I see perfectly staged photos of white concrete front porches all over the internet. They look incredibly clean and bright. Last spring, I decided to paint my concrete front steps with a heavy-duty white masonry paint. It was the worst exterior decision I have ever made.
It looked absolutely gorgeous for exactly twenty-four hours. Then the mail carrier walked up the steps in wet boots.
White exterior paint acts like a blank canvas for every single piece of dirt, crushed leaf, and muddy footprint. You cannot just sweep it clean. The dirt settles into the microscopic pores of the concrete paint. By the end of the first week, my pristine white steps looked like a neglected public sidewalk. I found myself out there every single morning with a bucket of hot water and a stiff bristle brush, furiously scrubbing my own front porch just so it didn’t look terrible.
I lasted exactly one month before I went back to the hardware store and bought a dark charcoal gray masonry stain. The dark gray hides the dirt completely. I sweep it once a week with a regular broom and walk away. If you live in a house where people actually use the front door, skip the white paint entirely.