Painting a concrete driveway is easier than you think, if you follow the correct steps and ensure the area is prepped correctly. It’s also cheaper! To have your driveway professionally painted, you will need to budget anywhere between $65 – $150 per square metre. Depending on the type of paint and finish you’re wanting.
Before starting your project, make sure the weather is on your side. You want a cool/ slightly warm day, with no rain for at least 2 days after your painting is complete, so ensure you check the weather forecast! You don’t want the paint drying too fast.
Cost
If you’re the DIY type, you can expect to pay around $30-40 per litre for concrete paint, with the additional cost of painting tools. You need to ensure that your driveway paint will also seal the concrete against water, if it doesn’t, you will need to purchase an additional sealer.
Preparing to paint your concrete driveway
– Give your driveway a good clean, first give it a thorough sweep and then clean it with a high-pressure cleaner.
– Fix up any minor cracks in the concrete, allow the concrete to completely dry before moving onto priming.
– Prepare primer as instructed, usually it is mixed in a bucket of water, scrub the driveway using a stiff broom and wash off. This is usually done after 10-15 minutes.
– Using tape, mask the edges along your driveway and anywhere else that you don’t want the paint to run into.
– Driveway paint is very thick, to ensure proper coating, it is recommended that you thin the first coat using turpentine. Use 100ml per 1L of driveway paint, this will ensure that the first coat is thin enough to fill the rough concrete surface.
– We would recommend that you start the edges first, known as ‘cutting in’ by using a paint brush.
– Use a roller, apply the paint evenly to the rest of the driveway and leave the paint to cure for at least 12 hours before proceeding to do the second coat.
Your freshly-painted concrete driveway should last approximately 5 years before it needs to be repainted again, but ensure that you complete regular maintenance on your driveway.
If you notice any loose paint or debris, scrape this off, sand the area lightly and touch up the paint. By doing this annually, you will extend the life of your paint to a lot longer than 5 years.