How can I strip and repaint a concrete porch?

Question

My porch is concrete and has been painted over several times, the last time by the previous owner using paint that is obviously not appropriate (it's very slick when it rains/snows).

It needs to be stripped and repainted as it's now started bubbling and flaking in places, and the porch has visible cracks that need repairing. The cracks I can (and have started fixing) by partly widening the crack, and filling with a tube-based concrete patch. The one I fixed last year has survived without issue.

So I have three questions:

1. What is the best way to strip it back down to the bare concrete? I've seen the stripper compounds in the home stores and wonder if this is the best method.
2. How can I treat the surface so that anything painted on it doesn't bubble up?
3. When repainting, what specifically should I look for at the home store so it will have a non-slip surface?

I can post pictures, but I don't think they'll show anything more than I've described.

Answer 1

Painting concrete rarely lasts more than three tto five years especially on a floor that has traffic. I would think about acid staining it and sealing it, but that's a different question.

1. The best way I have found to get the paint off is a clean and strip wheel on a grinder.
2. Paint should last three to five years no matter what you do, but you may be able to open up the surface a a bit to accept paint better if you scrub it with some diluted muriatic acid.
3. Shark grip should be added to your paint for a non-slip surface. You can findbit at any of the big box stores. You can add it to concrete sealer also.

Answer 2

For the non-slip part of your question, I would think you could add sand to the paint to get a non-slippery surface, rather than having to use some special product. I have about a half a bag of sand left over from a previous project that you are welcome to use. (Unless I am greatly mistaken, I live down the block from the questioner.)