Color Me Home Episode 11: Brighten Your Basement Walls!

On today’s episode, Betsy and Dan discuss a question that comes up at RepcoLite Paints all the time: how do I paint my basement walls? Basement walls often present homeowners with a number of unusual obstacles when it comes time to paint them. In this episode, you’ll discover everything you need to know to confidently brighten up what can often be one of the darkest, dreariest places in your home!

Episode Outline

  • Check for Moisture and Determine the Cause! (2:28)
  • What is Efflorescence? (6:50)
  • Fixing Moisture Issues Inside! (8:27)
  • Fixing Moisture Issues Outside! (12:16)
  • Getting the Walls Ready for Paint (16:17)
    • Dealing With Efflorescence (16:40)
    • Remove Flaking Paint (18:36)
    • Remove Dirt and Grease (19:48)
    • Kill Mold and/or Mildew (21:30)
    • Dry the Walls (22:22)
  • Painting a Bare Wall with No Moisture (23:03)
    • Betsy’s Easy Test for Moisture (23:45)
  • Painting Bare Walls that Have Moisture Issues (26:58)
    • WaterBlock (27:10)
    • Applying WaterBlock (30:24)
  • Painting Previously Painted Walls (33:16)

WaterBlock by Insul-X

As we mentioned in the episode, WaterBlock is a masonry waterproofer that needs to be applied over bare concrete in order to be effective. In the episode, we debated whether or not it was tintable. Turns out, it is! You’ll be limited to lighter colors, but it definitely can be tinted. If you’d like more information, check out the podcast. Or, you can click the button below and download the Technical Data Sheet!

Download WaterBlock Info

Color Me Home Episode 12: The Keys to a Happier Laundry Room
Color Me Home Episode 10: Inexpensive Kitchen Updates