How to Paint Poured Concrete Walls in a Basement

Move boxes, furniture and other storage items into the middle of the basement. Cover the items with an old sheet or drop cloth. Moving your items gives you more room to maneuver when prepping and painting the wall while also protecting them from paint splatter.

Clean the basement walls using a long-handled scrub brush and a bucket of warm, soapy water. Let the wall dry completely.

Attach painter’s tape where your basement walls meet the floor and ceiling. This prevents stray paint marks from staining your ceiling or floors. Lay drop cloths down on the floors adjacent to each wall. Drop cloths provide extra protection for your floor.

Pry the lid of the primer loose with a flathead screwdriver. Lift the lid away and set it upside down on the drop cloth clear of your work area. Stir the primer with the mixing stick. Pour primer into the roller tray.

Pour a small amount of primer into a plastic cup or small paint tray. Move to the bottom corner of the wall. Dip your paintbrush in the primer. Paint a thick line across the area where the wall meets the floor. A paint roller cannot go all the way to the floor. “Cutting in” solves that problem. Cut in 3 to 4 inches from the bottom of the wall, the top of the wall and the corners.

Pour primer carefully into the rolling tray. Attach a clean roller sleeve to a long-handled roller frame. Place the paint roller into the paint tray. Move the roller back and forward slowly, saturating it with primer. Apply the primer to the walls using slow, even strokes. Let the primer cure for 72 hours.

Apply paint to the basement walls the same way you applied the primer. Let the paint cure for 72 hours.