The Best Floor Paints For Your Porch, Patio and Floors - DIY Painting Tips (2025)

Porch and floor paints are incredibly durable paints that are resistant to dirt, moisture, and other common issues.

Porch and floor paints are able to be applied indoors and outdoors on wood, concrete, and other surfaces.

The Best Floor Paints For Your Porch, Patio and Floors - DIY Painting Tips (1)

What makes them especially unique versus other paints is that they are specifically designed to be walked on. This means they can withstand daily wear and they create a non-slip surface.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall Porch and Floor Paint
Kilz Porch and Patio Floor Paint

Best Primer For Porch, Patio, and Floors
INSL-X STIX Primer

The Best Floor Paints for Porch and Floors

We’ve had the opportunity to use many different types of porch and floor paints for our clients over the years. From basement floors to stairwells, 3-season porch floors, and 4-season porch floors.

Here are our picks for the best floor paints for porches and patios.

Kilz Low Luster Porch and Patio Latex Floor Paint

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The Kilz brand somehow seems to never let you down with the quality of their products and Kilz Proch and Patio keeps up the tradition.

Kilz Porch and Patio is designed to endure foot traffic, furniture, and all forms of weather. It also boasts a mildew-resistant finish that won’t scuff, crack or peel. This means none of that mossy mildew growing on your patio floor.

Kilz Porch and Patio can also be used on interiors if you want an incredibly durable floor paint for your basement or any other room in your home.

Because of its durability, mildew resistance, 1-hour dry time, and great price, Kilz Porch and Patio is our top pick for the best floor paint.

California Paints ALLFLOR Porch, Patio, Floor Paint

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California Paints ALLFLOR Porch and Patio is our second pick for a handful of great reasons.

First, this acrylic enamel is fortified with emulsified epoxy, which provides extreme durability beyond what other floor paints can provide.

ALLFLOR also holds its color as well as being water and blister-resistant. Finally, ALLFLOR offers some of the best adhesion of any porch and floor paint.

Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor Coating Kit

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Rust-Oleum Home Floor Coating is a two part home floor coating designed for tile, vinyl, wood, porcelain, concrete, and other floor surfaces.

The two part system is comprised of a base coat that bonds to your floors and a top coat that adds color and durability.

Rust-Oleum Home is perfect for the home painting DIYer.

INSL-X Tough Shield Floor and Patio Paint

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INSL-X has gone under the radar for years, but these days many people are realizing that this is one of the best paint brands on the market.

Tough Shield is a waterborne acrylic enamel that is designed as a rugged, durable finish that is perfect for porch floors, kitchens, basements, and more.

Behr Porch and Patio Floor Paint

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Behr is one of my absolute favorite paint brands and the one I continually use in my own home due to its quality, warranty, and affordability.

Behr Porch and Patio Floor Paint is a scuff-resistant, weather-resistant, and mildew-resistant floor coating that can be applied over wood, metal, concrete, tile, and other surfaces.

Best Porch and Floor Primers

INSL-X Stix Acrylic Waterborne Bonding Primer

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INSL-X STIX is my absolute favorite primer. This primer has incredible adhesions that allows you to paint over nearly any surface (even glossy tile).

I use Stix for kitchen cabinet painting, priming floors, priming concrete, exterior priming, and anywhere a strong bond is required.

Zinsser Bullseye 123 Primer

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Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 is a fantastic all-purpose primer that has a great reputation with partners and home owners alike.

Bullseye 1-2-3 is perfect for porches and floors as well as any other surfaces in your home that require priming for a great bond.

Other Tools & Materials Needed For Porch and Floor Painting

When painting porches, patios, and other floors, there are a handful of tools and materials that you’ll most likely need. Here our some of our favorites.

What Is Porch and Floor Paint?

Porch and floor paint is a paint that is specifically designed to withstand high-traffic areas such as wood & concrete basement floors, stairs, patio floor, and more.

The paint is designed to be applied on interior or exterior surfaces and not become slippery when wet.

A normal paint applied to these areas will typically wear through, peel off or become slippery when wet.

Good porch and floor paint will even withstand cleaning with harsh chemicals and hard scrubbing from floor cleaners.

Note: While porch and floor paint typically doesn’t have a high VOC content, a respirator is never a bad idea. Check out The Best Paint Respirators to find the right one for you.

It`s possible to find this paint in satin sheen and gloss. Both options are designed to be used on floors, though the gloss version works well on doors, window trim, and more. If you choose the satin version, it has a slight sheen to it, giving you a richer color.

How To Prep Your Floors For Paint

Prepping your floors for paint really depends on the condition of the floor that you plan on painting. Does it have peeling paint, is it greasy, is it dirty, and/or does it need patchwork.

Start by sweeping the floor clean and hand washing it with a rag until there is no residue left on the floor.

If the floor has any greasy residue on it, a tsp solution, vinegar, or even dish soap added to your water will help clean the floor even better.

Next, If you have old concrete paint on the floor that is peeling, you need to scrape as much off as possible, ideally until there is none left.

Finally, If the floor needs any patchwork, now is the time to do this. After patching, give the patch the required time to dry, or your floor paint will end up peeling.

Personally, I don’t think DIYers should acid etch their floors. There are a lot of health risks involved by using muriatic acid on your floors that I don’t believe are worth the risk. Acid etching will allow the paint to adhere better, but I’ve found that floor paint will adhere great if the floor is thoroughly cleaned.

Painting Your Floors With Porch and Floor Paint

The actual painting of your floors is pretty straight forward.

First, start off by prepping the room as necessary. If you need to tape off any trim or walls, do this now. Read this post for help with the best painter’s tape.

I like to start by using a 3″ brush and going around the edges of the area I plan on painting.

Next, I switch to a 9″ roller on a 4′ extension pole. This allows me to roll paint onto the floor without hurting my back if it is a long day.

All porch and floor paints require two coats. Make sure to allow adequate time in between coats.

When completed, make sure to properly clean up all your painting tools. Check out our post on cleaning paint brushes for tips on making your brushes last longer.

Finally, only walk on the floor paint with socks for the first week. No heavy traffic.

Porch and Floor Paint FAQ

How Long Before I Can Walk On The New Floor Paint?

Typically you can walk on newly painted floors after 24 hours. But only with socks, no heavy traffic. You can start using the floors normally after they have had a week to cure.

How Many Coats Of Paint Should I Apply On My Basement Floor?

All porch and floor paints require two coats of paint as suggested by their manufacturers.

Do I Need To Acid Etch My Concrete Basement Floor Before Paitning?

No. Acid etching can help with the adhesion of the paint to your concrete floor, however throughly cleaning your floor is usually sufficient and safer than using muratic acid.

Can I Use Porch and Floor Paint Outside?

Yes. Porch and floor paint can be used on interior or exterior floors.

Is Porch and Floor Paint Slippery?

No. Porch and floor paint is designed to be slip resistant. If extra precaution is needed, add a texture additive to your paint for even more slip resistance.

Conclusion

Porch and floor paint is a great choice when you want to brighten up a laundry room floor, a concrete basement, a wooden stairs, or an exterior patio.

Ryan Cunningham( Professional Painter / Writer for DIY Painting Tips )

I started painting in 2001 and have seen just about everything in my painting career. I started in production and commercial painting, then moved over to new construction and remodeling during the boom of the early 2000s. Post 2010, I niched down into residential painting where I have done everything from exteriors, decks, interiors, furniture and more. Over the last few years, I’ve had a focus on kitchen cabinets.

I started the DIY Painting Tips blog in 2015 to start sharing everything I’ve learned over the years and help all the people who’d rather tackle their painting projects themselves.

You can follow my Youtube Channel where I show you everything that you read about on this site: https://www.youtube.com/@diypainting

You can also hire me directly from DIYPaintingTips.com here: https://diypaintingtips.com/free-painting-quote/

Contact me at: ryan@diypaintingtips.com

The Best Floor Paints For Your Porch, Patio and Floors - DIY Painting Tips (2025)

FAQs

The Best Floor Paints For Your Porch, Patio and Floors - DIY Painting Tips? ›

For floors and stairs, look for paints designated for porch or patio floors. A water-based latex paint is easy to clean, durable, and resists fading.

What paint to use on porch floor? ›

For floors and stairs, look for paints designated for porch or patio floors. A water-based latex paint is easy to clean, durable, and resists fading.

Do you need primer under porch and floor paint? ›

Once your surface is clean, prepped and primed, apply the Porch & Patio Floor Paint. Stir the paint before applying.

What is the best color to paint a concrete porch? ›

If you're looking for a way to make your concrete patio bright and cheerful, consider using white concrete paint. Not only will this give your patio a fresh look, but it will also protect and enhance the appearance of the concrete floor. In addition, white can brighten your space, making it feel more airy and open.

What kind of paint will stick to concrete? ›

Epoxy-based paints provide high durability and stain resistance, making them ideal for garage or patio floors. Masonry paints are designed for brick and other masonry applications, but also provide effective coatings for concrete.

Does porch and floor paint need to be sealed? ›

Lastly, you may want to add a layer of sealant over your porch's paint job, especially for concrete porches. Concrete is porous, meaning moisture can easily enter the material and damage it over time.

What color should my porch floor be? ›

“For a porch floor, stick with traditional colors like a charcoal gray or a blue that complements the color of the house,” says Angél Rodenbeck, a home staging expert with Spyglass Realty in Austin, Texas. Her personal preference is battleship gray.

Do you need to prime before floor paint? ›

Priming the floors is a step you don't want to miss, as it ensures the paint will stick to the surface properly. Choose a primer that is compatible with the type of floor you're decorating. For example, if you're painting tiles, choose a water-based bonding primer. Apply with a paintbrush for best results.

Does Rust Oleum floor paint need primer? ›

Rust-Oleum® Home Floor Coating is an extremely durable, easy to use, revolutionary technology that allows you to coat over a wide variety of substrates inside the home without stripping, sanding or priming.

What happens if you don't prime concrete before painting? ›

Scenario #3: Unpainted stucco and concrete

Bare concrete surfaces and stucco (which is made with concrete) require primer before paint. Some concrete surfaces have a higher pH, which can create adhesion problems, Campbell explained. And other concrete surfaces may have efflorescence, a crystalline residue, on them.

Which color is best for porch? ›

White paint is always in style. It's sophisticated but approachable, quaint, modern, traditional, clean, and rustic. An all-white porch is a perfect backdrop for brightly colored accessories like patterned ceramic pots and painted furniture. White also complements natural elements like wood, brick, or stone.

What is the most popular color of concrete? ›

Earth tones that mimic natural materials are the most popular concrete colors among homeowners. But you can also color concrete blue, orange, green, black or other colors. Plus, many concrete contractors can blend custom colors exactly to your liking.

Can I paint straight on to concrete? ›

Yes, you can paint directly onto concrete, but you will need to do some prep beforehand to get the best results. Spending a little extra time at the start will help to keep your newly painted surface looking fresher for longer.

Why won't my paint stick to the concrete? ›

When paint doesn't stick well to concrete, sometimes it's because moisture is coming up through the concrete from below. To check, tape a piece of relatively thick, clear plastic, such as a three-inch square cut from a reclosable plastic bag, to an area with no paint.

What do you use before painting concrete? ›

How to Prime a Concrete Surface. Apply bonding primer to spot-prime any uncoated concrete surfaces to enhance the adhesion. TIP: Use BEHR PREMIUM® Concrete & Masonry Bonding Primer to improve the adhesion of paints and stains by binding together loose particles.

What is the best paint finish for exterior porch? ›

Eggshell

A soft eggshell exterior paint could be the way to go if you want a low-luster, non-reflective finish for your sun-soaked siding. Eggshell gives you more durability and depth of color than you get with a matte finish.

Is it better to paint or stain a porch floor? ›

Durability. Because paint forms a thicker, more protective film on the surface of the wood, it is generally considered to be more durable than stain. However, stain is known for its ability to preserve the natural beauty of the wood, which makes it a better choice for some types of wood and some aesthetic preferences.

What paint to use on wood porch? ›

Acrylic paint works great on all types of wood decks — from lumber to cedar to redwood — and if you follow the manufacturer's instructions and wait for a couple of days for your deck to dry before you apply the second coat, you shouldn't have any trouble. Clean up is a breeze when using acrylic paint, too.

How do you paint an outdoor patio floor? ›

Painting Your Concrete Patio (Step by Step)
  1. Step 1: Clean the concrete patio. Start by cleaning your patio thoroughly. ...
  2. Step 2: Repair any cracks or imperfections. ...
  3. Step 3: Select your paint. ...
  4. Step 4: Apply a concrete paint primer. ...
  5. Step 5: Time to paint! ...
  6. Step 6: Apply a concrete sealant.
Jul 6, 2023

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