May 10 2010
Basement Finishing – Primed For Beauty
One of the best parts of your basement finishing project will be when color starts appearing. When tile is installed, when carpet goes down, when cabinets come in, and when paint goes up on the wall.
Manufacturer’s today are doing better and better at making finishes that are more appealing, vibrant, and fresh. Even if you’re picking neutral colors for your basement finishing project, the colors and finishes can really “pop” and make your basement look super attractive.
Based on observations from past experience, picking finishes for your basement finishing project will be the most fun, stressful, and perplexing thing about the whole project. Even if you are trying to match what you have in the rest of the house, you will deliberate over the exact color and style of carpet, tile, grout, granite, paint, cabinets, faucets, fixtures, etc.
After considering all your options and making your choice, chances are you’ll be pretty upset if things don’t look like what you expected after they’re installed!
Generally, as long as products are ordered correctly, the biggest potential differences will be a result of different dye lots used in the manufacturing process, and will likely never be noticed by you.
However, there is one preventable color problem that could creep into your basement finishing project…
One requisite component of basement finishing is drywall. Your walls will receive drywall right before all the fun color stuff starts happening. One thing about drywall that you might not have noticed is its propensity to soak up a lot of moisture.
This might not seem like a problem until it comes time to paint your walls. While painting over new drywall is certainly an acceptable building practice, it is also a sure way to end up with a tired looking wall. Because drywall sucks up so much moisture, it will suck up much of the paint that goes on the wall, which results in dull or tired walls even after multiple coats of paint.
The solution to this? Drywall Priming.
Using a good primer specifically for priming new drywall is the best way to get the paint finish you deserve in your basement finishing project. A good drywall primer will seal the new drywall, setting you up for a beautiful painted finish.
Experience shows that homeowners prefer a vibrant, freshly-painted wall regardless of their color choice. By priming new drywall you will provide a barrier between the paint and the “thirsty” drywall. Then, your basement finishing project will be primed for the fresh look and true color you expected.
Building more…
Joel Nelson is a remodeling expert serving the local market of Parker, CO, and specializing in basement finishing and kitchen remodeling. While building is his first passion, the increasing demand for educational resources in construction has led him (back) into a familiar passion: that of coaching and teaching. For more information, to view recent projects, and to inquire about upcoming Parker Basement Finishing seminars, visit http://www.constructingtrust.com.