A New Color for a New Year

How To Paint An Open Basement Ceiling

Basements don't always have a tall ceiling. They usually have drop ceilings with those tiles made of vinyl, or sometimes they are made of polystyrene. If you have these tiles, but you feel like your ceilings feel closed in, you can open them up to give them the feeling of height by painting the beams and piping throughout your ceiling all one color, such as painting them all black or painting them all white. If you want to give your ceiling an open and airy feel by painting it, read on for some tips to get this job done.

Lay A Tarp

You're going to want to use a tarp and plastic in order to prevent paint from getting on other surfaces of your basement. When you paint, you can use a roller and paintbrushes, or you can spray the paint with a paint sprayer. There may be a lot of over-spray, so you should cover every surface you can to prevent the paint from getting all over. Take your time to cover everything with plastic, and be sure to ventilate the area where you can.

Clean The Ceiling

You're more than likely going to have a lot of debris on the ceiling, especially if it was an older ceiling. You're going to want to clean the ceiling when you open it all up so you aren't painting over anything that may soak through your paint, or show up in the paint. Wipe it all down, and remove cobwebs and other debris you don't want in the ceiling to show. Before you paint the ceiling, you'll want it to dry out to prevent the paint from peeling off or not adhering properly.

Paint In Thin Layers

You're going to want to paint in thin layers, as the paint may drip quite a bit, especially when you're attempting to paint piping or ductwork. You're going to need to paint several coats of paint when you paint an open basement ceiling like this. Spraying the paint on might be a better idea, as it will go on evenly and you don't have to worry about how much paint you have soaked into your brush or your roller. Be sure you allow the paint to dry thoroughly in between coats to prevent the paint from just wiping off when you paint a second or third coat.

If you want to paint your basement ceiling to give it an open feel, you'll need to do it the right way to prevent it from looking like a mess. Hire an interior painter to do this job for you to ensure it is done properly.