Paint in Basement
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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!