Painting Ceiling Black

brisimmons105

I have an unfinished basement that I am in the process of finishing.
Right now, my ceiling is open, exposing the joists, ventilation ducts, and electrical. Rather than installing ceiling tiles or drywall, I'd like to paint it a matte black like you see at some commercial restaurants or industrial areas.

I had a painter come by and quote me on a specific paint called 'dry fall' that is what is used on the commercial paint jobs, but I believe that is because it is a lot less messy (since the paint dries as it falls, so when it hits the ground you can just sweep it up). He also said that with this paint the ceiling won't need to be primed.

I'd like to do this myself, and I was wondering if anyone knows if I actually need that type of paint?

I really just want the dull, matte, finish that does not require priming. Could I just get something like that at home depot or do I need that 'dry fall' stuff? Cleanup is not a concern of mine.

sdsester

You should seal and prime under any wood or metal (pipes and HVAC vents come to mind) you plan to paint or the stuff is likely to flake on you. If painting black or close to it, you should get a gray primer or tint regular primer with 50 percent black. Obviously even an unfinished basement ceiling needs to be cleaned and prepped.

I do not know the dry fall product but am suspect. Anything drying that fast makes me suspicious. Perhaps I am about to learn something though. I have used different types of industrial sorts of black ceiling paint but cannot remember specific brands. Ask a real paint store. I guess you could try using an exterior solid stain product which would be self-priming. Sherwin Williams Acrylic Woodscapes comes to mind. To get good coverage, plan on two coats for sure.

One thing I will tell you about the matte black ceiling paints I have used is that they really show any scuff marks instantly and have zilch washability.

So not underestimate the amount of light you are about to lose. I painted most ceilings black for art gallery clients but they made up for the light loss with lots of specialized lighting.

The other clue I will pass on is that store mixed blacks do not work so well as factory mixed blacks. A real paint store should be able to order you something and have it within a couple of days.

Finally, black is very unforgiving and stark---just like pure white---if you plan to put anything else next to it. You might consider a dark warm or cool gray before an absolute black. You will get the same effect but your wall color and flooring will look much better.

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ric knows paint

Personally, I like the look of open joists painted black. The reason restaurants and other commercial/industrial facilities use black is because it goes largely un-noticed. In other words, you're eyes aren't drawn to a black painted ceiling, even though it is probably in stark contrast to the wall color and surrounding decor.

That said, I wouldn't use dryfall. Not at least for the reason that all bounce back (overspray) will fall to the surface as a dry powder. It won't. Most dryfalls (oil or latex) are going to require - at least - a 12' drop for the overspray to dry to a harmless dust - and even that (12' drop) is s-o-o-o dependent on amount of overspray, temps, humidity etc.

The reason you might want to use a black latex dryfall is because it's generally...cheap (unfortunately usually only available in 5 gallon containers). Check out the price versus that of a latex wall paint or house paint black - make sure to check against a factory ground black as opposed to a neutral base that's tinted to a black. In your application, a black latex dryfall, an interior latex black wall paint, or an exterior latex black house or fence paint - even a solid color exterior latex black stain, will all work exactly the same. But spray app is going to be your best and fastest means of painting exposed joist, and laying drops and covering everything beneath the joists will be necessary (especially if you're somewhat limited in spray experience).

Now, here's where other peeps are gonna disagree with me concerning prep and application. Should you prime the surface first? Absolutely. If this were my project, would I prime the surface first? Nope. The reason is this - All the products I've mentioned will adhere to bare wood. Not as well as they would over a primer, but they will adhere. You're employing this product for strictly aesthetic, not utility purposes. By not using a primer, you will sacrifice a degree a film integrity due to absorption, but you're never going to wash (or scrub) this surface anyway. More than likely, the only cleaning, or maintenance, will be is the occasional sweeping with a broom to remove a cobweb or two...and because this board does not have an exterior exposure, you'll not experience any film fatigue from wild expansion and contraction (causing a loss of adhesion). So, make sure the surface is clean...(remove cobwebs, dust, etc.), and paint away...these products will work fine over galvanized duct work, conduit, romex, water lines (clean & dry), gas lines, vinyl clad electrical cable, coaxial cable, and pretty much anything else that happens to be running through your floor joists.

Finally, when figuring quantities for painting exposed joists, it's probably a good idea to triple the floor space for a reasonable ball park of actual square footage to be painted. Then allow for about 20% waste by spraying due to the odd shapes and angles of surfaces to be painted. Good luck to you - let us know how things turn out.

ToolSeeker

By Golly I learned something new today I had never heard of dry fall paint. Thanks.

Brushjockey

That ric guy- he knows stuff!

Dry fall is what may be used to do ceilings in warehouses, for instance.
Long way to fall, and then they don't have to worry about covering thousands of sq ft of floor.

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jdtox

Great post Ric!

I plan on doing the same thing as the OP. I had planned on using dri fall for that exact reason...price! I do not plan on using a primer either.

My only question is would you paint the ceiling before you drywall or after?

mazzonetv

Two points - first I agree that dry fall ( also called sweep up) coatings are not practical here - that is unless you have at least 12' ceilings in your basement - there are a lot of variables to consider when using dry fall coatings - temperature, humidity, etc all affect how these products work.

Second, here in NYC we are required to Sheetrock basement ceiling with 5/8 Sheetrock for fire code. YOu might want to make sure there are no regulations where you are about leaving those joists exposed. Your insurance company may not like exposed joists as much as you do either =)

Will22

I agree with mazzonetv- Dry fall will not fall dry if there is not sufficient height, in addition to sufficient ventilation. Otherwise, it will be a mess. Dryfall also has to be sprayed with an airless sprayer- it is not rolled or brushed.