Painting a Porch

beanie34

I've cleaned my porch with my pressure washer and all loose paint is up and the porch has dried for 5 days. All porch paints I've used in the past have been slippery when the weather is damp. What do I use for a non-slick finish?

I saw a program tonight (Holmes on Homes on DIY) where they painted a wood walkway to the lake with something that had a nonslip finish. It was rolled on. What is it and do you have to sand all paint off prior to using it? Thanks, Jean

joecaption

Rustolium makes a non slip coating, or just add sand to the paint. Any paint store should have it. It's really tiny round beads instead of rough sand.

Expert Paint

you can use paint additives like sharkgrip or sand in floor grade paint. You can use paints with built-in aggregate for slip resistance (sherwin-williams). . . or the best of the best - american safety technologies. Same stuff the navy uses on its ship decks. (extreme overkill for a porch). . . if the porch is concrete i would use sherwin-williams sher-crete elastomeric waterproof floor coating. It has held up very well for me on concrete around pool areas/poll decks.

sdsester

I liked Benjamin Moore's Porch, Floor and Patio paints and the epoxy reinforced waterbased product was not so glossy and slippery as the urethane reinforced oil based products.

As mentioned, you can add non-slip ingredients with river washed sand being about the cheapest. Because they are abrasive, additives can degrade and wear the paint surface faster though. And as non-skid additives errode away they can actually leave the surface more polished, slippery and dangerous than without them so a regular commitment to maintaining them is important.

US Coating also has some nice non-slip industrial coatings. I don't know how hard it is for mere retail paying mortals to get it though. A marine supply store (or search the web) will have various non-slip deck products in consumer sized packaging. Don't be shocked at the price though and expect to pay in the $100/gallon range.

I suspect what you saw being applied was some sort of epoxy resin coating but perhaps it was a paint product.

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ric knows paint

Hey beanie,

The problems with adding sand, marble, glass or any other of the multitude of available aggregates to a paint film, to provide "skid/slip resistance", are many...Due to the texture of an aggregated surface, these finishes tend to pick up and hold dirt and they can be difficult to clean. Because of the composition of modern paints, their really isn't enough resin in a packaged product to incorporate, and thoroughly bind, the addition of a dry aggregate without affecting the resin's ability to provide long-lasting adhesion and protection to a surface.

Broadcasting the aggregate over a freshly painted surface can also provide a degree of slip resistance, but since it won't be an integral part of the coating, broadcast aggregates often times simply wear off with traffic - BUT - unfortunately, not before doing a fair amount of damage to the cured finish product (this is also true with those aggregates mixed into a coating, but don't wear off as quickly).

There are a few advantages to the "anti-skid" coatings already packaged by the manufacturer - at least those coatings are made up of a more proper balance of resin to dry components (pigment + aggregate) - Plus, often times the aggregates used by manufacturers may not be as abrasive as sand, or glass, thereby not doing as much damage to cured product as the ones described earlier.

Unfortunately, damage will occur to the cure film regardless of the method used (stir-in, broadcast or factory supplied)...and it makes sense. Very few conventional, single component resins can withstand, over time, the effect of a 200# man, walking across a painted surface, pivoting against a sharp, hard, multi-dimensional aggregate without abrading the film. Matter-o-fact, very few multiple component resins would withstand such abuse (moisture cure urethanes & 100% solids epoxy may be the exceptions - but neither are considered "conventional" - and neither should be used on exterior wood surfaces - and neither should be put into the hands of a novice painter or homeowner for application).

Now, after painting that doom-n-gloom scenario of no possible hope, there are alternatives. You might consider painting your floor (I'd recommend an acrylic system - strictly following manufacturer's application instructions), and instead of using an aggregate, place no-skid adhesive strips in those high traffic areas (steps and pathway to entrance door)...You can find these strips at marinas and some hardware stores - sometimes even paint stores - and I've even seen 'em come in a limited amount of colors (instead of just black). They will provide the necessary traction to minimize risk of slipping on a wet surface (they are, after all, designed for boat floors) - plus, when the aggregate wears off, the strips can be pulled off and replaced relatively easy. Your paint film will last far longer than one with aggregate added, and it'll be a whole lot easier to keep clean.

Good luck - let us know what you decide.

sdsester

They actually come in all kinds of decorative patterns and colors now even mimmicking persian rugs. Some of the laser cut filaggre grate looking ones are nice looking too although I should think it would be difficult to keep the cut-out areas clean.

Just make sure your painted surface is cured and prepped for the adhesive on the things or they will slip and slide on you too.

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ric knows paint

Good point on the installation...I've never seen the decorative patterns - and that's a great idea since the unfortunate downside of the anti-slip strips I described, is that they are sometimes not exactly what you'd call "aesthetically pleasing"...

sdsester

Rubber ones with pattern cutouts are like this and come in different shapes:



Or recycled rubber patternss:



You can get illuminated ones and glow in the dark ones. I have seen some made of indoor/outdoor carpet material and matched to larger porch rugs in patterns ranging from traditional and oriental rug looks to modern geometrics. Obviously you can get carried away and go from tasteful to tacky in a hurry too!

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beanie34

Thanks for all the info. I was ready to open a bag of play sand stored in the basement and broadcast it while paint was still wet. Not now!!

I am a novice homeowner - 68 years old and retired 2 weeks ago and ready to continue basic repairs and painting I'm used to doing. My husband is disabled and can't help much. We both need a surface we won't slip on when we go out to fill up the bird feeders year round and when we sit on the porch or use the grill.

I'll let you know what we do.

Thanks a bunch!

ric knows paint

Well, Beanie...congratulations on your retirement. I really like those traction mats that sdsester posted - hopefully you can find something similar nearby. Anybody that braves the weather year round to make sure our feathered friends have plenty to eat, deserves to walk the safest and most handsome paths possible.....Best wishes to both you and your hubby.