Front Yard Redesign with Painted Concrete
After a particularly long, snowy winter, my front porch needed a major refresh. I know the difference a coat of paint can make in a room, so I figured, why not try it on my front porch? If you have ever felt the same need to do a front yard redesign or have wanted to implement painted concrete, then this blog post is for you! Follow my steps below as I detail what worked for me and what didn’t.
Painted Concrete & Front Yard Redesign Supplies:
Step #1: Remove Decor & Furniture, Then Pressure Wash
First, take everything off your porch and steps, and clean them really well. I opted to buy a pressure washer, and I am so glad I did. We absolutely love it and use it all the time. Of course, if you don’t have a pressure washer, you could always just use a hose and this attachment.
Step #2- Remove Any Adhesive Residue & Fill Concrete Cracks
I originally used rug tape to secure the rug that goes under my doormat in place. It worked so well that it was a huge pain to get the residue off. I tried everything to get it off… Coke, Dawn dish soap, essential oils, nail polish remover, and WD-40. I didn’t have any Goo Gone, which might have worked.
The thing that seemed to work the best for me was nail polish remover and this drill brush attachment. It definitely sped things up. While it didn’t get everything off completely, it got enough off. After I finished that off, I sprayed it all off again with the pressure washer.
Then it was time to fill the cracks in the concrete. They make a special concrete caulk that works pretty well. I filled in all of the cracks and then waited for it to dry.
Step #3: Begin the Painted Concrete
I applied two coats of Sherwin-Williams Porch & Floor Enamel to my porch and stairs. Pro tip: Mix in Shark Grip, which is an additive that makes the paint less slick. You can mix it to be any color that you want, but I chose Gauntlet Gray so that it would match the stucco on my house.
Step #4: Add New Plants
I tore out a bunch of plants that I had lining the sidewalk because they attracted bees, and my kids were too scared to walk by them. So I picked some others that were similar in color but less of a bee attractant. They are perfect for this space.
Step #5: Build Planters to Complete Your Front Yard Redesign
The last big step was building the most beautiful, custom planters on the sides of my steps. I wrote a full post about just these planters, which you can find HERE!
Aside from the planters, which were a big project, this front porch refresh was so simple and totally increased our curb appeal. I think the painted concrete made a huge difference! It was the perfect way to kick off the spring.
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