What to paint outdoor concrete with depends on whether people walk on it. Vertical concrete, such as fences, plinths and posts, is painted with RUBBER FARBA or UNIVERSAL FASAD facade paints. For concrete under feet and wheels, the only POLIFARB option is AKRYLBET concrete floor paint, and its data sheet does not specifically mention outdoor steps or paths.
Horizontal and vertical are different jobs
Steps, paths and pads are worn by soles and wheels, and water and snow sit on them. Fences and plinths do not take that load but need weather resistance and vapour permeability. So facade paint does not go on steps: the data sheet of RUBBER FARBA rubber paint does not recommend it for floors and thresholds, and UNIVERSAL FASAD facade paint does not list floors among its substrates.
Steps, paths, pads: AKRYLBET
AKRYLBET concrete floor paint is a solvent-borne acrylic-resin paint containing quartz sand. What its data sheet states:
- substrates: concrete, cement, fibre cement, brick and reinforced concrete subject to heavy mechanical wear;
- use: concrete floors in production, storage and retail premises, garages, car parks, reinforced-concrete industrial structures;
- quartz sand in the formula prevents abrasion and slipping;
- the coating withstands impacts and mechanical loads and resists water, salts, detergents, disinfectants and lubricants.
What the data sheet does not include: a split between indoor and outdoor use, any mention of outdoor steps or paths, or frost-resistance data. So on outdoor steps, start with a test patch and paint the whole area once you are happy with the result.
How to apply AKRYLBET
- New concrete is painted no sooner than 3–4 weeks. Substrate moisture must not exceed 4%, so work only in dry weather after several dry days.
- The substrate must be sound, level, dry, clean and crack-free. Grind screeds and remove all dust.
- Degrease oil stains with solvent; cut out deeply soaked areas and patch them with repair mortar.
- For the first painting of concrete, the data sheet allows priming with the paint itself thinned 20% with solvent naphtha.
- Apply two undiluted coats of AKRYLBET by roller or brush, 1.5 hours apart.
- Work at +5 to +30 °C and air humidity up to 60%.
The coating can be used after 72 hours. Consumption per coat is 120–160 g/m² on new surfaces and 180–250 g/m² on old ones. The paint is solvent-borne and flammable; tools are cleaned with solvent naphtha. Painting concrete floors in garages and warehouses is covered in concrete floor paint.
Fences, plinths, posts: RUBBER FARBA or UNIVERSAL FASAD
Parameter | RUBBER FARBA | UNIVERSAL FASAD |
|---|---|---|
Type | acrylic rubber paint, elastic | acrylic facade and interior paint |
Concrete in data sheet | concrete, foam and aerated concrete; plinths, fences, posts | concrete, brick, stone, render; facades |
Wet-scrub class | 1 | 2 |
Hiding power | class 2 | class 1 |
Vapour permeability | high, V1 | medium, V2 |
Water permeability | low, W3 | low, W3 |
Coats | 2–3 | 2, 2 hours between coats |
Consumption per coat | 100–200 g/m² | 160–190 g/m², absorbent substrates 180–220 g/m² |
Temperature | air +10…+30 °C | +5…+30 °C |
New concrete | after 3–4 weeks | after a month |
Colour | 8 ready RAL colours plus a base | white plus a tinting base |
RUBBER FARBA is handy when a plinth or fence should match the roof: the colours come ready, no tinting needed. UNIVERSAL FASAD gives a smooth matt finish with class 1 hiding power and is tinted to the shade you want. Both go on by roller, brush or spray. Both are collected on the plinth and foundation paints page.
Small concrete elements next to metal and wood, such as fence posts with steel rails, can be painted with one product: the 7-in-1 acrylic primer-enamel for wood, metal and concrete is stated for all three substrates. It is not stated for steps or paths.
Preparing vertical concrete
- Let new concrete cure: 3–4 weeks for RUBBER FARBA, a month for UNIVERSAL FASAD.
- Clean off brittle deposits, dust, fungus and mould. Remove flaking coatings.
- Fill cracks and defects.
- Prime with PROFI GRUNT deep-penetrating primer, GRUNT EKO or GRUNT CONCENTRATE 1:4. Paint once the primer is fully dry. Work out the primer quantity in the primer consumption calculator.
UNIVERSAL FASAD is incompatible with sand-cement renders whose alkalinity exceeds pH 10 at the time of application, so fresh mortar must cure first. The painted surface can be washed no sooner than 7 days. The step-by-step facade technique is in how to paint a house facade.
How much paint you need
A 30 m² concrete fence in two coats of UNIVERSAL FASAD takes 9.6–13.2 kg. A 20 m² path of new concrete takes 4.8–6.4 kg of AKRYLBET in two coats. Work out your own figures in the paint consumption calculator.
Common mistakes
- Painting steps and paths with facade paint. Rubber paint is not recommended for floors and thresholds.
- Painting fresh concrete before 3–4 weeks have passed.
- Applying AKRYLBET to damp concrete: the limit is 4%.
- Thinning AKRYLBET between coats. The 20% solvent dilution is only for the priming coat on first painting.
- Applying RUBBER FARBA below +10 °C air temperature.
What to buy
For fences, plinths and posts: RUBBER FARBA or UNIVERSAL FASAD over PROFI GRUNT. For concrete underfoot: AKRYLBET, starting with a test patch. More on rubber paint is in what rubber paint is, and on the universal facade paint in UNIVERSAL FASAD universal facade paint.
FAQ
What should I paint outdoor concrete steps with?
Of POLIFARB paints, only AKRYLBET with quartz sand is designed for horizontal concrete under load. Its data sheet does not name outdoor steps specifically, so start with a test patch.
Can rubber paint be used on a concrete path?
No. The RUBBER FARBA data sheet does not recommend it for floors and thresholds. Rubber paint goes on vertical concrete: fences, plinths, posts.
How soon can new concrete be painted?
Under RUBBER FARBA and AKRYLBET, after 3–4 weeks; under UNIVERSAL FASAD, after a month. For AKRYLBET the concrete moisture must not exceed 4%.
Which paint should I use on a concrete fence?
RUBBER FARBA if you want a ready RAL colour and wet-scrub class 1; UNIVERSAL FASAD if you want a smooth tinted matt finish. Prime either with PROFI GRUNT, GRUNT EKO or GRUNT CONCENTRATE 1:4.
