DIY: How to Stencil Your Concrete Patio
/There’s no doubt that stenciling your patio is a cost effective way to add some pa-zow to your patio! That’s right, pa-zow.
When I say cost effective, I mean that this project cost me only 60 DOLLARS. And I can reuse the stencil and I have plenty of paint left to stencil the front patio too!
If you’re willing to be sore for a few days in exchange for a great end product and low cost, keep reading for some advice on how to avoid easy-to-make mistakes when stenciling your patio.
As a reference, I was starting with a moderately textured concrete slab that was painted white by the builder.
Don’t skip the prep work
Pressure wash your patio first. I have this small electric pressure washer that I can easily move around and doesn’t require gas. I can’t attest for how well it will work if you have some difficult stains, but if you just have your average dirt and build up on your patio, one of these should do the trick.
Tip: Don’t get too close to the patio. Even these small pressure washers are strong enough to chip off the paint (if already painted).
I also kept a leaf blower nearby so that I could get the little layer of dirt that blew in off the slab before I started painting any given area.
Get the right tools
Stenciling a patio is different from stenciling a wall. The texture of a patio is not nearly as smooth as your average wall. For that reason, you have to work to get paint into the nooks and crannies of the concrete. And that means using a stenciling brush vs. a roller or regular paint brush.
Also, make sure that your paint is intended for outdoor use. The Valspar Patio paint is a latex based paint which should hold up well to scuffing and UV damage. This brand also offers pre-mixed colors if you are looking for a standard neutral, or you can get a custom color mixed. I had my paint color matched to a Sherwin Williams color that I knew would work with the exterior color of my house. More specifically, the Valspar Patio paint has different Base options. I didn’t know what this meant, but the paint pro was able to determine what I needed based on the project and color I wanted.
Tip: I often get nervous when I have to get paint. I waffle on the color and the quantity as if my life depended on it. I must have been looking pretty hopeless in the store when a very nice person asked me a few questions and was able to point me in the right direction and get exactly what I needed mixed at the paint counter. If you have any questions or unusual elements to your specific project, ask the paint desk for help.
Practice
I went to stencil school. Relax, it’s just a bunch of Instagram stories on the Yellow Prairie Interiors account. There are some great tidbits there!
I rolled some kraft paper out and practiced the up and down motion recommended in the videos. Dabbing up and down with a stencil brush rather than painting in swinging motions with a brush or roller limits seepage and ensures consistency.
A Little Goes a Long Way
When you are barely half way done and you would love to just make it go faster, resist the urge to load your brush up with gobs of paint. It will not end well. Adding gobs of paint to a tired dabbing motion and a stencil that is likely moving around a bit is a recipe for disaster.
Tip: If you realize that you have used too much paint on a certain spot, continue dabbing elsewhere until you get most of the paint off the brush. Then go back to that spot and dab on top of the paint overload. This will pick up some of the excess paint onto the brush.
Take Your Time
I am not kidding when I recommend stretching your back before you get started. The positions that you will get into for an extended period of time will do a number on your body, especially your back. If possible, I would recommend taking a day or so between stenciling to give your body a break. It is truly exhausting. This is a marathon not a sprint.
Start in the right spot
This was my major hiccup - I started in the corner of my patio and tried to stencil down and across at the same time. Meaning that as the across pattern was drying, I would try to make good time and start going down. Well, eventually the two will meet. If you’re lucky and extremely precise, they will line up pretty well. If you’re cockeyed a smidge, it will get messed up. My husband, who has a mind for geometry, said that I should have started in the middle of the patio and worked my way out. I’ll try this when I stencil the front patio next.
Now, if you still have the urge to stencil a concrete patio, do it! I love the end result so much. It adds a little flare to what was previously a really blah area. Here’s exactly what I used to stencil my patio:
Cutting Edge Stencil - Starburst (Tip: buying from Etsy vs. their website gives a small discount in shipping)
Many lists for projects like this will also include a level. Well, being the genius that I am, I didn’t realize that when I tried to determine if my stencil was level on the patio, the level was picking up and determining the level of the actual concrete slab. So after that, I tossed the level and eyeballed it.
As a wannabe DIYer, this is a great first project! I had a few missteps, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed. And worst comes to worse, put a rug or some furniture on top of the error and call it a day!
