How to Transform Your Concrete Steps for $75

One of the areas of our home that has always annoyed me are the ugly cement entry steps. The rest of the exterior was immaculately done – curbed stone pathway, perfectly painted wood siding, great lighting choices, etc. Most investments in the front of the home get a great ROI, I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t make this key focal point nicer. I quickly figured it out when I researched how expensive it would be to upgrade to curbstone, flagstone, or brick – the project could have easily ran us $5-10K. That type of investment was earmarked for upgrading our kitchen & bathroom first.

Even though completely re-doing the steps weren’t an option, I had read a lot about painting concrete & figured it was worth a try. Its been on my to-do list for about 2 years now. Looking back, this was one of the easiest, most affordable, and high-impact projects I’ve worked on. I can’t believe it took me 2 years to get it done.

Here’s how you can recreate it for your home for just $75 for 1 color or $101 for 2 colors:

1. Clear off the area you’re about to paint. For me this involved cutting back the hedges (they desperately needed a trim anyways!), pulling back the mulch/dirt/ground cover until I could see the base of the concrete steps, and sweeping the steps. I did this step after I power washed, but the power washing would have been a little easier had I done it first.

2. Powerwash the concrete. Let completely dry. I almost stopped after this step because they looked so much better! I’m glad I didn’t, but the thought crossed my mind. The area needs to be fully dry before you can begin priming – dry times can vary dramatically based on how much sun hits, your climate, etc.

3. Protect the areas where the concrete meets other surfaces. We have wood siding & I had delicate surface painter’s tape in stock, so I used it to protect the siding. Not 100% sure it’s necessary, but it worked. I also used big scraps of cardboard to cover the pavers & will use smaller cardboard scraps where the concrete meets the dirt to protect my brush. Lastly I used 2 old king sized bed sheets to hold back the shrubs on both sides of the steps. You can tackle this while the concrete dries.

4. CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST. You should only use the primer in temperatures 50-90° F, and it needs 2 hours to dry, 4 hours to fully cure.

5. Prime the concrete. I used Behr Concrete & Masonry Ponding Primer ($24, Home Depot), as well as combination of a rough surface nap & paint brush to apply the rimer. Heads up: this was the thinnest primer I’ve ever used. It didn’t really change the color of the concrete, more just looked like wet concrete. I would recommend starting on the sides first, then working from top to bottom on the trends so you have a place to walk. Let dry for at least 4 hours.

6. Layout your design & select your paint colors. My design was very simple – I wanted to match our side steps, which are a light yellow color on the risers & strings that match the trim of the house, and a greyish stained wood on the treads. However the possibilities here are endless. You can go as basic as one color or as complicated as an intricate stencil design. Check out the end of my ‘Painted Steps’ story on Instagram for some other inspirations. We already had the trim color matched, so I tried a few different grey neutral paints for the treads. Even though the samples I selected had black undertones, they all pulled really blue IRL. I ended up going with ‘Rustic Taupe’ that was more of a mix of grey/tan. If you need test paint, you can use almost any interior/exterior paint – I just got a few of Home Depot’s cheapest samples and used one I already had in stock from a previous project.

7. CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST. Similar to the primer, the paint needs at least 2 hours to dry, potentially longer based on on humidity/temperature. There was a small chance of rain when I first went to apply the topcoat & I’m really glad I waited – it ended up downpouring before the rain was even due to start.

8. For more than 1 paint color: Tape off your design. I used rough surface painter’s tape, it worked fairly well. I recommend pressing it in extra firmly to get as crisp lines as possible. I had to go back with a tiny brush to touch up a few spots, but it was minimal work. I’ve seen some pretty cool designs with stencils as well.

9. Paint the concrete. I used Behr Porch & Patio Anti-Slip Floor paint for the risers/strings, but they only sell it by the gallon, so I used a quart of the Benjamin Moore Floor & Patio paint for the smaller section of treads. Similar to the primer, I applied with a rough surface roller nap & paint brush. Unlike the primer, this was the thickest paint I’ve ever used. As a result, the coverage was amazing & really hard to mess up – the rough surface nap got into almost all of the nooks & crannies of the concrete and I only needed one coat. I went back with my paint brush to fill any holes the original roll didn’t get. I’m usually a huge fan of BM, but the application & coverage of the Behr paint was significantly better.

10. For more than 1 paint color: Repeat steps 8 & 9 based on your design plan, making sure to let the paint fully cure for at least 4 hours before starting over.

11. Remove tape & touch up any spots. There was minimal work needed here.

12. Admire your work 🙂

Supply List:

On Hand supplies: The cost estimate assumes you have painted a room before and have some basic supplies. The largest piece of equipment that is not common is a power washer – we already owned one, if you don’t and aren’t looking to invest, I’d highly recommend asking a family member, friend, or neighbor to test theirs. If that fails, check out a look ‘Buy Nothing Project’ on Facebook or ‘Next Door’ group & request to borrow one from someone in the community.

• Paint roller cages – large & small
• Paint brushes
• Painter’s tray
• Cardboard scraps
• Old sheets or painters cloths to protect any shrubs
• Power washer

Purchased Supplies: Here’s what I used. If you’re working on a tight budget, you can reuse your naps by washing them off, or use more basic naps for the primer application. I haven’t tried this before, but Ace Hardware also has their own line of Royal Porch & Patio paint that’s only $27.99 for the gallon, $14.99 for the quart. I can’t speak to if is any good, but it could also help keep your cost down if you’re willing to try.