About 30% of new single-family homes have basements. These extra rooms make great places to store items, as an extra bedroom or to have a cool area to hang out. Many people have preconceived thoughts (with many being negative) about basements thanks to movies and TV shows, especially since they are dark. But we want you to feel comfortable in this part of your home, especially if darkness is your number one issue. That is why we created this guide on how to paint your basement.
Use Rich Colors
Do not let dark basements scare you. Instead, use rich colors to give it some life. Reds, blues, whites, greens and yellows are perfect for this type of room. Choose whatever color you believe will add richness but also give you comfort while you are down there. And once you paint the walls to the color of your choice, you can then decorate and add more personalization.
Choose Complementary Colors
If you decide to go with multiple paint colors in your basement, you will want to keep it to complementary colors. Complementary colors are two colors on the opposite sides of the color wheel that help cancel each other out. These colors can blend in together, brighten each other or create a neutral look for the room. Right now, a trending color combination that homeowners cannot get enough of is grey and yellow. In fact, these two shades are the Pantone Color of the Year. However, you can also consult a home service company to find the right color combination for your basement.
Use Masonry or Concrete Paint
Many basements walls consist of brick or concrete. Unfortunately, normal interior and exterior paint will not work for these walls. Instead, the paint will crack and chip if you use those types. Masonry paint will actually contract and expand with the concrete, which means it will not crack or chip and will last a long time. This type of paint is thicker than interior or exterior paint. You may need to purchase new paint supplies, especially if you plan on spraying the walls. Before buying the paint, make sure to talk with the paint store staff to discover what will work best for your basement walls.
Have Ample Amounts of Lighting
Basements, in general, are darker than most other rooms in your home. You most likely do not have a window to let in natural lighting. Instead, you may just have a ceiling light. But as most of us know, a ceiling light does not evenly light up the entire room. Therefore, while you are painting, you may have splotches or uneven amounts of paint if you do not have enough lighting. So before you start painting away, make sure to plug in additional light sources. The more light you have, the easier time you will have in evening out the paint.
Use a Primer
Just like your other interior walls, you will need to use a primer. Since many basements have concrete walls, you are going to want to fill in all the holes or spots that this concrete may have. When priming your concrete basement walls, you will need to concrete primer. It is the only primer that will fill in these holes. Once you do this, you will have an even surface to paint on.
Painting your basement walls does not have to be a hassle. Instead, let us help! At Valor Home Services, we have a team of skilled painters ready to take on any job even basements. Call us today for more information.
