Should You Paint Concrete Basement Walls
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Use an eggshell or satin latex paint on concrete walls that aren t exposed to much duress.
Should you paint concrete basement walls. When it begins to show some signs of wear often the best choice will be to replace it altogether. Ordinary latex paint is well suited for interior concrete walls. It will help prevent the diffusion of water into your basement. Shield your concrete surfaces from water damage.
These products are typically oil or latex based and they often claim to stop moisture penetration and to actually waterproof the basement. Waterproof paints claim to withstand 8 12 pounds of pressure per square inch. While community building rules differ in general you will not need a permit just to seal or paint the concrete basement walls. Expect to spend about an hour preparing and painting a 6x8 foot wall not counting drying time required for repairs.
Do pull a permit before making major changes. For concrete walls within weight rooms work rooms and kids play rooms choose a semi gloss latex paint that will resist stains. Before you begin make sure you know how to brush walls key cracks and apply liquid waterproofing agents. Painting your concrete basement walls not only helps protect your basement against mold water bacteria and mildew but also adds to the look of your basement especially if you use it as a work or rec room.
If you re going to. Once you ve ensured that your basement is water tight it s time to paint. Proper painting of these walls requires the removal of any water and mildew before beginning as well as patching the walls to prevent to growth of mold. If you or a previous owner painted the basement walls you ll have to remove the paint before applying sealer which only adheres well.
Your basement wall is probably concrete and since concrete paint will only stick to a porous surface you ll want to remove the prior layer of paint if you have one. If the home is old consider running a lead test before beginning removal and have a professional handle the task if the lead test is positive. This is the primary benefit of waterproof paint. Don t apply sealer over painted walls or efflorescence.
If your basement is concrete like mine it s very porous and even if all of your ducks are in a row as far as drainage you can still see quite a bit of minor seepage during heavy rains without it.