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

On Nov 7, 10:23*am, "Bob" wrote:
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

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

On Nov 7, 1:51*pm, Joe wrote:

Too much tint on walls makes
everything reflect that color which might make some cabinets or other
items a peculiar shade.

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

On Nov 7, 2:54�pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Nov 7, 1:51�pm, Joe wrote:



Too much tint on walls makes
everything reflect that color which might make some cabinets or other
items a peculiar shade.

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

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.

Bob wrote:
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


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.

On Nov 7, 10:23*am, "Bob" wrote:
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

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

wrote:
On Nov 7, 2:54�pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Nov 7, 1:51�pm, Joe wrote:



Too much tint on walls makes
everything reflect that color which might make some cabinets or other
items a peculiar shade.
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

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.

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...

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 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.

On Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Nov 7, 2:54?pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Nov 7, 1:51?pm, Joe wrote:



Too much tint on walls makes
everything reflect that color which might make some cabinets or other
items a peculiar shade.

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

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.

Not necessarily with today's high durability concrete coatings.

On Sat, 7 Nov 2009 08:23:32 -0800, "Bob"
wrote:

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



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