Front Porch Refresh for Under $100
If your front door blends in with the rest of your home, or even worse—stands out like a sore thumb—this weekend project is for you. I gave my front porch a major facelift for under a hundred bucks!
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This project started with wanting to give our front door a fresh coat of paint, but resulted in an entire porch refresh—and it only took a weekend!
How did this project escalate so quickly, you may be asking? When I was applying paint color samples to the door (without a drop cloth, of course), I spilled an entire pint of black paint on our cement porch. Although I had plans to make improvements to the porch in the future, the project quickly jumped to the top of my to-do list.
Materials Used:
- Benjamin Moore Exterior Paint
- Foam Roller
- Paintbrush
- Concrete Prep + Etch
- Benjamin Moore Floor & Patio Paint
- Low Nap Rollers
- Roller Frame + Extender
TOOLS Used:
- Drill or Screwdriver
Cost Breakdown:
| Material | Cost |
|---|---|
| Benjamin Moore Exterior Paint (quart) | $29.99 |
| Wooster Paintbrush | $6.37 |
| Foam Rollers | $7.59 |
| Paint Roller Tray + Liners | $10.38 |
| Concrete Prep & Etch | $15.99 |
| Benjamin Moore Floor & Patio Paint (quart) | $15.99 |
| Low-Nap Rollers | $7.99 |
| Roller Frame | $4.99 |
| Total Cost | $99.29 |
The Before
After purchasing our home in 2013, we gave the exterior a fresh coat of paint—everything I guess, except for the front door, which remained stark white. With the exterior a creamy off-white, it was an eye sore. Let’s be honest, I hated it!
I’ve been dreaming of a beautiful new door since we moved back into the house. Although it’s not “new” this simple project gave our door new life.
The Door
STEP ONE
Using an orbital sander, sand the surface of your door, first with 100-150 grit then 180-220 grit sandpaper. Sanding serves several purposes. It removes minor imperfections in the door, but more importantly, removes old paint and creates some texture for the new paint to hold onto.
Clean and wipe down with a tack cloth to remove all residual sanding dust.
STEP TWO
As always, there are a few different options when painting. If you have a paint sprayer and a space to spray a large door, that will provide the smoothest application. I applied paint with the door still on its hinges, so I used a brush and foam roller.
I used a Benjamin Moore Exterior Paint for this project to ensure it could stand up to the temperature changes and outdoor elements. Although our porch is covered, using an exterior paint will help with the longevity of the door.
STEP THREE
Lightly sand in between coats of paint using 220 grit paper. This helps to remove brush strokes and imperfections. Depending on your door, you may need 2-3 coats of paint. Allow to completely dry before closing or installing the door back on its hinges.
The Porch
STEP ONE
Use a pressure washer to thoroughly clean the cement. It needs to be clean and free from as much dirt and residue as possible. A pressure washer is a great investment. Ours comes with a variety of nozzles to do soft and hard washing, which lends itself to a lot of different applications—from washing your car to deep cleaning your front porch.
STEP TWO
After the concrete has fully dried, I recommend applying a concrete prep—I used Klean Strip Concrete & Metal Prep, which etches the concrete to allow paint (or concrete stains) to penetrate and adhere.
Follow the directions on the packaging, as it will need to be diluted in water. The directions recommended using a watering can, but we had a handheld sprayer that worked just as well. After about 10 minutes, I used a hose and push broom to rinse off any remaining residue. I allowed the porch to dry out overnight.
STEP THREE
After the concrete has fully dried, you can begin painting—I started first thing in the morning to get a few coats on throughout the day. Just as if you were painting a wall, use a roller for the majority of your square footage and cut in the edges using a brush.
Because concrete is pretty smooth, you need a roller with low nap. I used these microfiber rollers, as recommended to me by the paint guy at Ace. If you haven’t already, invest in a pole or roller frame extender for both indoor and outdoor projects!
After completing this project, I decorated for fall, which looked so much better with the pop of color on the door and the fresh paint on the porch. What is your favorite front door color? Share in the comments below!
