How To Paint Or Stain Almost Anything
Exterior, Painting & Finishing by Danny Lipford
While a fresh coat of paint is one of the best ways to freshen up the walls in any room in your home, there are many other surfaces around the home that you may not have thought to paint, or if you did you may not have been entirely sure how to go about it. Some of these surfaces include concrete, brick, metal, aluminum and even plastic. So if you want to bedazzle your basement walls or make your worn-down aluminum siding a little more alluring – here are some tips on how to go about it.
Keep in mind: The best results for painting anything are achieved with proper preparation and the selection of the appropriate high quality paint product.
Concrete
First, let’s take a look at concrete which can be found in and around the home in driveways, walkways, basement walls and floors etc. There are two ways to treat concrete whether it is inside or outside your home – staining and painting. Choosing whether to stain or to paint your concrete would depend largely upon both the current state of the concrete (new or old and previously treated) as well as the look you want to achieve.
Staining
Similar to wood stain, concrete stain permeates the surface and provides a long-lasting, durable and decorative finish on interior and exterior concrete and masonry surfaces. The stain permeates the surface and actually bonds with concrete and masonry to form a tough shield that doesn’t fade, peel or flake like paint. To extend the life of the stain, consider using a clear stain as a final coat. Stain is inherently more transparent than paint and therefore does not completely cover up the concrete. Paint offers complete coverage and would be considered “opaque”. Concrete stains come in a variety of colors and can create a beautiful custom look to any walkway, patio or indoor floor.
Painting
Again, the choice here would depend upon the look you want as well as the current state of the concrete. Painting is a good choice if you want to create a more solid look, cover over any imperfections in the concrete or are simply re-painting an already painted concrete surface. An ideal choice of paint for basements is one that offers a waterproof feature as well as mildew resistance.
Whether you choose to stain or paint your concrete, make sure the surface is free from dirt and grease, and it is completely dry.
Metal
When it’s time to freshen up a metal handrail or fence, you must be vigilant to completely eliminate metal enemy #1 – RUST! There are a variety of products available that can help remove rust, but the most simple and effective way to do this is with an old-fashioned hand-held wire brush or a special wire brush attachment for your drill. Simply scrub the rust with the wire brush until it is completely gone and then wipe the metal down with mineral spirits. Once you have removed the rust, immediately apply a primer, ideally one that contains a rust inhibitor and then apply a topcoat of high gloss enamel paint.
Aluminum
Many people are surprised to learn that re-painting their existing aluminum siding is not only quite easy but certainly more cost-effective than replacing with new siding. As with all surfaces, the most important step is preparation – in the case of aluminum siding that means completely removing a chalky substance that builds up on siding over time. This chalky substance is usually fairly easily removed with a standard cleaner or degreaser and then wiped dry. However, in some cases a little more scrubbing is required. In most cases aluminum siding does not require a primer, however, if the original coating is completely worn down to the metal, prime those areas with a thinned-down oil based primer. Once you have cleaned and primed where necessary, choose a high quality 100% acrylic latex exterior paint with a satin finish. A satin finish best simulates the look of new aluminum siding.
Plastic
Painting plastic is now much more of an option due to a new product from Krylon called “Fusion” which adheres to plastic in a way no other consumer paint ever has. You can now extend the life of plastic chairs, lawn furniture, and children’s toys and send less plastic to the landfills. When painting plastic it is important to consider the current state of the plastic. If it is brand new, the surface needs to be wiped down with paint remover so that the paint will adhere properly. If it is older, simply wiping it clean will suffice. Apply a thin coat of one of sixteen brilliant colors available, allow to dry for a very short time and then apply again. Applying multiple thin coats of this product will prevent runs and drips.
18 Comments on “How To Paint Or Stain Almost Anything”
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May 28th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
This morning my son-in-law had a small disaster on our concrete paver patio. He
spilled splotches of white wood primer. We
NEED to cover/correct this. Could you suggest a concrete stain? Ideally, I would
like to obtain a varied color appearance on
the rough concrete blocks. Ideas? Thanks.
July 16th, 2007 at 10:54 am
So many people gives tons of advise hot to paint, what paint to use, this and that, but nobody talks about how to paint the high places on the steep roof without putting sidekicks on the roof. I don’t want to nail on the singles it’ll cause a leak later on, is there anyway else?thanks
Nicholas Roussos Says:July 16th, 2007 at 10:58 am
Eren,
Actually, I think we have just the answer for you. Here’s a video how-to on making a roof painting platform that I think answers your exact question.
July 16th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
A landscaper stained my outside concrete patio with Behr Semi Transparent concrete stain. Within three months it was peeling off. Now it is a mess and looks horrible.
I don’t think he primed or sealed the concrete before or after applying the stain.
How can I correct this problem?
Thank you
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:01 am
I am considering pulling up carpet in my home and painting the orginal concrete. Is this feasible? Will it look okay? Need to know, as am not sure. thanks.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Hi! I have some old plastic toys that I’d like to update but it seems that most people advise spray painting. the problem is I’d like to use multiple colors on the same surface and I am afraid of running the colors together. do you have any recommendations for painting these toys-what kind of paint should I use and what products should I use to keep the paint from peeling/washing off? Also any suggestions for how to paint indoors in a place without great ventilation would be helpful. Thanks!
April 19th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hi,
My pool deck looks pretty bad. It has cracks, although small, still stand out like varicose veins. I would like to change the color which is currently white to beige w/something blue somwhere. Any suggestions on how to get started?
Thanks for your time and help.
Sincerely,
Linda wislon
June 30th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I want to repaint my aluminum garage door a different color. It has the color that it came with (off white) and I want to paint it white.
July 8th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Any special tips for a very intricate indoor metal handrail (steps from first floor to second floor). I really don’t want to make a mess of the carpets or wall.
Thanks.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I know this may sound nuts, I haven a 74 Sun Bug, a dealer or some one sprayed over VW Sun Bug Gold with a thick gold paint then added gold/ brown decals inset on each hood, doors, fenders, & panels. The look was 70s, I was thinking that IF anyone knew of a way to “face lift” to like new without stripping it all off. Maybe the Gel Stain could work ?. Thanks for any Info
September 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I have an old (dated 1918) large urn, flower pot with handles on the sides that is approximately 5 1/2 ft tall and would like to paint it. It has chipping paint on it. What do I need to use on it prior to paining it and what kind of paint should I use?
October 19th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
We are refinishing a dinning room set. There is some overlay and the trim on the table has some platic in it. How do we touch up the stain on the table top with overlay involved and the trim with the plastic product involved
October 28th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Where can I find detailed instructions on how to stain or paint a 21 year old interior household concrete pad that has been covered with carpet for all those years.
Thanks
Bill erickson
February 17th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
We have enjoyed a beautiful pool here in SC for 22 years. The deck is a kool deck surface that has held up very well but now needs refurbishing. After preparing the surface, What is the best cover to use? Acylic paint or stain ? Any what is the best product to use? There are so many of them out there! Thanks, John
February 24th, 2009 at 3:45 am
Hi
I’ve had a patio put down using man made slabs.
The effect is too bright and the color is a bit orange – I want to tone it down and paint it to give a sandstone effect
Could you give me some advice
Many thanks
Andrew
March 13th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I have a pine TV cabinet that has been sprayed with white lacquer. It has terrible bleed through now. Can I use Kilz and paint with white gloss over this? Can I use latex on top of the lacquer? Should the primer and top coat both be oil based? Can I use a brush, the original was sprayed?
Thanks Bob
June 1st, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I have a 10 yr old Kooldeck around my pool in Florida that has been painted with Behr porch and Floor. It last about 3 years and then needs redone. (no chipping or anything just Worn spots) Now they(HD) suggest I change to concrete solid stain. They say to degrease, prime with Behr concrete and Masonry Bonding Primer and then use solid color concrete stain. I DO NOT WANT CHIPPING ETC TO START! Is this wise to switch and will it last longer or should I just stick with the paorch and floor paint?????
August 30th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Our pastor would like to paint something so it looks and feels like you are walking on streets of gold. Would you be able to suggest anything