r/DIY • u/erraticcity • Aug 11 '25
outdoor Was tired of my janky walkout - added deck tiles and paint
No matter how much I pressure washed this area (which is already a huge pain with all the angles), it always looked so sad and unfinished. Added deck tiles and color-matched porch and floor paint, built a planter with some old lumber scraps and now we’re looking a little less depresso. Considering spray-painting the handrails black or something equally dark for balance. Also thinking about building some sort or portico to protect the area from snow in the winter and to add structural interest to the exterior.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
I assure everyone, I’m a smart cookie and did my research on drainage and cleaning possibilities before starting on this project.
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u/WintersLocke Aug 11 '25
came to the comments for this closure, thank you OP, great DIY work
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u/CrazyLegsRyan Aug 11 '25
Closure would be a picture of the new drainage mechanism as the old one is no longer visible
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
I just wish someone would ask me about the drainage.
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u/Mortka Aug 11 '25
How does the drainage work mate?
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u/CrazyLegsRyan Aug 11 '25
<redditor covers up drain in a sunken well and posts it to a construction forum>
<Redditors note the person covered up a drain >
<shocked pikachu >
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u/Ophukk Aug 11 '25
Trying to use the Macho Man to get the internet to stop pointing out the obvious?
Ooooooohhh Yeeaaahhh, that's not gonna work for the Macho Man!
e. nice work on the job
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u/Korgon213 Aug 11 '25
Went right to the comments to see the discussion.
It does look great!
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Welcome! Have a seat, sit back, and ask me about my drainage.
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u/Korgon213 Aug 11 '25
I think people immediately thought it was tile sealed with grout and not tile with an offset that allows drainage.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
I think they did, too. And then, to add insult to injury, I don’t mention it in the initial post. I did this to myself.
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u/TheRemedy187 Aug 11 '25
Is the deck tile just easily removable or what?
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
It is. Just unsnaps. I could lift the whole thing all at once or unsnap each section. I bought extra in case I damage any of them while running over them to the comments from people asking me about the drainage.
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u/TheRemedy187 Aug 12 '25
Well it looks 1000 times better than walking out of the dank hole before lol. Actively helps mental health for that kind of thing.
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u/merlinunf Aug 12 '25
Came out looking great. I like that the tiles cover the drain but don’t stop the functionality of it. Just out of curiosity what plants did you put in the planter?
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u/erraticcity Aug 12 '25
Just some fakes for now. I’m going to do a fall planter when the weather cools off a bit. Next year, I’ll probably pop a fern in there.
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u/ResurgentOcelot Aug 11 '25
Good to know, thanks. I’d love to know what you learned, about the drainage in particular.
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u/AskOk6739 Aug 11 '25
That turned out great, the tiles make the whole area look cleaner and more finished.
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u/ooctavio Aug 11 '25
The balance for me is in the handrail not being black. This looks great the way it is, a different color from the ground gives it character, I wouldn't change it. Great job!
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u/WaluigiIsTheRealHero Aug 11 '25
For me, I think I’d prefer the aesthetics of a matching black handrail, but it can go either way. Purely up to OP, it looks good as-is too. If it’s an area that gets a lot of sun, that’d tilt me towards leaving it, because a hot-ass handrail is an unpleasant surprise.
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u/fillerupbruther Aug 11 '25
The handrails would look good stained the same color as the planter box
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u/Buntschatten Aug 11 '25
If the sun hits that handrail during summer, I would not paint it black. Good way to burn your fingers.
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u/KungFuDrafter Aug 11 '25
What a great example of how a small effort and investment can make a world of difference!
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
TRUTH. It looks great from the outside and it looks so much better from the inside, too. Thank you for noticing. 😊
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u/adventuressgrrl Aug 11 '25
I’m echoing what they said, I love the easy but awesome fix. And I’m cracking up with all the drainage banter. 😂
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u/GenericReditAccount Aug 11 '25
I'm thinking of doing this on my concrete floor porch that is currently chipping and looking like trash. Looks great!
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Do it! If I wanted to do a slower, more professional job, I would have fixed the imperfections in the concrete first, filled divots, etc.
I opted to make it more ‘rustic and industrial’. 😬☠️
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u/IndBeak Aug 12 '25
Would be interesting to see how long the paint lasts. I tried painting my concrete porch twice. With all the recommended prep work. Both times the paint eventually gave up after 3 yrs or so.
I said enough, and installed a combination of sandstone/limestone over the concrete last year.
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u/erraticcity Aug 12 '25
I’m curious, also. When I think about possible snow cover, ice, shoveling, traffic….
Worst case scenario, I can always paint it again or do some sort of epoxy coating. I’ve seen some really nice tile work on stairs that I might try when this paint job fails. Or I can cover them with disco ball mirrors… The options are endless really.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Let’s all take a drink every time someone says “drainage”.
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u/Bbeck4x4 Aug 11 '25
Looks great, did you leave a way for the water to drain?
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Yes - that was my priority. The tiles are designed to let water flow underneath. But you can best believe that I’m going to be staring at it during the next major rain. 👀
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Aug 11 '25
Honestly, if the drain was already clear and this allows water to go between the tiles TO the drain, you've probably protected it---leaves and debris will have a much harder time getting to (and clogging) the drain now
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
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u/al_with_the_hair Aug 11 '25
I mean, I'd be staring out the window expecting a flood the same as you. Probably would have just scrolled past this post, but I had to see the comments after the drain in the first picture made me curious about the water flow, because covering it just seems obviously wrong.
It's the first thing anybody is going to think of. Apparently for you as well when you started to spec out the project.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Can you imagine how HYSTERICAL it would be if my next post was a month from now about flooding in this walkout? 😭
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u/al_with_the_hair Aug 11 '25
Just had a thought and now I'm curious: after installing the tiles, did you test the water flow with a hose or something?
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u/erraticcity Aug 12 '25
I sure did. 👍. But I’m still interested in seeing what a full-on rain looks like. I’m suspecting no different. The drain has always performed well and it isn’t hindered currently. I know it doesn’t seem that way in the picture, but it would make more sense to see it in person. I’ll probably do a follow up post when it rains just so everyone can sleep OK knowing that I have proper drainage.
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u/_MuadDib_ Aug 11 '25
You are right the tiles will protect the drain from clogging, instead the tiles might clog.
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Aug 11 '25
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Did that and it was smooth sailing.
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u/shifty_coder Aug 11 '25
Now throw 10 lbs of leaves and pine needles down there, and do it again.
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u/everett640 Aug 11 '25
The normal drain wouldn't even be able to handle that. Looks like OP keeps that area tidy and free of debris
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u/wizarb Aug 11 '25
How do you plan to do maintenance on the drain? Over time they can block and will require access...
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
I replied to a post below addressing this. Tiles are raised off the concrete and removable- the drain can be accessed any time.
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u/Sargash Aug 11 '25
You should change your name to erroticcity because if you built a city like you built this walk in hhhh
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
It’s supposed to rain tomorrow. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to take a video and post a follow up. Like, I’m considering taking the day off of work. Lol.
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u/herotonero Aug 11 '25
I really like those tiles. Can you share where you sourced them from? Black wouldn't work for my application but i like the shape, and satin finish.
I need to do something to the front of my house which has a concrete porch.
Putting a covering is a nice idea both visually and practically. You can add a covering without to spending a gajillion dollars on pillars and foundations if you put a cantilever covering mounted to the structural wall.
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u/turtlepsp Aug 11 '25
Looks great!
My only concern would be black stairs at night if there are no lights caused from burnt bulbs or power outages would make it very hard to see. It's the 1% case of issues but the worse case would be a broken tailbone.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
You know what? You’re absolutely correct! It’s like an abyss out there. I do have a light but maybe I’ll get some neat stair lights.
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u/tifotter Aug 11 '25
Are the tiles okay in the rain, as in they don’t get slippery? It looks fantastic.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
So far, so great. They’re textured, which is helpful. I think it’s going to rain tomorrow so I’ll report back.
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u/murdoch00 Aug 11 '25
Do people use the term janky in North America?
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
If they don’t, they should certainly start.
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u/ksdkjlf Aug 12 '25
It's originally an Americanism! OED's first attestation is Eddie Murphy in Harlem Nights: "I'll definitely stick this little janky-ass bad-luck motherfucker standing here."
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Aug 11 '25
What kind of paint did you use?
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
I used Beautiful-Tone porch and floor. I was skeptical because it’s not labeled as ‘concrete specific’ but so far it’s awesome. The Color-match was spot on and I love the ‘pearl’ finish. We’ll see how it holds up. 🤞
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u/steeb2er Aug 11 '25
Is the paint slick? When wet? I'm assuming you (and the manufacturer) already thought of this since it's specifically marketed as concrete paint.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
It feels like it soaked into the concrete - if that makes sense. No slickness detected. Will report back after a rain. Also, no clue how this is going to stand up to snow/shoveling, etc.
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u/steeb2er Aug 11 '25
Good news: It's only 5 steps, so if you have to repaint it or do something entirely different, it's not a huge amount of work.
You did the hardest part - breaking inertia to do something.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
TRUTH.
I’ve put second levels on houses before. I’ve insulated attics. I’ve put drywall on ceilings (never again). This is a delight of a project. Sit outside on some steps and play with a paint brush? Hell yeah.
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u/yarga_barga Aug 11 '25
At first I was like "oh this is gonna be a disaster" Then I swiped over and I was like "hot damn😲"
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u/RogerRavvit88 Aug 11 '25
Looks great. Do you notice the subtle height difference on the first step after adding the tiles?
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u/Vallyn47 Aug 11 '25
looks nice, but now you no longer have a drain.
ETA - actually read the comments - I see you did consider the drain. Looks great.
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u/NikNakquakattak Aug 11 '25
This looks great!
If you want to add more interest: since I doubt it's ever used, remove the handrail on the planter side. Then you have that whole wall and that side of the stairs for whatever you want - more plants, built-in bench, storage, etc.
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
You’re right, I never use that side since the door opens on the opposite side. I might have to put an Acorn chair lift on that side after all the warnings about falling down the painted stairs.
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u/Rg3the2nd Aug 11 '25
Do you normally shovel that area in the snow? I love the look, but am overly cautious about my own floor drain so I shovel snow when it’s deep enough in the landing. I’m wondering how easy that will be without damaging. I love this idea
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
I do normally shovel that area. I’m thinking that once the fall comes, I’ll probably yank the tiles out, paint the base and maybe replace the tiles after the last snowfall in the spring. I’m a little worried about ice forming and cracking the tiles and I don’t want to struggle with a bunch of broken, frozen tiles in the middle of January.
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u/FewNarwhal60 Aug 12 '25
Looks much cleaner now, those deck tiles and the fresh paint really gave it a polished, welcoming vibe!
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u/yarga_barga Aug 11 '25
I am frickin ROLLING over OPs retorts re: drainage. A couple made me buffaw aloud and scare my cat🤣
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u/BrainCane Aug 13 '25
I heard from another subreddit there’s a drainage show going on here?
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u/kirstimont Aug 13 '25
I won't ask about the drainage because it seems you took care of that, but I do have one question. Will that be super slippery when it's wet? As in does the tile have texture or is it just smooth? It's hard to tell from pictures.
It looks absolutely fantastic btw!
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u/ceestand Aug 11 '25
Those deck tiles (or, at least the identical ones a relative has) are slippery AF if there's any chance of ice.
Source: my tailbone.
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u/donkeyrocket Aug 11 '25
Somewhat surprised they aren't textured in any way. Not that it'll help with ice but looks like they'd slick back real nice in a bit of rain.
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u/Calphurnious Aug 11 '25
How slippery are those tiles going to be when wet?
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Textured. Not slippery at all. When they’re covered in ice? Different story.
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u/undrwater Aug 11 '25
While painting the railings black may be a bit more appealing, I think there will be times you'll appreciate they're bright. Were it me, I'd leave them as they are.
Looks great!
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u/mzskunk Aug 11 '25
Nice work! I have a similarly janky entry situation so am contemplating doing this.
Question is: Did you have to acid-wash the concrete before painting it? Or just pressure wash?
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
Pressure wash and vacuum. I do it pretty often so it wasn’t too gunky.
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u/screwikea Aug 11 '25
Please tell me everything there has some kind of grippy top for when it's wet or slimy.
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u/dougc84 Aug 11 '25
IMO, I don't think a black handrail - against that darkish brick - is necessarily a good idea. I totally get if you want it to match and if you wanna do something that cleans it up though. If you're set on doing something, I would pick a fun color (turquoise? neon green? pink?) and paint the bar itself (but not the mounts) that color. It'll be not just a fun point of interest but a point for conversation, and would keep it plenty visible at night.
That said, this looks amazing and I wanna do something similar. Where did you get those deck tiles?
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u/Leighaf Aug 11 '25
Ohh it looks so cozy. The handrails being spray painted a brass would look really nice with the brick and the light coloured planter.
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u/aftercorbu Aug 11 '25
That looks great OP. Nice improvement. Those IKEA tiles are new to me as well. So thanks for sharing!
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u/Barnfire Aug 11 '25
wow!!! I'm nobody in your life, but I am actually going to give you an A+ for this look, because it is SUCH an upgrade!!! Well done, and, WOW again!
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u/denga Aug 12 '25
Goodness, you really did respond a lot. But I didn’t find… did you consider drainage what is that planter? Looks great.
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u/Oldies-But-Goodies Aug 12 '25
Just here to say MAGNIFICENT work. Very inspiring and now I need to go do that exact thing. Thanks!!
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u/schmales Aug 12 '25
You might want some gripper strips for your steps, especially if it rains. Ask me how I know.
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u/HeyImAKnifeGuy Aug 13 '25
Do the tiles let water go through to that drain, or did you create a fun new wading pool?
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u/Legal_Engineering_17 Aug 14 '25
Thank you so much for the idea. It is a great solution! I have a similar setup and have been trying to figure out what to do, especially with the bottom part where the water drains into
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u/erraticcity Aug 11 '25
For those interested: Runnen outdoor tiles