the painted surface

Painting a Concrete Pedestal

If you have a concrete pedestal for the garden or a decorative object, the look can be enhanced with a little paint. Concrete is very porous and accepts paint very well. Use an acrylic exterior grade paint, the flat and eggshell finishes usually work well. For extra durability, first paint bare concrete with acrylic primer. Thinning the paint with plain water will help it soak into the object and make it easier to apply. Avoid putting paint on too heavily to maintain the decorative details. The details can be highlighted by rubbing into them an accent color. Concrete stains in many colors are also available.

This pedestal was painted 8 years ago with two coats of an exterior bonding primer. No finish paint was applied. Although it was exposed to all types of weather, there was very little wear to the paint in that length of time. The use of quality products saves time, money and labor.