Should I Paint That? Back Porch Edition

Painting anything exposed to the elements is automatically going to be more difficult than painting something indoors. One reason it is more difficult is that you will first have to do an intense cleaning on the area you plan to paint. Leaving dirt and debris left on the surface will cause your paint to appear uneven and even crack. The next thing you need to figure out is whether your back porch is made of concrete or wood. The painting process is vastly different for each type. 

Concrete

If your back porch is made of concrete, here is how you can paint it: First, as we already discussed, you will need to clean your porch. With concrete porches, along with power washing, you may also have to be old school and get on your hands and knees and scrub! You may also have to use a professional, heavy-duty cleaner if the concrete is already painted. Next, you will have to etch the concrete. This is a pretty difficult process so it is best if you hire paint professionals. Next, you will need to apply concrete primer so that paint sticks better and looks even. Now, you can officially get to painting! 

Wood

Now, if you are painting a wooden back porch, here’s how you can paint it: First, again, you need to clean your porch very well (this includes sweeping and cleaning between the cracks). If there is already paint on the wood, you may have to use a paint stripper so you can have a clean slate to begin with. Next, just like the concrete porch, you will need to use a primer, and you are ready to paint!

Now that you know how to paint your back porch, what color should you paint it? Gray is a great, neutral, and clean color to paint your porch. This color goes with almost everything and is easy to match with the color of your house and décor. The next color is white which never goes out of style, but you will have to keep up with the cleaning! If you have a wooden porch, try are dark wood stain or paint so you can make your back or even front porch pop!

If you are ready to get your porch ready for this spring, contact your local Northeast Ohio professional painters at PaintPositive!