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How to Paint a Porch Floor for Upgraded Outdoor Living
These tips will help you level up your outdoor living space in no time
Get quotes from deck and porch pros near you
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Get quotes from deck and porch pros near you
No obligation · 100% free
Need Help With a Project? Connect With a Pro
Painting a porch floor requires addressing moisture damage, rot, and peeling paint before you start to ensure your topcoat adheres evenly and lasts.
Your DIY porch floor painting project costs $100 to $500 for materials like TSP cleaner, painters' tape, exterior paint, brushes, and rollers.
You'll need to clean your porch thoroughly, let it dry completely, prime bare wood or concrete, cut in edges twice, and apply topcoats.
Hiring a local interior painting professional takes the guesswork out of prep work and ensures even coverage, especially when dealing with moisture issues or primer application.
SKILL LEVEL
Simple
COMPLETION TIME
2 days
COST
$100–$500
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
- Scrub brush, sponge, or pressure washer
- Broom
- 2.5-inch sash angled brush
- Roller frame
- 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch nap paint roller
SUPPLIES
- TSP cleaner (trisodium phosphate)
- Roll of painters’ tape
- Exterior or floor paint
With spring around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about livening up your outdoor living space. One way to do just that: Add a splash of color where needed—starting with your porch floor. Never stained or painted a porch before? Worry not—here’s everything you’ll need to know about how to paint a porch floor from start to finish.
Prepping to Paint Your Porch
Before you get started planning your outdoor living space, you’ll want to consider a few things, like the type of flooring you have and whether you should stain or paint your porch.
“Painting or restaining your porch is the easiest way to keep it looking fresh,” says Rupa Mehta, outdoor home expert at Angi. “You can’t go wrong sticking to neutrals like white or off-white, or restaining the wood a natural shade, but depending on your home, it can also be great to experiment with shades of blue or green to add a pop of color.”
Porch Flooring
Check for rot or moisture after you’ve cleaned the surface vigorously. Spot sanding and priming is a good idea if you have any bare wood exposed to ensure your topcoat of paint sticks evenly.
If you’re updating the stain and varnish, use a cleaning and removal product specific to those materials. If you’re starting from raw wood, you’ll need to let the floor cure after you’ve installed it.
Painting a Porch
You’ll also want to nail down what kind of paint finish you’ll need. If you anticipate needing to clean frequently—for example, if you have kids or pets—a high-gloss paint is easier to clean.
But if you intend to lightly use the porch, you can consider a satin or matte finish deck paint, which will hide imperfections better but won’t hold up to abuse as well.
Staining a Porch
If your porch is already painted, you’re committed to using paint again unless you intend to strip down the entire thing to bare wood. If the porch is new raw wood or you’re going back over a stained surface, you have the option of doing stain or paint, depending on your preference.
The common stain and varnish combination found on a lot of decks will hold up better to foot traffic and the elements, as it penetrates the wood more effectively than paint.
5 Steps to Painting Your Porch
The Good Brigade / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Now that you have the equipment and paint all ready for your outdoor living space, let’s paint your porch by following this easy step-by-step method.
Clean the Porch Floor and Edges
You will need to properly clean your porch with water and remove any loose debris before you can paint. But before you break out the hose, use a putty knife to knock off any loose paint.
When you’re ready to wash the porch floor …
Use a garden hose and scrub brush if you’re painting a wood floor (skip the pressure washer since it can damage wood).
If you’re cleaning a concrete porch, opt for a pressure washer.
Don’t have the tools to pressure-wash your porch? You can hire a local pressure washer to do the job for you.
Give the Porch a Day or Two to Dry Out
Assuming that you’ve hand-washed your wooden porch floor—or pressure washed if it’s a concrete porch—you’ll still want to make sure you have a moisture-free surface before starting to paint.
Moisture beneath the paint will cause bubbling and peeling as the temperature shifts throughout the year; if you don’t let all the moisture dry first, your paint job is guaranteed to fail.
If you’re unsure and don’t have a moisture sensor, give it a solid seven days of dry weather before moving to the painting phase of your porch project.
Prime the Floor
Most modern porch paints don’t require a primer if you’re simply painting over the top of old paint. However, if you’re starting from scratch with bare wood or a concrete porch, it’s always wise to use a good primer. Or if you have spots of peeling paint that you’ve recently restored, now is the time to put down a quick coat or two of good quality primer.
Generally, an oil primer is better than latex paint for longevity, though oil paint isn’t nearly as eco-friendly.
Cut in the Edges
After the primer on your porch floor has dried, take a brush and cut in the edges of the whole porch twice before you move on to the next step.
Since latex paint dries so quickly, you can easily apply a second coat of your cut-in within an hour. Feather off the brush marks into the center of the porch, so the topcoat blends much more smoothly when you apply it.
Apply a Topcoat to the Porch
Now that you have a clean, painted framework around the outside of your porch, it’s time to get to work on the main section. Using a large nap roller, work in sections and paint yourself out of the corners. If you’re comfortable using a larger 9-inch roller, this is a great time to save some effort and slog on the paint.
If you’re using a bold color, plan on applying a minimum of two coats to your porch floor with a medium thickness as you go to the layers. You’ll often need a third coat for white paint and other lighter colors.
DIY Porch Painting vs. Hiring a Pro
On the spectrum of DIY projects, cracking the code of how to paint a porch is relatively straightforward. If you have the time and patience to learn how to do it, this is a project you can do yourself. If you’d rather just go the pro route, you can hire a local painter to do the job in a day or two for you.
Deck and porch services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
5.0★ avg. • 9 total reviews
- Gerilyn L.
One of my old tall evergreen trees was suddenly leaning toward the busy street in front of my house. I submitted a request for an emergency tree inspection, and Alejandro, owner of Cajete Tree Service, contacted me immediately and arrived to look at it just 20 minutes later. We agreed the...
Cajete Tree Service LLC - Carla M.
Mitchell and the crew were top tier i am so happy with my new roof
Home Genius Exteriors - Raymonda D.
1 tree was cut down and 5 others including a large willow tree were trimmed. The Grant Tree Service men were professional and cleaned up afterwards. The cost of the 6 trees were affordable. I am very happy with the results. I would hire them again.
Grants Tree Service - Regina G.
Archie did a good job cleaning up the driveway before he laid down the sealer. It looks good. He was gracious and even helped me bring up my groceries. His rate was comparable to another company who came out to give me a quote and he talked to me personally rather than just text me a quote...
Pro Seal Roofing & Paving - Tom T.
We have bought and sold numerous times over the past 50 years. Sherman Hall and Top Line are top notch. Thorough and detailed, he explains every possibility, probability, and eventuality. High class and pleasant. The best.
Top Line Home Inspections, LLC - Chance R.
D1 Roofing delivers outstanding service from beginning to end, backed by a strong warranty and expert teams. I highly recommend them for their excellence in meeting and surpassing expectations with unmatched communication. Choosing D1 Roofing was flawless decision
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Supreme brick & chimney - Jason W.
Window Depot did an amazing job on my deck. I wasnt sure what I wanted to do, but their composite decking was affordable and will last a long time. I am excited to have family over, and I am no longer embarrassed by my backyard. Jeff and the ground crew were polite, respectful, and caring for...
Window Depot USA of Central Ohio - Bob T.
We were having 2”x 2” tile installed . There was a small installation error and the new additional replacement tile was from a different lot and the colors didn’t match. Joe assured us that he would rectify everything , which he did without hesitation. We decided to go with the 18” x 36” tile...
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Maplewood Tree Service
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