[Chariot8]

There is a concrete patio outside my house that needs to be cleaned up. It is old concrete. What is the best paint to use to paint the concrete. What is the best color to use

 

[joecaption]

Unless your really into scraping and repainting peeling paint, it should not be painted.
There's dozens of post on here if you take the time to do a search on people asking how to remove peeling paint on the concrete decks.
May want to consider staining it instead.

 

[md2lgyk]

You could use one of the epoxy sealers made for garage floors. Colors are kind've limited but the product is very durable. Also, at least one of the companies that does spray-on pickup truck bed liners (Line-X I think) applies coatings to concrete patios, porches and such.

 

[user1007]

If the patio is covered you might get some life out of a quality porch, patio, and floor paint like Benjamin Moore's waterbased or oil products. If it is exposed, you are looking at a constant maintenance task.

If I were you, and you want to even out color. I would think about etching it then using concrete stains instead of paint. Stained concrete can be quite beautiful and since the stain penetrates rather than sit on the surface, it is a better choice exposed patios.

 

[user1007]

If the patio is covered you might get some life out of a quality porch, patio, and floor paint like Benjamin Moore's waterbased or oil products. If it is exposed, you are looking at a constant maintenance task.

If I were you, and you want to even out color. I would think about etching it then using concrete stains instead of paint. Stained concrete can be quite beautiful and since the stain penetrates rather than sit on the surface, it is a better choice for exposed patios.

 

[user1007]

Had another thought. There are some really nice indoor outdoor rugs these days---not tacky astroturf looking but some simulate oriental rugs. Combined with staining or maybe on their own they might be a better alternative than painting.

 

[Expert Paint]

what are you guys talking about? there are tons of options out there for coating concrete that will last. the only issue with DIY is that rarely the prep is done properly. concrete is beautiful when stained or coated. As long as you get the concrete clean dry and dull with a profile on it you can put a wide variety of products/colors on it. The best advice i can give is to make sure you make sure that there is no moisture present in the concrete before you do anything. Also, make sure there is no potential for moisture getting undereath it easily (down spouts near by etc.). moisture coming through concrete will pop off some of the most expensive systems out there. I would strongly recommend hiring a professional DECORATIVE CONCRETE SPECIALIST! otherwise go see a paint store for high end acetone dye stains and sealers, or epoxy/urethane systems. you can go the solid color solvent based stain route (H&C silicone acrylic) if you are willing to do maintenance coating similar to that of a wood deck every 2 years.

 

[Will22]

I agree on making certain that there is no ground moisture coming up from the soil underneath (as most concrete patios do not have a moisture barrier under them - plastic) A good test is to secure some plastic (1'x1', several locations) with duct tape, and check for condensation in 48-72 hours. I believe that concrete stain is the best way to go, and is the simplest application for a DIY'er. Epoxy/urethane systems are too complex (and expensive) for them to deal with induction period/ pot life details. As noted previously, surface preparation is vital for these jobs, and if the patio is uncovered, it may require periodic maintenance.