Any Advice for Painting Sandstone?

Retrogamer

I bought my first house last year and  on the driveway there were two old and covered in dirty large sandstones.
I cleaned them all fully with a pressure washer, sanded down any bits of mould and moss residue so it was all clean, waited for them to dry fully then painted them with white masonry paint. No primer but 2 coats.

After a couple of weeks, one started to show staining through the paint, causing it to discolour and the other one has no staining, but it looks like the paint has washed off in places.

I'm looking to do them again, but properly this time and a lot of the advice on google is a bit vague. What sealant / primer should i use? What brand? Oil based?
Many thanks for any suggestions or advice. 

stuart45

Generally the advice for painting sandstone is don't paint it. Are they just large pieces of stone in the driveway or piers for a gate?

Retrogamer

stuart45 said:

Generally the advice for painting sandstone is don't paint it. Are they just large pieces of stone in the driveway or piers for a gate?

They're just 2 large stones, used to mark the edge of the driveway. My car has dark tinted windows and reversing in the driveway at night could be tricky, so i painted the large stones white so i can align things much easier.
I'm guessing by your comment, it's a nuisance to try and paint it and have it work out well?

stuart45

The main reason for not painting it is that it can cause damage to the stone in time. This is important when they are the house walls, but if they are just 2 stones in the driveway it does not matter so much. 

twopenny

Try Multisurface paint. It costs a little more but I've done cast iron down pipes, guttering, the garden table and a wrought iron gate among other things.

Certainly the drips have stuck to my pavers. Brushes wash in water and it dries in an hour.

https://!!!!!!.com/pnw6prns

Comes in many colours. Takes a year or two to wear when weathered and hot/cold expansion before needing touching up.

I've painted stone/concrete mix with gold and silver laquer, I think there was a white one. Though this once done would be there forever.

KayBur

I would use any suitable paint sprayer. It is difficult to paint sandstone with a roller because grains of sand crumble. I would recommend choosing some kind of inexpensive paint sprayer. Here you can see the descriptions of what paint sprayers are, and then choose a suitable device according to the required parameters.

Retrogamer

KayBur said:

I would use any suitable paint sprayer. It is difficult to paint sandstone with a roller because grains of sand crumble. I would recommend choosing some kind of inexpensive paint sprayer. Here you can see the descriptions of what paint sprayers are, and then choose a suitable device according to the required parameters.

It's not applying the paint which i'm having problems with, it's the paint itself not working out with the sandstone. I'm looking for tips on any types of primer i can use to apply on the stone to "seal it" before i try painting it again.
Those pain sprays might be inexpensive to you, but they are extremely expensive for me and my income. 

twopenny

The one i recommended doesn't need a primer or undercoat. It comes in a 12pound size.

Retrogamer

twopenny said:

The one i recommended doesn't need a primer or undercoat. It comes in a 12pound size.

The link didn't seem to work for me but before i'd go out and buy more paint i'd need to know someone who's used it on Sandstone before as well. The masonry paint i have is fine on most other stuff, except Sandstone.