Painting basement walls and floor

[Bob]

I own an older(90+ years) home with a basement(completely unfinished concrete floor- concrete walls-quite a bit of wooden areas such as interior walls/posts/storage closets/etc)

I am going to paint the floor and walls.

I figured on using a gray color for the floors, but was unsure about the color to use for the concrete walls and wood surfaces.

II have good lighting down there so that's not a problem.

I thought about white or light green for the vertical surfaces. Any pro's and con's on either or any other ideas would be very much appreciated.

I think I am "on track" in terms of type of paint/preparation/etc. but can always use the excellent information I receive on this site.

Again any ideas on preparation,etc would also be appreciated.

Thank you,

Bob

[Joe]

The only decent finish for concrete floors is a two part epoxy. Many good brands out there, take your choice of water based or solvent based, and follow directions to the letter. A neutral light gray or white seems most appropriate for walls. Too much tint on walls makes everything reflect that color which might make some cabinets or other items a peculiar shade.

Joe

[RicodJour]

You could say that about any walls in any part of a home - not sure why it would be more of a concern in a basement.

There's no reason that a basement has to have the typical basement gray color. I don't like white or gray for basement walls, it looks too industrial and/or harsh. Pick an off-white that works with whatever you use for the floor. I just redid a laundry room and went with a sand colored epoxy with the chips in it - hides a multitude of sins. Rustoleum water-based garage floor paint, very easy to apply. The sand color is a lot easier on the eyes than a gray, IMO.

R

[hallerb]

concrete basement floors are best left bare concrete.

once you paint once its a maintence issue forever.slide a washing machine out for repair, paint now has scrape mark.

[Frank]

I painted basement floor of my then new house 35 years ago with a Sears acrylic floor paint. I pre-etched the floor with muriatic acid. Paint is still original and has held up well. Walls were painted white and still look good. I've had to patch a few settlement cracks in the concrete blocks and could finish over with any white paint. Floor does not get heavy use but in previous house I painted garage floor and that was a mistake as cars wore through paint. If your basement gets heavy use I'd probably go for an epoxy type finish.

[RickH]

Use DryLoc and have it tinted to the colors you want.

[aemeijers]

I mostly agree, especially since in a 90 year old house, surface prep will probably require pro tools and chemicals to have any hope of paint sticking. The only reason I would ever paint a basement is to keep dust down, from the concrete trying to return to the powder from whence it came. But rather than the usual gray, I'd probably go with clear for the floor, like they now use in retail space, especially recycled retail space. (Not sure if that is available for DIY application.) White walls are nice in a workshop or playroom- they bounce the light well and keep the space from feeling like a cave. They also make any leaks or mold immediately obvious.

-- aem sends...

[cshenk]

I like the idea of soft bright pastels like lite green or blue. Sand tones also work well. Grey is so bland. I'd do the floor in a brown shade, especially if a living space is somewhat involved. It's not much trouble to recoat every 3-4 years.

[clare]

Not necessarily with today's high durability concrete coatings.

[Phisherman]

I would avoid painting the floor. An epoxy sealer is all you need.