Paint in Basement
Hi!
I’m concluding my basement finishing project and am now looking at paint. My 1977 basement is dry and not musky. No exterior insulation, most of the basement is 80% below grade. One wall is 50% below grade with walkout door. Block foundation walls are painted w/ Drylok. Next layer is 3″ foil faced polyiso, then a typical stud wall with empty cavities.
For the paint, given my climate zone, the fact that the basement is pretty dry and comfortable (especially now that I have HVAC running in it), which type of finish paint should I be looking for? I am confused on whether I want to have a vapor retarding paint in this situation or not…
Appreciate your advice. The great information I found on GBA early on, on insulation and proper basement building methods have yielded a very comfortable and hopefully durable basement so far! Thank you again!
Thank you!
Eric
CZ 4A (Virginia)
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Replies
With a dry basement, and a foil faced polyiso (a vapor BARRIER) directly against the wall, you really don't have anything to worry about with the paint. I'd just use standard interior latex paint. I personally like the PPG line, since the products have been excellent and I get good prices (and the stores can order anything from the HUUUUGE industrial line too, including lots of kinds of floor epoxies which I use all the time at work), but any good paint will be fine over drywall on walls built as you describe.
Bill
Thank you Bill!