EASY STEPS TO STENCIL YOUR PATIO

24 DRAB TO FAB

Plain concrete isn’t the most inspiring floor treatment, but you can easily zhoosh it up with paving paint and a stencilled design, giving you the look of tiles for a fraction of the price. Add an outdoor rug and se ing and your patio is transformed. For a similar mandala pa ern stencil in various sizes, visit mystencillady.com.au.

Gather your supplies

• Concrete crack filler

• Paving paint in grey and white

• Stencil

• Clear paving sealer

You’ll also need Pressure washer; brick trowel; long-handled roller; painter’s tape; stencil brush; paint roller and tray

For you to note

• A non-slip paving paint is a be er base for stencilling than a glossy surface.

• If there is old paint on the concrete, strip it and then do a pressure wash.

Here’s how

STEP 1 Using a pressure washer, give your concrete a thorough clean to remove any grease or dust. Fill any gaps in concrete with crack filler and smooth with a brick trowel.

STEP 2 Apply 2 coats of grey paving paint to the concrete with a longhandled roller, leaving to dry a er each coat.

STEP 3 Line up stencil with a joint in the concrete or another straight line and secure in place with painter's tape. Apply white paint to stencil using a stencil brush. Work from the edges in and use a tapping motion.

STEP 4 Remove stencil while paint is still tacky, reposition and paint next spot. Repeat until area is covered. Where the floor meets walls, tape off edges and fold stencil against wall. STEP 5 Apply 2 coats of paving sealer with a roller, le ing dry a er each coat.

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STEP 3

STEP 5

STEP 2

STEP 4