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Paint Plan for Basement (new construction)

9K views 61 replies 6 participants last post by  ToHellWithUGA 
#1 ·
I am slowly finishing up the rest of the drywall in my basement, and have started thinking about my plans for painting. I am currently finishing an office (13.5x10.5 w/ soffits), bedroom (10.5x12 w/ soffits, plus closet), kitchenette (7.5x12 plus landing area), and full bath (~7x8 plus linen closet(s)) - combo home theater / game room will be later - I also have a workshop, but not sure to what degree it will be finished yet.

I have already done: HVAC, electrical rough-in (many circuits already active, as I needed power/lights), and plumbing (new water heater, bath rough-in, kitchen is complete). I have installed all drywall and backerboard around tub. I am about half way complete with finishing the drywall.

I have painted individual rooms in the past, but have never done a paint job as big as this. I have been doing a lot of reading, and have come up with the following plan (copied and modified from a plan I found on another board):

I will be using Olympic One Paint/Primer in one (I know it's not the greatest, but after rebates and coupon it was $15/gallon, and was rated a 'best buy' from a couple places). Also, I have a Ryobi airless sprayer that I plan to use for the first time (RAP200).

After I finish the drywall (may roll a skim coat everywhere, haven't decided):

1. Broom drywall/corners
2. Spray primer - walls and ceiling
3. Sand walls/ceiling
4. Spray first coat of color on walls
- Kitchen and Landing Area - Elegant Evening (Satin)
- Bathroom (walls and ceiling) - Silver Dollar or Camel (Satin)
- Office - Somber Sky (Satin)
- Bedroom and Closets - Silver Dollar or Camel (Satin)
* Do I need to mask the ceiling, or just overspray, sand, and paint later? Some of my colors are pretty dark (especially the kitchen).
5. Spray first coat of ceiling white
- Delicate White (Ceiling/Flat)
* Do I need to mask the walls, or just overspray, sand, and cut in later?
6. Install trim and doors
* Should I prime and paint the doors before installing?
7. Fill trim
8. Prime trim
9. Sand trim and check for imperfections.
10. Spray first finish coat on trim
- Delicate White (Semi-Gloss)
* Do I need to mask the walls, or just overspray, sand/scuff, and cut in later?
11. Scuff and light trim, check for imperfections.
12. Caulk baseboard/trim.
13. Spray finish coat on trim.
14. Finish ceilings
15. Brush/Roll finish coat(s) on walls (probably, although I could spray instead)
- Mask off trim, windows, doors, etc.
- Cut in ceiling by hand

--

Any thoughts / opinions on the plan? I had originally planned to put in trim/doors last, so that I wouldn't have to worry about messing up the trim, and I also thought it would be easier to do the flooring (laminate and tile) before setting the doors and baseboard. But, after reading, it sounds like I should go ahead and install the trim so that I can spray it in place, and then just tape/cut in the walls.

Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
Your method is a little scattered. If this is your first attempt at using an airless, this is a rather complex project to get started on.

I can see that you are trying to avoid masking at the wall/ceiling line. That's not a bad idea, but for a beginner it might not be the best idea. Over spraying either way and having to go back and fix it, perhaps multiple coats, can end up taking longer than just masking.

Here is a possible variation on your method that would be a little simpler.

1. Spray primer all walls,ceilings, trim. You could use a multi purpose primer and do it all the same or spray a wood primer on the trim first then a drywall primer on the walls, over spraying onto both surfaces. As long as your wood primer goes on first it won't matter if the other primer gets on it as long as they are both water base.

2. Sand all surfaces and prep trim.

3. Spray trim all finish coats. Let it dry a couple days and mask off with delicate surface tape.

4. Spray and back roll all coats on walls not worrying about over spraying the ceiling. Let dry a couple days and drape walls with plastic.

5. Sand overspray and spray two finish coats on ceilings.

Remove tape/plastic and your done.

There are lots of different ways to do a new house and this is just one. Your way would work, its just more complicated.
 
#4 ·
Over spraying the ceiling is not ideal. Ceilings can be tricky to mask, but it can be done. Pros often use the shielding method when spraying walls to keep overspray off the ceilings, but that's probably not feasible for a novice. You may find that spraying wall finish is more trouble than its worth.

I actually prefer to spray primer and one finish coat on all the trim before it goes up, with the exception of pre-hung doors. With doors I will brush finish on as much of the trim/casing that is accessible without taking them apart. The goal being to have a finished trim edge going up next to your finished walls (assuming you have also one coat finished walls before trim).

After trim instillation on partially finished walls; caulk and fill all trim, remove doors to be sprayed separately (in the garage or something), then hand paint the final finish coat on all the trim except the baseboard.

Then you cut in and roll the final coat on the walls and do baseboard last.

One trick to help ease the final cutting in to the trim is to use custom color calk for caulking the cracks between trim and walls.

http://www.sashco.com/products/exact-color/

I have used this product mixed in the wall color so you aren't having to cut a perfect line over white caulk.

This is a whole different method than spraying trim in place. I feel its easier, but you don't get a perfect sprayed finish on your trim. Although with the first finish coat sprayed, the final coat goes on smoother than if it was all brushed.
 
#8 ·
I would not recommend the Olympic One paint. I just used it on a job (owner had already bought it) was a little dark over a lite beige and still took 3 coats. It just was not a very good paint. I will not recommend another brand so you won't feel I'm just pushing another brand of paint.
 
#48 ·
Thinning the paint a little might help with the tailing, but that's not the best solution IMO. I would try a new tip first. Tips do wear out fast, I only get 20-40 gallons of ideal fan with the Rac 5's.

It shouldn't matter too much on the walls if your back rolling, but could be a problem doing the doors. You'll need a good even fan to spray them evenly.

You might try a using a 4 or 513 instead of a 15. It's a little easier for smaller machines to break up the paint through a smaller tip. A 13 is going to be easier to use on the doors anyway and would work for walls, just be a little slower.

If you do thin, don't thin much. Maybe 1/2 cup per gallon. Thinning too much can decrease coverage with darker colors.
 
#53 ·
One more thing you might do while spraying the walls is spray a little of the wall paint out into a bucket for touch up. Do this carefully, at low pressure, maybe while your cleaning the pump.

Being forced through the tip changes the paint slightly. It's called tip shear, and can make the sheen of sprayed paint slightly different than paint that hasn't been forced through the tip. So you will get better touch ups by using paint that went through the sprayer also.
 
#57 · (Edited)
Here are a few more photos:

Bathroom:



Kitchenette - I have a tile backsplash under the microwave and above the sink (not pictured, but off to the left) yet to install:



Kitchenette (close up) - I plan to put some trim on the sides to cover up the gap, and build in small wine racks above the cabinets:



I tacked paint stirrers to the top of my doors and painted them under my deck. If there is ever a 'next time', I will try to do this inside, as I picked approximately 1,458 bugs off of the doors as they were drying:



When I moved them inside, I used the paint stirrers to hold each door off of the other:



My workshop became a huge holding area for doors, casing, and baseboard:

 
#59 ·
For the most part, caulk doesn't actually 'change color'. What happens is when it's left unpainted, dirt and grime accumulates on the surface over time giving once white caulk a yellowish tint. Unpainted caulk (apart from some silicones) doesn't have a slick/dense enough film to resist dust particles like paint does, and eventually these dust particles become imbedded in the caulk itself making it appear to change color.

Since the mixed caulks actually have paint as part of the film, they are more resistant to accumulating dirt. I have used the Sasco Exactcolor and liked it, but I mainly use the Red Devil Create a Color, which requires a special machine to mix. The Create a Color has held up really well for me over the years, and I haven't noticed any apparent 'color change' even when mixed in whites.

If you don't plan to re coat the trim, Its definitely worth it to mix a tube in white for the inside cracks of the trim. The only drawback to using it at the wall joint is the way it can look. To me, it makes the line at the trim look less sharp. It looks like the trim is 'blown out' on the walls a little. It can look ok either way, I just prefer to see the wall color slightly up on the trim rather than vice versa.

The Exactcolor is expensive I know, and if you have several colors there will likely be a lot of waste. The Exactcolor gets its consistency from a catalyst, and once its mixed it goes bad in a few weeks.

In a smaller room, or for an accent wall you may find it more practical to use the trim color caulk and touch up the cut lines if you wanted to, rather than waste a whole $10+ tube.
 
#62 ·
Wow! That kitchenette looks sharp. Great work.
Thanks! We looked for a color that went with the cabinets for a while, and finally made a really bold choice (for us at least) after seeing this post.

Hopefully it will look even better once I finally install the backsplash. That blue sure does show the dirt (esp. sheetrock dust) though!
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply, Jmayspaint. Your suggestion is definitely shorter than mine.

I guess one of the things I was trying to avoid was overspray onto the ceiling, since the walls will be Satin and the ceiling flat. Also, some of the walls are very dark, with almost white ceilings. So, you don't think there would be any issues with either of those?

Also, in your method, when would I caulk the baseboard/trim? Would you do that as part of your step #2 trim prep?

Finally, since I am doing all the work and could install trim/doors in any order (before/after certain painting steps), would you still go ahead and install everything before starting any paint steps?
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks again, Jmayspaint. A couple of quick questions/comments:

- In your last post, it sounds like I would be cutting in the baseboard trim twice: once when I did the final coat on the walls, and once when I did the final coat on the baseboard, is that correct? Or, are you saying that I should wait until after my second finish coat on the walls to even install the baseboard? Then, I would just be cutting in once - the baseboard to the wall (although, cutting in the wall to the baseboard has always worked better for me before, but maybe the colored caulk would make it easier).

- I have primed and painted the trim before installing before, although I used a brush (never had an airless until now). But then I would end up with visible places in the trim where I had nail holes / miters / etc. - at least that's what I remember. So, I thought that spraying in place would give a better end result, and might take less time. But, again, I've never used an airless, so I might change my tune after I start using it.

- Also, it sounds like you are saying to install the trim after doing the first coat of wall color - this is basically what I said I was going to do originally (except that I mention spraying the first finish coat on the ceiling in between first wall coat and trim installation). Just trying to make sure that I am understanding correctly.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Also, about primer: I estimate that I have about 1400 sq. ft. of drywall to prime, plus 6 doors, maybe 150 linear feet of baseboard, and one large window to prime. I have 2 unopened gallons of Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer and 1 gallon of Behr AIO primer/sealer. In addition, I have 4 gallons of mistint (gray) Zinsser Bulls Eye Water-Base Primer (not the 1-2-3 stuff) - link. What of this can/should I use for the drywall and/or trim? Should I just bite the bullet and buy some specific drywall primer?

I will post our colors as soon as the system lets me post links (says I can't until I have 5 posts, but I'm already there, and it is not letting me post them still).
 
#7 ·
Here are the colors we plan to use at this point. The dark blue (Elegant Evening) is kitchen walls, lighter blue (Somber Sky) is office walls, one of the tans (Camel or Silver Dollar) is bath/bedroom/closets, and the white (Delicate White) is ceiling/trim. I'm just posting this to give an idea of the colors that might be oversprayed over each other (in case I end up spraying). The darker brown (Oregon Trail) is a color that I may use on an old solid wood door to the office, haven't decided yet (will probably end up staining instead of painting though, depending on how it looks after I clean it up).

 
#9 ·
Thanks, ToolSeeker. At $15/gallon, I figured it was worth a shot. But, if another sale comes out on a paint with initials SW or BM before I am ready to paint, I will probably switch. I guess I could always go in and see what they would do for me (would be buying 8+ gallons of paint plus 0-5 gallons of primer, if I decide I can't/shouldn't use what I already have).
 
#10 ·
ToolSeeker, feel free to PM me with your paint recommendations if you want (I tried to PM you, but apparently I can't do that until I have 15 posts). I have access to a SW contractor discount if they are your recommended brand, but I'm not sure how much the discount is exactly (I missed the 40% off sale recently). Would something like ProMar 200 work, or would you recommend one of the higher paints (Duration/Cashmere/SuperPaint)?

Hopefully this is ok to post...
 
#11 ·
If you're on a budget, you can use Promar 400 or Promar 200 or even some of the SW Building Maintenance paints. I like SuperPaint or Cashmere from SW. Both are solid paints. With coupons or a sale, you should be able to get either for around $30 per gallon.
 
#12 ·
What I do is prime and paint before installing flooring or putting up any molding/trim. Paint molding trim separately then install and caulk. If you wipe off the caulk with a wet rag it won't affect the paint. This way you're not worried about taping/cutting. If you ever considered crown molding then you won't even have to cut the ceiling.

Also, I was going to use a sprayer on my basement until I read all the issues you can have. Ended up using a power roller and made pretty quick work of a large area.
 
#13 ·
Thanks, mikegp. That is basically how I have always done it in the past, too. I just thought I would try to use the sprayer since I had it. Actually, the Ryobi RAP200 that I have has a power roller, too, so that is an option. It still seems like priming everything would be easier with the sprayer (and maybe the ceiling, and first finish coat of the uninstalled trim).

It does seem like you would still want to do a full finish coat after the trim was installed though (which would mean cutting in). Otherwise, wouldn't you just be spot-finishing the nail holes / etc., and risk flashing?
 
#17 ·
I haven't had an issue with spot finishing holes and flashing. Just wipe them down well and a tiny little bit of paint after the caulk dries. The holes are so small that even if you did have an issue it would be hard to see, and even then only when the light hits it just right.
 
#19 ·
I thin he is saying he fills with caulk which will not flash through most any paint. Although unless the holes are very small (pin nails) caulk makes a poor nail hole filler because it shrinks and will show a divot.

A non flashing vinyl spackle like Dap Crackshot will not flash through most paints. That's what I use when trying to cover holes with one coat.

If I'm really seeking perfection in filling nail holes this is a trick I use;
Do a first round of filling with crack shot or putty and sand flush. A lot of times filling the holes one time will leave them imperfectly filled. They may still show a slight indention. After that when I'm going around caulking, I'll put a small blob of caulk on the imperfectly filled holes and knife it down flush with a putty knife. As long as the indention is very shallow, the caulk shrinkage will not make a difference and you will have a perfectly filled hole that won't flash through paint.
It takes a little practice to get the knifing down pat, but its a great way to top off shallow defects in trim.

To your other question about base. In the pre painting trim example, base goes in last after walls and floors are done. Caulk with wall color caulk and cut the base to the wall.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Thanks again, everyone.

So, I am reconsidering finishing the trim/base before it is installed and then just touch up/caulk (with the colored caulk where it meets the wall) after installation. The main thing I worry about there is, when I go to install it, it may not fit perfectly and I may have to cut. So, I could end up with some exposed/unpainted corners/etc.

And, I still wonder how to do the line at the wall/ceiling without cutting in twice. It seems that I will have to overspray one or the other (or both). Then it would be a question of following my initial method, or Jmayspaint's initial response:

1. Overspray first finish on ceiling, then overspray first finish on walls (sand overspray), then overspray second finish on ceiling (sand overspray), and finally roll walls and cut in to ceiling with brush (I'm decent at this with a good brush, just slow).

(or)

2. Spray and back roll all coats on walls not worrying about over spraying the ceiling. Let dry a couple days and drape walls with plastic. Sand overspray and spray two finish coats on ceilings.

(or)

3. Other suggestions?
 
#21 ·
Or....... Shield the ceilings after they are finished.

Shielding indoors is an advanced spraying technique. It takes practice, and is especially difficult with dark colors. But it can be done and you might give it a try before resorting to masking. The worst that could happen is you have to touch up the ceiling. Even half a$$ doing it would be better that totally blowing out on the ceilings with the wall color.

This is a poor quality vid of me doing it. I'm wiping the excess paint off of the shield and cutting in as I go, but an easier way is to just shield and then go back and cut in after its dry.
The shield will not leave a perfect line so cutting in is still necessary.

Some painters shield with a two person crew, one person holding the shield and another spraying. The shield needs to be flexible so it can bend to the contours of the wall, and has to be cleaned regularly.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=JrVdDN2AbuU
 
#34 ·
Wow, you made using that cardboard shield look easy. I had no trouble using the airless sprayer to do the primer and ceiling paint (it was actually easier than I thought, and very fast, although I did use more paint than I expected).


However, my results using the cardboard shield looked more like I let my 2 year old girls do the painting.


Part of my problem is that I am obviously spraying too close to the edge of the cardboard I think. And also I am trying to do it from the floor instead of using a ladder (with the soffits, the edge is only about 7' high, so I thought I could do it this way, but now I'm reconsidering).
 
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