Stenciled Porch Make-Over
- Ashley Smith
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Charming front porch makeover for the DIYer on a budget
I had stenciled some paver tiles for a sitting area last summer and decided our front porch needed some similar TLC. Prior, I was using a large rug to make it feel cozier, but this vision I had in mind I wanted to try. Originally I wanted real tile out there, but I just knew that wasn't going to happen. If it did eventually, it is really far down on the priority list of updates for the house.
I like to create atmosphere in our home. I want our surroundings to feel cozy, happy, to inspire the family to want to spend time there. This was a small area that I could do that and easily transform at a small cost. The whole project was under $200.
Supplies I used:
Power washer
Broom
Paint tray
Butcher paper
Small roller, paintbrush, & small paintbrush
Smoother
Valspar Protective sealer
Elbow Grease + Patience :)
Step #1
First things first. I needed to power wash the concrete to get it clean. This part actually was very satisfying, seeing layers of dirt and grime come off the porch. My forearms were really sore the next day. This is an essential part of the process so that your design has a better chance of lasting. Let it dry overnight and then sweep before the next step.
Step #2
If you have any cracks or or holes this is your chance to fill them so your base coat and design turn out more smooth. I used DAP Concrete silicone filler. Once I squeezed it out of the tube, it was kind of like icing. You just squeeze and fill in the cracked areas and holes...application doesn't have to be fancy. I used a plastic smoother to smooth and get the excess off. It happened to be a cake tool I had, but any type of paint/puddy/drywall smoother will do. I let this dry over night. Then I swept again.
Step #3
Now its time to choose your porch color. I knew I wanted a gray base with a white design similar to our bathroom tile. Yall, this was the hardest part, because the sunlight changes the way everything looks. I also knew that once I added the white stencil, I didn't want it to pull out purple undertones. I went with one color and the undertones had too much of a blue to it. Went back to Lowes & got a different one that was a couple shades darker and more warm. I ended up with 'Smoked Oyster' by Sherwin Williams. The color was added to Valspar Stucco & Brick Paint & Primer. I used a wall paint brush because I am really fast with it. If you wanted to roll it on with a long handle roller that would be very efficient as well. I did two coats. Since it's outside, the paint dried really quickly.
Step #4 The BIG one
Now for the stenciling. This is the longest step, because its ongoing and as you have time. I did this over a 2-3 day period in spurts. You will need the most patience for this part, but I knocked it out by having a tv series playing; so listen to a show, a podcast, or music and the time will go by.
I started in the corner so I could line up the stencil the way I liked and it could go down the wall easily. Depending on your area, you may have a starting point that works best for your project. I will say the first couple of attempts sometimes come out a little less clean & defined. I knew I would always have an entry mat down, so it was a good place to practice the first couple in case I had some mistakes. I used the Masonry Stucco again in 'Pure White' by Sherwin Williams. I liked the contrast. It really is hard to tell what the colors will look like together until there is a big area completed unfortunately, so just a heads up.
I had two sets of these 12x12 stencils (12 total) so I could get the project done faster. I took some butcher paper to set underneath my paint tray so I could move it around as I went and protect the floor from spills and drips.
I started out by dipping the Valspar handled rolling brush into the white paint on my tray; I believe it is the microfiber kind. I would roll it back and forth on the paint tray to get the excess off. *If you have too much paint on there, it will bleed through your stencil and create a blurred outline. I held down the stencil with one hand and used the roller to go back and forth covering all the open stencil areas. You will start seeing what amount works for you and the pressure needed as you get into a rhythm. After the first coat, I positioned the next stencil beside it. The edges will be overlapping and give you the correct spacing. Then I used the roller to paint that second stencil. I then got a third stencil and repeated the process. I usually had about 3 stencils going at a time.
(Notice in the second picture that one of the stencils painted looks lighter. That is because it only has one coat, and the other two beside it have two coats. Just as a reference of what it should look like)
Once I eyeballed it and saw that the first coat of the first stencil was pretty dry, I added a second coat. Then a second coat to the second stencil, and then third. The paint dried really quickly in between coats so it wasn't as long as you may think. Before it would completely dry, I would remove the first stencil and shortly after the second, then the third and set them in the sun to dry. I would use my extra stencils to keep going through this process.
*Note that if you wait too long to remove the stencil with paint and it dries too much, it could pull up some of your base coat. Also do not worry if your design does not look perfect...you can touch up with a regular paint brush in the end. Even though every single stencil didn't have really clean lines, it all blended and looked good in the end.
I had one area that our porch post was so I ended up cutting one of the stencils to fit the area. It wasn't perfect, but looked fine. You may have a better rhythm that works for you, but this seemed to work well for me. As three stencils would be drying with the second coats, I would have a few other stencils going with the first coats. Having good weather is key too, I would say its a good spring or fall project. And also be mindful of the weather forecast with rain.
Step #5
PHEW the stenciling is done. Now it's just touching up. I used a regular canvas paintbrush to go over any detail lines that maybe didn't get enough of a second coat, or that had too much bleeding. I did have some areas where some paint pulled up like I warned you about. It was all an easy fix. Just add more paint. You can get as crazy detailed with this touching up as you want. I did this for a while and just reached a stopping point for myself of, "that's good enough." Really I would be the only one noticing if the lines were off, or if the spacing wasn't exact. This is not real tile after all, so there are going to be some "charming" quirks.
Step #6
Sealing it. This was a tricky step for me, because I could not get a good answer on the best product to use to seal it. It's outside so I knew it needed to be weatherproof, I wanted to make sure it didn't yellow, I wanted to make sure it wasn't slick, I wanted it to protect the paint from scratching off, and I wanted to be able to clean it. The guy at Lowes pointed me to a couple things, but honestly I wasn't confident in his suggestions, because he didn't seem confident haha. I had worked so hard, and I didn't want it to be ruined with the wrong product. I decided on Valspar Protective Sealer - Natural Look - Low gloss finish. It said it didn't yellow, peel, protected during weather, and could be used on concrete. First off, read the directions well. I basically just poured some on the porch so spreading it would go faster and I believe I had wayyy too much. I used a paintbrush to paint the coats on and a rag to wipe off the remaining product. I had about two coats on there, but way too much product. I remember it pooled a lot. Whoops.
Once it finally dried, I think I gave it 2-3 full days....it was SO slick. Dangerously slick. It would get on our shoes and make our inside floor slick too. NOOO! Now I had to fix it; I hoped there was a solution. So I did some Googling and found an anti-slip product that may work. It was in a totally different part of the store, but it said it worked for exterior as well. It is called 511 Anti-Slip Formula. I put two coats on using a rag/towel. I waited a day and then added one more coat. Then let it dry.
YAY! I had the right consistency for walking on it and if it got wet it was so much better than before. If I did it over again I would probably use the exact same two products...but with the first one just taper back on the amount. There are a couple similar Valspar sealers that may have worked better as the base sealer, but I'll not know unless I test it out again. So maybe do some research here; this is just what I used. If there is a base sealer that doesn't require an anti-slip product that would be ideal.
The 511 AntiSlip may need to be reapplied as time goes on as the coating wears off.
Step #7
Decorate & Enjoy! Finally got to the finish line on this. I love the character and prettiness it brings when we walk up. It also feels a lot bigger too. We have this cute daybed that I had gotten and our little dresser I still need to repaint that I store garden supplies in. I have some things I'd still like to add....like an outdoor touch lamp, some curtains, maybe a small white wicker bistro set, a small rug to put under the daybed, seasonal blankets, pillows, & flowers. I really do enjoy our front porch way more now, and love when the girls take pics on it because the stenciling is a nice backdrop. My husband and I immediately spent some sweet time out there and played Uno together. To keep it clean I just use a water, or probably a mild soap plus water. It wipes off very nicely when wet.
I swore I would never do it again, because in the moment it felt like a pain and a never ending DIY project. Now I want to do the project all over again, but on our back porch...which is way bigger. BUT this time I will be recruiting my husband to power wash and maybe do the base coat...then all I have to do is the stenciling. Maybe once enough time has gone by I'll get onto that project and you will see another blogpost. Until then I'm just going to enjoy decorating each season and spending time out there watching the kids play soccer and four square, while I read and have a coffee.
What do you think of the before and after?
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