Transforming an ugly concrete patio floor can make a dramatic difference to your outdoor living space and doesn’t have to cost the earth either!   It cost ONLY £74 to paint and stencil the floor.  Yes, I know budget makeover goals right there!  We even had paint left over for our wall stencil projects too, kerching!

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED

Masonry paints
Large paint brush
Paint tray
Stencil
Decorator’s masking tape
Large stencil brush
Scissors

 

 

ORDER YOUR STENCIL

We have over 60 Faux-Tile stencil designs to choose from -  modern geometric, Moroccan, Indian, Scandi and Mediterranean...whatever your style, there’s something for everyone! 

If you are stencilling a seamless concrete surface you can use any size stencil you like.  Whatever your project, if you need any advice on size or design just get in touch, we’re always happy to help 😊

Our Faux-Tile Stencils have registration marks (repeat parts of the pattern for repositioning). These repeat markers are used to repeat the pattern evenly across a flat non-tiled or non-slabbed surface. 

If you’re stencilling existing slabs, we have a range of Patio Stencils to choose from. They come in both standard Square and Rectangle slab sizes.

We also have a super duper useful Patio Sizing Guide to help you determine how to approach your patio if you have staggered slabs, mixed slab sizes, flat concrete....whatever your patio type we can help you work it out!

 

 

PREPARE YOUR FLOOR

Prep work has got to be the most boring and least rewarding part of a project and seems to take forever!  Whatever you do though, DO NOT scrimp on this stage, it is the key to achieving a good finish.

 

 

 

So, get that power washer out and remove as much dirt, moss and grime as you can.  Brush all the edges and the corners thoroughly to be as dust free as possible.   Paint will not adhere to any dirty, dusty surface and you don't want all your hard work flaking off do you?! 

Then it’s time to paint...YAY, now we can see it starting to transform!

 

APPLY THE BASE COAT

We chose ‘Jasmine White’ Dulux Weathershield Ultimate Protection Masonry Paint because it has a built in primer and strengthens dusty or powdery surfaces giving a long-lasting finish.

 

Before you even pick up a brush, read the tin, then read it again!  Follow the manufacturer's instructions to the letter.  Pay particular attention to temperature, weather conditions, recoat times and curing times.  Improper application means the paint may not adhere and may peel off, which we certainly don't want! 

 
Well, we soon ditched the roller!  A brush was definitely needed to push the paint into the unevenness of the concrete surface.  It only needed 2 coats as the paint covered really well and with 4 hours drying time between coats the base coat was finished in a day. 

 

POSITION YOUR STENCIL  

So where do you start?  In all honesty it doesn’t really matter as long as you try to keep the stencil visually in line with the walls so it doesn’t look wonky!  We chose to start in the centre of the most visual wall. 

Use decorator’s masking tape to hold the stencil in place and you’re ready to go!  If the tape doesn't stick well try using something small and heavy on each corner to hold it in place.

View our Safi Stencil here.

 

 

STENCILING TECHNIQUE

Yikes, now for the best part...the stencilling! 

If you have never stencilled before don’t worry.  Just remember, always practice your technique first on a piece of card or part of the concrete floor that can be easily concealed.  But don’t fret if you do botch it up, just paint over and start again, no sweat! 

 

 

We ditched the rollers again and used large stencil brushes so we could get a better coverage on the rough concrete surface.  Get a good stabbing motion with the stencil brush making sure not to push paint under the stencil so you don’t get blotchy lines.

Normally you hardly need any paint on your brush for stencilling, but we did find concrete a lot more forgiving.  Even so, Do NOT overload your brush with too much paint as this will seep under the stencil and make blotchy uneven lines.  Less is definitely more people!

 

 

Because you don’t need a lot of paint for the stencilling we opted for Ronseal Garden Paint (Charcoal Grey)as it comes in a smaller tin...perfect!  Only £9 for 0.75 litre tin, and we had paint left over, bargain!

 

REPEATING THE PATTERN

All our Faux-Tile Stencils have registration marks so you can easily reposition and repeat the pattern. 

We chose to work out from the centre, first left, then right and down.

 

 It doesn’t matter which way you repeat but be as accurate as possible when repositioning the stencil or your pattern will be skew-whiff!  We (the royal we, ie. me!) nearly went cock-eyed but managed to pull it back by centralising the stencil across the misaligned pattern.  Phew, close shave!

 

EDGES AND CORNERS

Always leave edges and corners last. 

You’ve got two choices...either bend your stencil into the edges where the floor meets the wall or cut your stencil to fit.  We bent the stencil into the edges and then cut the stencil at the very end for the corners to get a perfect fit.

 

 

The repeated pattern will probably not stencil perfectly in line with the walls...walls are never straight as we discovered!  But in the grander scheme of things you don’t notice once you add in your furniture and accessories.

 

CLEANING YOUR STENCIL

Your stencil will probably need cleaning mid-project.  When too much paint builds up on the stencil it causes the paint to bleed under the stencil making ugly blotchy lines...not good peeps 😒    

For indoor projects that use emulsion and chalk paints we recommend soaking the stencil in very warm soapy water until the paint rubs off easily.  However, masonry paint is a lot more robust and is a lot more stubborn to clean. 

You could use wet wipes throughout the project and wipe clean as you go along.  Or you can clean the stencil in warm soapy water at intervals.  But be careful not to scrub too hard or you’ll damage your stencil.  You don’t necessarily need to remove all the paint from the stencil, just make sure the edges of the pattern are free from the build up of paint. 

 

TO SEAL OR NOT TO SEAL?

It is a question we get asked a lot.  Some of our customers have sealed and others haven't.  There is no evidence to suggest that sealing actually protects the surface as a good masonry paint applied correctly should suffice. 

So, it is personal choice if you want to use a sealer.  A lot of our customers have used Screwfix No Nonsense Patio & Driveway Sealer.

We chose not to seal as we want to test the paint durability and report back to you guys.

(Update July 2021) 2 years down the line our patios held up under all the torrential rain we have here in Northern England! 

If you want to see more about paints some of our customers have used that have lasted well read our Most Durable Paints For Patios blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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