How to Paint a Black Basement Ceiling that Has Been Exposed?
Painting the open basement ceiling black was perhaps the most physically demanding DIY project I’ve ever attempted. Don’t get me wrong, the appearance and the extra income were well worth it, but it was taxing! It took about 10-12 hours to paint our basement ceiling, roughly 1,500 square feet.
Why paint a basement ceiling that is exposed?
You usually drywall the ceiling when you complete a basement before installing the walls. That gives it the appearance of every other room of the house. We decided against it for several reasons:
The height
First and foremost, we have such an old house, so the basement ceiling height is relatively low. Adding drywall would decrease the rock bottom of the ceiling by roughly an inch, which may not seem like much. We have the extra length by leaving the door open, but it also feels even higher due to the vertical movement of the wooden beams (does that make logical sense?).
Accessibility is the second factor to consider
We have access to all sorts of HVAC ducts, electrical, and power in our house because the basement ceiling is open. Having those things readily available, particularly with all the projects we’re working on, has been an enormous help. If something fails or we also want to adjust something in the future, it will be easier than dealing with it if everything else is available.
Aesthetics is the third point to consider
Finally, painting the bare ceiling rather than covering it looks sleek and industrial. And isn’t it as good a cause as any?
How we applied paint to the ceiling?
- It’s best to spray paint an open ceiling, particularly one like ours with so many pipes, wires, and nooks and crannies, to get a nice even finish. I can’t fathom how long it will take with a brush, however with our best paint sprayer, it only taken about 2 hours.
- We chose finest Black paint with a smooth finish, and we got a 5 gallon container because it was such a vast room. They did frictionless pickup and simply placed everything in our trunk—it was really simple.
- It’s nice that we just did one coating on this project because we didn’t think anyone would look closely enough to detect any dripping, so I wasn’t afraid to go a little heavy on it.
- I maintained a roller close and rolled out any particularly obvious drops before they dried.
- Plus, I knew I’d should be doing touchups once the drywall was up and the walls were painted.
- We successfully completed the project even before room had walls (the spray foam insulation you see) or flooring or anything else, which was ideal because it would have been a huge mess otherwise. We simply covered off the frames and open areas in which the light fixtures would be installed.
- If you’re going to paint a ceiling following those stages, you’ll need to do a lot of prep work. This is something I would recommend for your panels and the contractor’s paper for your floors. The amount of paint that got everywhere cannot be overstated.
Read More: What Is A Prebuilt Garage? Its Benefits, Drawbacks, Cost, Types And Everything You Need To Know
How to Paint and Update an Unmasked Basement Ceiling?
Organize the Wires in the Ceiling
While painting the ceiling, tidy and disconnect any old wiring, and use cord staples to secure any current wires to the joists. Once the top is painted, this will help cover the cables.
I effortlessly removed obsolete TV cable & burglar alarm wiring from our basement ceiling. I snipped the old wires with a wire cutter. I pinned any slack wires that wanted to stay to the edge of a joist for the neat appearance.
Add an electrical component (if needed)
Only pull-string lights were used for lighting inside our basement. I hired an electrician to install a few switches to turn on and off the can lights. I had the boxes placed before I started painting the ceiling because I wanted everyone else to be black.
Ceiling Joists in the Basement Should Be Cleaned
There are a few different methods for cleaning dirt and dust off ceiling joists. I discovered that brushing away dust and cobwebs with a broom has been the most effective technique. I also attempted a leaf blower, which would’ve been amazing if I hadn’t been so ill-prepared and our basement hadn’t been so cluttered with our belongings. Put on specific goggles, and then go to the company with the blower if your underground is vacant. Finally, I used our store vac to clear heavier debris off the wall’s support beams and ledges.
Paint Protection for the Walls and Floor
Beginning with the ceiling if you intend to color the basement floors and walls. Despite knowing this guideline, I became impatient and opted to paint the walls first before sprinkling the ceiling. I spent an entire day taping plastic to the walls since I followed the directions incorrectly, only to have it blown away as quickly as I switched on the paints sprayer! Next time, I’ll take my advice and wait until the ceiling is finished before painting the walls.
