How do I prep and paint old concrete without power tools?

[Unionville]

Here are my front steps.  I want to clean off the old paint and put on new.  I really don't want to deal with power tool hassle (borrow, rent, earplugs) and I enjoy doing things by hand while I listen to podcasts.  What would the steps be to do this by hand?  Do I need to use some kind of chemical remover?  Also, can I use regular house primer as the base coat?  Or does cement require a different primer?  I already have that concrete paint.  I'm not a perfectionist.  These steps have been this way for 15 years.

[bobechs]

1. Swab it down with muriatic acid.  Don't use your favorite heirloom mop for this; you wont like it when you are finished.  This will knock off (almost all) the paint and etch the concrete.

2. Wash it well with a spray hose.

3. Let dry for a few days.  If it rains, that is not the same thing as letting it dry.

4.  Paint with oil-base floor and porch enamel in a color you like.  As many coats as you wish.

5.  Don't step on the paint until dry, which will be more days than it took for the water to dry.

[Unionville]

1. Swab it down with muriatic acid.  Don't use your favorite heirloom mop for this; you wont like it when you are finished.  This will knock off (almost all) the paint and etch the concrete.

2. Wash it well with a spray hose.

3. Let dry for a few days.  If it rains, that is not the same thing as letting it dry.

4.  Paint with oil-base floor and porch enamel in a color you like.  As many coats as you wish.

5.  Don't step on the paint until dry, which will be more days than it took for the water to dry.

That is incredibly helpful!  I've watched so many youtube videos that are more confusing than helpful.  Your explanation is so clear and straightforward. Thanks!

[Unionville]

Oh!  One more question:  Do I need primer before I paint?  Can I just use regular indoor/outdoor house primer?

[bobechs]

If you do prime don't use regular house paint primer.

Most of the paint that has ever been applied to concrete was without benefit of primer and I personally don't regard primer as vital to a decent porch and stoop paint job in typical conditions

There are specialized concrete primers sold and if you are going to go to the trouble of priming those are the ones to use.

Beware wandering into a maximalist blizzard of rather expensive products; pre-cleaners, cleaners, post-cleaners, pre-sealers , sealers, fiillers, smoothers, primers, base coats, finish coats, post-sealers, waxes, shiners, de-glossers, re-glossers and on and on.  It's just a porch.

[Lulee]

One possible addition to bobechs' excellent set of instructions.  If you live where you get snow and freezing rain (and I understand Outer Space can be quite cold😉), consider adding a thin layer of fine sand to the paint on the treads.  It offers a little bit more grip on icy mornings.

[Jack]

Slightly hijacking the thread; sorry.

In general (as opposed to Meteor's specific case), how concerned should one be about lead in exterior painted concrete? If the answer is "a lot," how should it be handled? I ask because I have a concrete block foundation that's been painted several times since the 1940s, and probably need to either paint it again or (in the ideal yet antimustachian case) apply a stone veneer.

[Unionville]

One possible addition to bobechs' excellent set of instructions.  If you live where you get snow and freezing rain (and I understand Outer Space can be quite cold😉), consider adding a thin layer of fine sand to the paint on the treads.  It offers a little bit more grip on icy mornings.

I don't live in a cold climate (ha ha not outer space) but it's interesting that you say add sand  -- perhaps good anyway if it rains.  Can you really just add sand to paint?  I like that idea.

[Unionville]

Slightly hijacking the thread; sorry.

In general (as opposed to Meteor's specific case), how concerned should one be about lead in exterior painted concrete? If the answer is "a lot," how should it be handled? I ask because I have a concrete block foundation that's been painted several times since the 1940s, and probably need to either paint it again or (in the ideal yet antimustachian case) apply a stone veneer.

Our county health office gave us a big bucket of supplies for free because our house was so old it was at risk for lead paint.  They had a whole bunch of instructions that were very doable.  My memory is to sand down paint with a wet sponge sander and wear a mask.  You might check with your local city or county to see what their recommendations are.

[Lulee]

The one time long ago that I repaired and repainted steps, I found some fine sand down cellar (it was an old house with a dirt floor in the cellar I was renting) and sprinkled it over the freshly painted treads.  Made sure it was compromised of just fine grains without any organics, it was dry, and put it in a paper cup to make it easier to create a thin, pretty even layer.  I lucked out and had something similar to beach sand down there.  If snagging it from outdoors, see if you can find some from an area where there won't be any chemicals in it (we'd likely have salt if gathering sand from the roadside in the Spring).  My roommate and I only lived there another year but it did seem to help the steps not be so slick.