How to Stencil Concrete Patio Slabs
If you have some old and worn paving slabs in your garden and you want to spruce them up, then this post is for you! I’m going to teach you how to stencil concrete patio slabs…
Here’s a simple solution if you are looking for an easy way of sprucing up your patio without spending a fortune! This post on how to stencil concrete patio slabs will transform your patio from drab to fab!
Earlier this year my partner and I renovated our garden. This included all new fencing, new artificial grass and a revamped sidewalk up the side of our house with stencilled patio slabs. Originally we thought we’d get rid of the old concrete square slabs as they were very grubby and extremely lack-lustre. After a little research though, I decided I wanted to try and repurpose them to save us some money.
How we transformed out patio slabs…
We knew we wanted to replace the patio slabs with artificial grass, and I’ve recently written this blog post on the topic. To do this, it meant ripping out the old paving slabs that was already in the garden. They were old, tatty and very dirty.
Around the side of our house and to the front of the garden was a problem area for us. There are three drain caps connecting to our street that we need to allow access to at all times, however it made the garden look very dull.
Once we had laid the artificial grass, we kept the old patio slabs to spare so we experimented with an idea of laying them on top of the ground to create stepping stones around the side and back of the house.
This idea meant that we could cover the drains, but still have access to them if needed. All we would simply need to do is lift up the slabs.
I knew I wanted to add some pattern to the garden, and decided that stencilling the patio slabs was a great idea for this.
How to stencil concrete patio slabs…
To begin with, I needed to clean the patio tiles and I knew this wasn’t going to be a fun task. Believe me when I say that it’s totally worth it in the end, but it does require some hard graft!
How to clean your patio slabs
If like me you don’t have a pressure washer, then you need to prepare to put some elbow grease in to it. You will need:
- Spray cleaner (I used a Flash kitchen cleaner with bleach)
- A bucket of hot water with washing up liquid in it
- A fair few Scourers
- Sponges
Begin by spraying the patio slab and letting the cleaner soak in. Then, scrub the slab with the hot soapy water. You may need to repeat this twice depending on how dirty your paving slabs are. You can watch my highlights on Instagram on how I completed this step.
Don’t oversee this stage!
It’s so important to ensure your paving slabs are completely cleaned. If they’re not, then the paint may not adhere properly causing it to flake off over time. Invest the time and effort to getting them completely clean.
Once they are clean and dry, it’s time to paint. You will need to use masonry paint for this. Masonry paint is an exterior paint designed for coarse surfaces such as brick & concrete. Rest assured if you use masonry paint then it will stay durable for a very long time.
For the base coat of my patio slabs I used Little Greene masonry paint in ‘Lamp Black’
How to stencil concrete patio slabs…
Now for the fun part, stencilling!
I used the TSUNAGI stencil by Dizzy Duck Designs which was kindly gifted to me. They have hundred of stencil designs to choose from and they can also custom make them to fit your patio slabs perfectly.
For the paint I used Wilko masonry paint in ‘Pebble White’
To stencil your patio slabs, you will need:
- Stencil
- Something weighty to hold it in place (I used small tester pots of paint)
- Small paint roller or stencilling brush
If you have very smooth patio slabs then I suggest you use a roller instead of a brush. I found the roller was a lot quicker and easier to use, and also didn’t cause any bleeding under the stencil. If you are using a brush, use a flat ended stencilling brush and apply the paint in dabbing motions.
DO NOT brush the paint on as you would on a wall, this will make the paint seep under the stencil.
Ensure the stencil is secured by putting something weighty on it to hold it in place.
Slowly roller the paint on. To begin with you may feel a little nervous as you get used to it. After you’ve done it a few times though you will gain confidence and start to get a good rhythm going.
I applied different pressures across my stencil as I wanted it to have a slightly worn look to it. I quite like the rustic look of it being uneven.
If you want your stencil to be opaque, apply two-three coats.
When it comes to the edges/steps on your patio you may need to cut your stencil to size. Make sure you have completed all areas that need the full stencil though, you don’t want to destroy your stencil until you really have to!
As you can see above, I had a stencil of just one of flowers from the 2×2 pattern. So, I completed all four flowers on the bottom step before cutting it in half to fill in the edges.
Once all of my paving slabs were stencilled, all I had to do was fill the gaps with blue slate chippings to complete the look. I also used plastic furniture wedges to level the patio slabs so that they didn’t wobble when walking on them.
Here’s links to what I bought.
And voila! A simple solution to give your patio a makeover without having to lay new tiles or pay a tradesman to renovate your garden for you.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
5 Reasons Why Artificial Grass is Perfect For Pets
How to Stencil a Fireplace Hearth
PIN THIS
All content curated by That’s so Gemma.
Stencil was gifted by Dizzy Duck Designs.
Masonry paint was discounted by Little Greene.
