A basement is perfect for creating a home office or keeping all your family’s valuables. It’s also a great place to make a relaxed and informal feel when you’re entertaining guests or getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. But basements can be a bit boring and lack valuable natural light. Which is why painting your basement is so important.
That’s why many people choose to add their creative touches and make their basements more lively and appealing to live in. That includes choosing paint colors that can help create a clean, airy feeling and make it more spacious to selecting types of paints that will help prevent mold and mildew growth.
Choosing Paint Colors that Make the Basement Seem Airy, Spacious, and Clean
The basement is one of the last rooms you think about when it comes to painting, but it’s actually a crucial place to choose the right color. Here are four essential tips for selecting the correct color when painting your basement.
1. Consider the Lighting
A basement with many natural light sources provides the most flexible color options. Dark or bright hues will look excellent and relieves the worries about the colors making the basement feel constraining or tiny. When your basement has ground-level windows, it will reflect the beautiful nature, radically modifying your paint color during the day.
Lacking natural light can be an issue in any part of the house. Choosing a wall color will highly depend on your lighting fixtures when there is no natural light. Though it may appear irrational, a room with little natural light may be the ideal setting for deep, rich colors. When painting your basement, You may go with any dark hue if you want to transform the basement into a man-cave.
2. Understand the Purpose of the Room
Remember how you want to use the area when choosing a color when painting your basement.
Home Office: Use calming colors like gentle blue, light beige, or a seagull gray to make the room ideal for concentration on work. You can also go with stark white, provided the accent wall is on a neutral tone like light charcoal or tan to give the space a more open and relaxed feel.
Second Living Room: If you plan to utilize your basement as a second living room, pick bright colors that will make the room feel brighter and warmer. You may want to consider delicate pink, salmon pink, or goldenrod.
Kids Playroom: You can use your basement as a playroom to allow your children to explore, be noisy and have fun with their toys. When painting your basement, Pick vibrant colors for a playroom, such as brilliant blue, bright yellows, or fire engine red.
Storage Room: Your basement walls should not be bare and boring just because it is a store. Hunter green or rich gray on your basement walls unifies the room, allowing your stored items to appear orderly.
3. Coordinate With Your Existing Décor
You will not throw out your present furniture and décor just because you’re painting. It implies that the colors in your current components will limit your chosen colors. Here are a few considerations:
Exposed Brick Walls: The adjacent walls to the exposed brick walls need a calm and refreshing hue such as pale blue or mint green. Richer hues might be more acceptable in rooms with carpeted flooring and completed drywalls.
Colored Furniture: Greens, and light blues, for instance, look well with dark and richly colored furniture.
Décor Items: You can use neutral paint hues like beige and taupe to accommodate your art pieces and avoid clashing with your décor.
Prospective Future Buyers: Your renovations should appeal to you while increasing the value of your house and attracting a diverse variety of purchasers. Avoid wild color paints like lime green and bubblegum pink for your basement, as it may put off people.
4. Consider the Size and Shape of Your Basement
Warm and softer hues may work well in a small area. However, some basements are large open areas. Choosing a single paint color for the whole basement might be daunting. Color may distinguish and differentiate activity areas in a wide-open basement. Don’t be hesitant to combine colors to create a visual differentiation. A video room at one end can go with deep blue paint, while the children’s playing space from the other can go well with yellow color.
Types of Paints That Help With Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew may grow in your basement, spreading quickly if not controlled. The microorganisms may harm your health and well-being and wreak havoc on your home. Mold and mildew-resistant paints, as the name implies, contain antimicrobial substances to inhibit the growth and spread of mold and mildew in your basement.
It is an efficient solution to this prevalent problem. They include:
1. Kilz Interior/Exterior Basement and Masonry Waterproofing Paint
Kilz paint has an excellent composition that allows it to be waterproof, sealing porous surfaces in your basement. It employs nanotechnology to produce a barrier that prevents water intrusion. But, it is not the most preferred for surfaces with active water leaks.
It also has an alkali-resistant coating that ensures a long-lasting and beautiful finish.
2. Rust-Oleum Perma-White Mold and Mildew Proof Interior Paint
This is mold-resistant paint with a low odor coating. The paint’s mold and mildew resistance have a five-year guarantee. So, you may relax knowing that your surfaces are protected for the time being.
Furthermore, the water-based paint has a dirt and moisture-resistant finish and is washable with water and soap. It comes in a white semi-gloss hue. The paint can be tinted to pastel, off-white, and medium shades.
You do not need to use a primer because Perma-White is self-priming paint.
3. Fiberlock Aftershock Fungicidal Coating
Fiberlok Aftershock is a fungicidal coating registered by the EPA to eliminate mold and mildew while inhibiting further growth in your house. It is a semi-gloss paint best utilized on your basement ceilings and walls. It also has a low VOC and odor level.
But, because of the high degree of ammonia it releases, some humans and pets may react to it. It is common in white, and it is a self-primer and functions as a finisher.
4. Rust-Oleum Watertite 5001 Mold/Mildew Paint
Unlike the rest of the Rust-Oleum products, this oil-based paint has a lesser odor than regular latex paints. It has antibacterial properties. These will suspend the growth of mold and mildew in your basement for the following five years.
It also protects against water pressure and is twice as strong as traditional waterproof paints.
Bottom Line
The best paint for your basement depends on your preference for aesthetics and function. Try to choose something that will enhance the room and be durable enough to handle all the moisture basements tend to collect.
Don’t just paint your basement because you’re tired of looking down there — hire Affordable Painters! We can help you pick the perfect paint for your basement so it doesn’t feel like such a pit anymore.
Contact us today to enjoy our exclusive services, including painting your basement.