can I paint barnboard?

Barbmc93

I want to redecorate my basement. I have barnboard on the lower half of all the walls. Can I and what should I use to paint them. I don't want to rip them down. I want to lighten up the basement with light colors.

slickshift

Barn board means different things in different parts of the country

Is it the splintery kind? Very rough hewn, usually grey-ish?

Or the big old boards, sometimes slightly rough, with knots in them? Usually clear pine looking?

Are they finished in any way now?

Barbmc93

Yes they are rough and stained dark in color.

Mike Swearingen

Barb,
We have a lot of c1906 random width, random thickness rough heart pine barnboard kneewalls and boxed beams in our home. They were various shades of brown board and naturally weathered gray (from board-and-batten installation for many years) when we had them built-in in 1978 when we built our home. We stained them all with a light semi-transparent gray stain to blend them all together.
You can restain them a light semi-transparent gray for a more authentic look, even if they're dark.
Personally (although I've seen it), I would never paint barnboard.
Try the stain. It will look great.
Good Luck!
Mike

slickshift

Without seeing them, I can't say for sure
But if they are what I'm picturing, you could paint them

It will be a bit of a project, as the surface will be tough to apply paint to
And you'll have to prime them first, with a white-pigmented shellac
That stuff is stinky, you'll need lots of fresh air and a respirator

For application, possibly a big nap roller, and depending on how rough, an exterior brush may work better than a traditional interior brush
Ask at your local Paint Shop (not a paint department in a big box store) what they've got available