I get so many questions about my stencilled patio that I did last April so I thought I’d write a follow up blog post showing you how my patio looked after a dark, wet and gloomy winter as well as answering any questions I frequently get asked.
If you haven’t read my “How to stencil your path or patio‘ post then please do check it out.
My Patio last year
I’ll be honest, I turned a blind eye to our garden and patio over winter. It kind of felt like I would be fighting a losing battle to try and do anything about the effects of the weather at the time but this is actually something I regret now. Our lawn took a bit of a battering from all the fallen leaves and the patio was covered in algae when I came to clean it last month. This year I will be more attentive.
As mentioned above, my beautiful stencilled patio and pathway were both covered in algae, so removing that was my first challenge.
Rule number one when it comes to cleaning a stencilled patio is that you CANNOT use a jet wash, not on a powerful setting anyway. I learned this the hard way and soon discovered that the paint came off, so swiftly discarded that option.
To get my patio clean again I used a hose, brush, a few different cleaning products and a fair amount of elbow grease. The algae soon came away, leaving most of the paint in tact.
These slabs had the worst wear and tear
I did get some messages recommending products after I shared instagram stories of the cleaning process. A product called Patio Magic was suggested by quite a few people so I’m definitely going to keep that in mind for next year.
My patio is made up of a few different types of paving slabs as I managed to source some second hand but one thing I have noticed is that the paint has adhered better to the new smoother slabs than the more porous and textured old ones.
One of the brand new patio slabs
The pathway nearest our back door has taken the brunt of wear and tear so I’ll need to re-stencil those slabs which doesn’t concern me at all. One thing I must stress about anyone considering painting or stencilling their patio is that it is NOT a permanent solution and WILL require annual maintenance to keep it looking fresh. If you’re prepared to put the work and time in, then I promise it is 100% worth it because it looks so effective.
Before I stencilled my patio, I couldn’t find any information on what to use or a process to follow as it seemed painting patio slabs wasn’t a thing, so I had to use my initiative, which was to use masonry paint. Since then, I’ve noticed a few people have used Dulux Weathershield paint which seems to be withholding the weather and footfall really well.
This week I’ve spent a few hours re-painting and stencilling some of the slabs affected by the weather. There were 3 in particular that were badly worn and some of the black paint had faded on others so I gave that a touch up too.
Stencil is from Dizzy Duck Designs.
One thing I get asked a lot about is the sealant. Patio seal is the closest thing I could find to offer some kind of protection but please don’t assume it’s like a lacquer because it’s not. It’s a very thin substance but it does make it easier to clean up spills and bird poo etc and does offer a resistance to water meaning the concrete won’t absorb as much. It’s definitely worth applying a few coats.
This is how my patio looks this year after a few repairs….
So to summarise, yes, stencilling your patio is physically challenging but it looks absolutely beautiful! So if you’re dedicated and don’t mind a few hours annual maintenance then I say absolutely go for it because I would do it again tomorrow in a heartbeat!
Until next time,
Hayley
