Painting the porch

[Suzie-Q]

Will stains bleed through concrete paint? Is there any sort of primer for paining a concrete front porch?

[Capri]

Just use a really good concrete cleaner (Home Depot/Lowes) on the porch before painting. If there are oil stains a primer is a good idea. Actually a primer is always a good idea as it acts as a sealant and makes your paint job last longer and look better.

[apn96970]

Has it been painted before? I ask because my concrete front porch had been painted every year with an OIL-BASED paint, no longer available in California.

Now, in order to prep the surface for the new permitted paint, I have to prime it. It's BM, and I had the primer colored to match the new paint. PITA, but short of transporting paint across state lines what to do?

If never painted before, I'd ask at a good paint store NOT a box store. I betcha they will say yes, prime it. Primer + finish coat will probably hide stains, esp. if you are using a dark color. Get the very best you can afford, esp if you are in a severe weather area where paint takes a beating.

Good luck!