Q&A for How to Paint Your Basement Walls

When dealing with peeling paint, you basically want to scrape it off until it won't come off anymore. Scrape it with a paint scraper. Once you find an area that's not coming off anymore, there's no need to continue scraping. What we'll do next is sand that area, prime it, and make any necessary repairs with drywall compound.

No, you would not have to remove the paint from the walls before applying a fresh coat of paint. I would recommend taking some coarse sandpaper to rough the walls slightly, then wash the walls with an etching solution and spot prime bare areas before painting.

Yes, or you can use a combination paint and primer. I use this all the time, it saves an extra step.

Generally yes, but it depends on what your walls are made out of. If you have cement walls, you can roll them with waterproof masonry paint and a thick-nap roller. Apply paint to the larger surfaces of your wall using vertical back-and-forth strokes. Cover each area 3-4 times with your roller as you paint to fill in the pores. Leave the 3–6 in (7.6–15.2 cm) around the top, bottom, and sides of the walls unpainted to avoid messes accidentally rolling the wrong surface. If you have finished walls, you'll need to sand them first. Use a sand brick with a grit of 40 or 80 and sand the walls in circular strokes. Then, roll the larger sections of your walls with a semi-gloss paint. Work slowly and apply even pressure with your roller to get a beautiful base coat. Allow the paint to dry and then apply a second coat for even coverage.

For the best results, you'll want to strip and sand the walls so your paint goes on smoothly. To strip the walls, grab a wire brush and use back-and-forth strokes to aggressively scrape any old paint off of your wall. For smoother concrete, you can use a paint scraper to strip your walls. You don’t need to completely remove all of the paint, but you do need to remove any paint resting on the surface. Then, grab a sheet of sandpaper or sanding brick with a grit of 40-80 and use firm circular strokes to sand down your walls and cover each area 3-4 times to ensure that you’ve sanded every section of your wall. When you're finished sanding, use a clean cloth to wipe away any dust or residue from the surface.

If you plan to paint your basement, yes, you really should prime it. A primer will help seal the surface of the wall and help your new paint go on smoothly and evenly. Get a can of waterproofing primer and use a flathead screwdriver to pry the top off. Fill a paint tray up to the second hash mark and load a standard-nap roller in the paint tray. Take a paint roller and use smooth up-and-down strokes to cover the larger surfaces of each wall. If you have concrete walls, use a waterproof sealer. Fill your paint tray to the second hash mark with sealer and use a thick-nap roller to cover the larger surfaces of the wall. Roll over each section 2-3 times to ensure that sealant fills in every pore in each area.