Painting A Concrete Home

I am going to paint my house that is built of cement. I have scraped off all of the loose paint and am ready to begin. Do I need to prime the entire house first or just where I scraped off the paint?


Lucky you for living in a concrete home! The "Three Little Pigs" would clearly have been safe in your house. Although the "Big Bad Wolf" wouldn't be able to blow your house down, it sounds as if you could have used his help in "blowing off" some of that loose paint! Yikes!

It is a well-known fact that the key to a good paint job lays in the preparation. Removing loose paint, patching, caulking and priming are the elements that will lead to a better looking and longer lasting paint job. Although you have "scraped off all of the loose paint," we suggest that you also use a power washer to remove any loose paint that remains and to open the "pores" of the concrete to accept the fresh layer of paint. If you don't already own a power washer, you may purchase one or rent one by the day.

Since scraping and power washing can result in an irregular surface, we suggest that you use a power sander to smooth the edges between the existing paint and the raw surface. You can also use an exterior-grade patching compound (compatible with concrete) that can be applied with a wide-blade putty knife to disguise the rough areas. Apply it as smoothly as possible since most materials are tough to sand.

Once the patching work is complete and has had the opportunity to dry, "spot prime" the patched and bare areas using a latex masonry block sealer or concrete paint. Finish the job by painting the entire building with a coat of premium quality 100 percent acrylic exterior house paint.