patio Floor Paint
You can choose between Behr Premium Porch & Patio Floor Paint (low-luster enamel), textured low-luster enamel, or gloss enamel, which comes in 82 colors online. But, in stores, the paint is available in 2000+ custom colors and computerized color matching.
This durable 100% acrylic latex finish resists mildew, scuffing, fading, cracking, and peeling. It is also the second most affordable paint listed in this post.
As the next new paint on our porch, I used the low-luster finish since glossy is a bit too slippery. I wouldn’t say I like the look of glossy paint on floors all that much. If your concrete porch or patio has a smooth finish, I’d apply the Behr Porch & Patio Anti-Slip Floor Paint instead to make it safer to walk on.
I also found a great blog post about a Behr anti-slip vs. low lustre finish comparison if you want to know more.
This paint stayed tacky longer on my porch than the other one I tried. That made the dry time a bit longer. The finish stayed beautiful over the fall, winter, and spring, which is what matters the most.
Check out how to repaint a painted concrete porch or patio to get the details about the entire project and how I prepped the surface.
Also, check out how to clean a painted concrete after the winter to keep it looking nice. I have even tried a pressure washer on our painted concrete porch without any issues, which speaks to the durability of the finish.
Valspar Latex Satin Porch, Floor, and Patio Paint
VALSPAR Latex Satin Porch, Floor, and Patio Paint is available in satin and in gloss in most Valspar colors. It is a polyurethane-fortified enamel that resists weather, wear, and scratches.
UPDATE: I don’t think it is available as oil-based anymore. I simply prefer water-based paint anyway, since cleaning up oil-based paint is just a messy hassle. But that is just me.
The below porch was painted by Steffy’s Pros + Cons in Valspar Latex Floor Paint.
Sherwin-Williams Porch and Floor Enamel
Sherwin-Williams Porch and Floor Enamel is a popular choice for painting concrete porches, as it is durable, water-resistant, and completely tintable in many colors. Available in a satin sheen. It supposedly stands up to even the toughest household chemicals, but I can’t confirm that.
This is the second most expensive paint in this post.
The below pictured front porch was painted with Sherwin-Williams Porch and Floor Enamel.
Benjamin Moore Floor and Patio Latex Enamel
This floor paint is available in-low sheen or hi-gloss and is a quick-drying latex floor enamel that resists soaps and detergents, grease, and oil. It is particularly recommended for basements, porches, patios, breezeways, showrooms, and light industrial applications.
However, it is the most expensive of the options listed. Since other, more affordable paint companies also work well, this paint was lower on my favorites list.
Kim of Exquisitely Unremarkable used Benjamin Moore Floor and Patio paint to revamp their concrete patio close to the pool with a durable result.
KILZ Low-Lustre Enamel Porch & Patio Latex Floor Paint
I’m a big fan of Kilz paints. I use their primers for most of my painting projects and love them. While I haven’t used the Kilz Porch & Patio Floor Paint myself, I can’t imagine their concrete paint being bad, plus it gets good reviews.
This 100% acrylic latex paint provides a durable, long-lasting finish formulated to endure variable weather conditions on decks, porches, and patios. This concrete paint also creates a moisture-resistant finish that withstands scuffing, fading, cracking, and peeling.
However, the color selection is minimal.
INSL-X Sure Step Acrylic Anti-Slip Coating Paint
INSL-X Sure Step Acrylic Anti-Slip Coating Paint is a high-traffic slip-resistant matte concrete paint ideal for stairs, walkways, patios, and porches. It is ‎manufactured by Benjamin Moore & Co. There are several premixed colors available which are SU-0308 Grey Pearl, SU-0310 Light Grey, SU-0505 Tile Red, SU-0789 Pine Green, SU-0922 Desert Sand, SU-0998 Saddle Brown. For more info, check out the Sure Step datasheet. You can also get SU-0110 Tintable White tinted in other colors.
When our laminate kitchen cabinets peeled off, I painted the kitchen cabinets with INSL-X Cabinet Coat. I’m thrilled with the paint’s finish. So I’m sure their concrete paint is great as well.
I couldn’t find a good example for you where this paint was used. But if you check out their Amazon listing then you can see some photos in the reviews.
COLORSHOT Premium Spray Paint
I just had to throw this paint into the mix because I think it is something different and pretty cool. I’m unfamiliar with using spray paint on a concrete porch, but I love this idea’s concept. If you don’t want to paint the entire porch in a solid color, this is a good option for a patterned accent. COLORSHOT Premium Spray Paint isn’t a traditional concrete paint and is considered a multi-surface spray paint featuring a UV-resistant acrylic paint formula. Concrete is listed as a recommended surface for this spray paint.
COLORSHOT Premium Spray Paint comes in a variety of beautiful colors and is a great choice when you want to use a stencil on your concrete porch. Just look at the beautiful result below. This way, you can even embrace the uneven-colored and textured concrete.
My overall favorite for best paint for a concrete porch
The overall winner in my book is Behr Premium Porch and Patio Floor Paint. It is affordable and comes in a large and customizable variety of pretty colors. And most importantly, the finish lasts! At least for us, it has.
This is only based on my experience, which can, of course, differ from what other people think. I do hope today’s post helped someone, though. You don’t always have to get the most expensive option out there.
More paint-related tips and projects
- My favorite shades of terracotta paint colors from different brands
- My favorite shades of dark green paint colors from different brands
- How to paint flower pots the right way
- How to paint plastic Christmas ball ornaments
- How to paint faux terracotta pumpkins
Tschüß,
Great article. It really helped me to finalize my decision!
Great tips! I never knew about the importance of surface preparation before painting. I’ll definitely look into the recommended paints for my concrete patio. Thanks for sharing!