See how easy it is to repaint a porch with rollable stone coating that’s actually NOT paint!
It’s a simple DIY home improvement project that can be knocked out over a weekend and adds instant curb appeal AND is more durable than regular paint.
Check out the video tutorial too!
How to Repaint a Porch with Rollable Stone Coating
About a month ago, I repainted our front porch to get rid of its sad-and-boring-stained-basic-concrete-slab look.
That was a test project since it was such a small area, and I LOVED the results so much (not to mention how easy the application was), I decided to do the same thing to our (much larger) back porch.
So, here’s the full tutorial for our back porch redo!
Supplies
Here’s what I used to transform our back porch over a long weekend (I took advantage of a string of surprisingly cool and rain-free Alabama summer days):
- CLEANING/PREP
- PAINTING
- RollerRock (I used roughly four gallons of the Pebblestone color)
- Textured stone paint roller
- Paint roller tray (with a sheet of aluminum foil over top for easy cleanup)
- Paint brush (for the edges)
- Rolling seat (Save those knees and back!)
- SEALING
- Sealer
- Regular paint roller
- Paint roller tray
- Paint brush (for the edges)
- Rolling seat
The Sad, Ugly BEFORE
So here’s how our back porch looked before this little makeover. It wasn’t in terrible shape by any means, but it could certainly be improved.
The thing that I hated the most about this area of our home ever since we moved in was the color.
The previous owners had, for some reason, chosen a paint that was a pale bluish gray.
It was industrial looking and cold and just all around SAD.
Plus, its biggest fault was that it just didn’t go with the rest of our home’s exterior of red brick, cream trim, and brown porch railings.
The color wasn’t the only negative, either.
It was very slippery when it rained or after I water our hanging baskets (or when my two-year-old spills his container of bubbles all over…), so the safety of it was a little bit of an issue as well.
Also, there were stains scattered around (especially from rust dripping off the railings before I repainted them), scuffs and paint chipping away in places, and a large crack running through the middle (that looks like there had been attempts to repair but they only made it more noticeable).
All in all, the porch was in need of a simple little makeover that some paint (that’s not really paint…keep reading) and a long weekend could easily take care of.
Cleaning the Porch
The first step in this project was cleaning the porch (my least favorite task).
After hauling everything down onto the patio (SO. MANY. TOYS.), I first swept the whole area then gave it a nice bath with our pressure washer until it was as squeaky clean as it was gonna get, then let it dry for a few hours.
Let’s Get Painting!
Now it was time to paint!
Here are the supplies that I used for this step:
The paint is called RollerRock and it’s actually NOT a paint. I know what you’re thinking: “Say whaaaat, Christine?!? How did you paint if it wasn’t paint??”
According to their website:
RollerRock is the easy roll-on concrete coating that adds the beauty and durability of stone to almost any existing surface. It is a high performance concrete coating made of STONE. Paint is only a super-thin layer of color in a bonding resin that sticks to your concrete for a short time until it is scrubbed off under foot traffic or tires — or quickly scoured away by seasonal climate extremes. In contrast, the STONE that makes up RollerRock is a time-tested shield that comes to you direct from nature!
All that sounded good to me, and I especially liked the fact that NO PRIMER is required.
So after watching all their instructional videos and checking out online reviews, I decided to give this RollerRock a try on our front porch first, and since it turned out so awesome, I went back for more for our back porch redo.
Oh, and just to make things clear, I am NOT affiliated with Daich or RollerRock in any way. I just found their products on my own and really love their results!
And here’s another little FYI: that rolling seat is AMAZING!
It definitely saved my back and knees while doing all the taping and painting by hand (spoken like a true mid-thirty-something…).
After covering the bases of the railings and columns with some strips of painter’s tape…
…I first started painting the edges of the porch by hand.
Now, the instructional videos provided by Daich say to apply the paint with brush strokes. I did this method on my front porch, but the results weren’t very good.
Brush strokes just smeared the paint around and left a thin layer without a lot of the textured bits, so it didn’t blend in with the center paint that was rolled on using the textured stone roller.
I ended up having to do the second coat by dabbing the paint on instead of brushing it, and it worked MUCH better with providing the texture and blended in perfectly with the rest.
So, for this back porch project, I skipped the strokes and just went straight for the dabs (no dance moves necessary).
Once I had made my way all the way around the edge of the porch, it was time to roll on the first coat using a textured stone paint roller.
This coat went on a little thin since the porch had already been painted and sealed, but still, WOW!
What a transformation already. The first coat is always so magical…
I let that first coat dry overnight then followed the same steps and applied the second coat of paint the next morning.
Later that evening, after the paint was completely dried, I went back over some spots using the brush for a little touching up.
This was just to make sure the texture was even across the entire porch…because clumping would be bad.
Time to Seal
The next morning, once the direct sunlight had moved off the porch, I applied the first coat of sealer.
Here are the supplies I used for this step:
Same method here: edges by hand, the rest using a roller (just a regular paint roller this time though).
As you can see, the sealer has a consistency and look of skim milk, but it dries crystal clear with a slight sheen.
Our Finished Repainted Back Porch!
And here’s how our back porch looks after its weekend makeover!
Pictures don’t even do it justice, folks.
The color is just perfect and blends in so well with the rest of our house.
And look at all of this amazing TEXTURE! Ya can’t get that with regular paint.
Now there won’t be slipping here anymore (unless you’re a toddler who likes to wear his shoes on the wrong feet and got the clumsy gene from his momma).
If you’ve got a pool deck or steps you’re thinking about painting, this RollerRock would definitely be a good option to look into.
Our porch looks AND functions so much better now.
All in all, this was a pretty simple DIY home improvement project that I am very happy to have finally crossed off my list!
Before-And-After
I just love a good before-and-after, so here are some pictures showing the amazing transformation of our back porch.
Bye-bye scuffs and paint chips!
So long stains!
The crack is still there (whomp), but it’s definitely less noticeable now.
If You Enjoyed This…
Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for all of my other DIY projects, crafty creations, freebies, and more, like these home improvement ideas!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
karin anderson
Friday 29th of July 2022
Can you walk on it barefoot? Looks pretty rough
Christine
Sunday 25th of September 2022
You sure can! It's often used around swimming pools and on outdoor steps thanks to its non-slip properties, but it's definitely still walkable. Doesn't hurt one bit. We all love it.
Paige Mayer
Thursday 21st of April 2022
Is this something you could do in the basement on concrete floors?
Christine
Wednesday 4th of May 2022
Yes, I wouldn't see why not!
Tara Petrus
Sunday 9th of May 2021
Is it holding up well to daily use?
JULIE
Thursday 22nd of September 2022
@Christine, how about now? How's it holding up, any coming off or peeling?
Christine
Monday 10th of May 2021
Hi Tara! Yep, it looks just as good as the day I sealed it! We're so happy with this project. :)
Linley
Wednesday 17th of June 2020
Can you add color to the Roller Rock? I’ve been wanting to repaint our front porch but a dark grey
Christine
Wednesday 17th of June 2020
Hi Linley! It comes in a bunch of different shades, including some grays. I'm not sure if you can create a custom color though with a specific shade. I'd reach out to Daich Coatings to see for sure. Here's where you can see the available shades: https://daichcoatings.com/shop/rollerrock/ Best of luck!
Krissy
Sunday 25th of August 2019
With the texture, is it rough on bare feet? I never wear shoes around the house in warmer months and I love this idea for the porch!
Christine
Monday 26th of August 2019
Oh Krissy, it's just fine on bare feet! Prior to putting on the two coats of sealer, it does feel a little too spiky to walk on without shoes for long, but once the sealer is on and dry, it's perfect. This is used by a lot of folks for pool decks since it's anti-slip, and bare feet approval is a must. My kids are always in the backyard and my two-year-old HATES wearing shoes, and he's never complained about the porch redo (and now he doesn't bust his butt anymore!). :)