How to paint a concrete driveway

Your household is your fortress. Any fortress should have two features. First of all, it should be the place where you can protect yourself and the family from enemies. In real life, we take it more metaphorically. It’s the place we feel secure after a battle with the outer world. 

What is the second feature? It must shine with style and beauty. Any fortress amazes people. It’s a pure architectural diamond. Don’t worry: you don’t need to build a house in a baroque style. You can make it beautiful in a modern way. Start from painting a driveway, for instance.

Factors to Consider Before You Paint a Driveway

You keep wondering why paint driveway, don’t you? It’s literally an entryway to your house. Therefore, it’s one of the first things people will see when they come to visit you or just pass by. Don’t you want it to look beautiful?

Although painting a driveway may seem like an easy thing, there are a couple of details to think about in advance. And they aren’t limited to which driveway paint is best for your climate. Here what you have to consider:

Parking 

All the process usually takes about a week. It can be even more. So, you should find a place to park your car. Is driveway paint long to dry? Not really. The reason for that is you have to apply several coats. Before this, you need several days to clean the surface and apply a concrete bonding primer.

Weather

It’s an impossible task to guarantee that the weather will be fine for the whole week. However, you have to monitor the weather forecast to minimize the risks.

Suitable Paint

What paint for driveway to choose? You have to select based on your climate conditions. Not all paints can withstand changing weather throughout the year. Also, consider the UV resistance. Especially if you live in a hot area with plenty of sunny days.

Can You Paint Driveway on Your Own? You Surely Can!

 

Now many people can say: “How can I do this on my own? Only professionals can!” That’s not true. You shouldn’t underestimate yourself and overestimate the difficulty. Frankly speaking, the process is rather straightforward. 

What Do You Need? 

To begin with, you have to buy all the necessary equipment. The majority can be found rather easy in a specific store. Here is a complete list of what you will need to buy to paint a concrete driveway:

• A bristle broom
• Concrete filler
• Trisodium phosphate
• Protective gloves
• A concrete bonding primer
• A paintbrush
• A paint roller
• Paint

Keep in mind that if you decide to skip some steps from our manual, you may not need some of these. However, it’s better not to do this. If you want more than a one-colored driveway, you may need a stencil kit. Ever wondered how to paint driveway lines? Here’s the answer.

Manual

Unfortunately, you can’t order vinyl banner printing to make your driveway look beautiful. Adhesive vinyl can only be used to make lines or add exquisite patterns. Before this, you have to follow several steps to paint your concrete driveway:

1. Clean the surface. Sweep the driveway with a broom. After that, patch all the holes and scratches with concrete filler and let it dry.
2. Sand the surface. It must be smooth. Don’t stop until you achieve the aim!
3. Tackle grease or oil stains. For that, mix a one-fourth cup of trisodium phosphate for every gallon of warm water. Don’t forget to put on protective gloves.
4. Rinse your driveway and let it dry for two days.
5. Apply one coat of a concrete bonding primer. It will grab the forthcoming paint to the concrete.
6. Start painting. Begin with the edges like you do if you paint windows or ceiling. 
7. Paint all the driveway. It’s better to start from the top. The first coat is usually thin.
8. Wait until a first coat dries up and apply a second one. Let it dry. To determine the time, follow the instructions on the paint can.

Please, share your result with us! We wish you a good day!