I want to repaint my laundry room.

[autowasherfreak]

I was cleaning and organizing my basement laundry room yesterday after work, and decided that I want to repaint it to brighten it up a little.

Do I need a special paint for the concrete walls? I would also like some color ideas from you guys and gals. So far the washer colors are white and harvest gold. I was thinking of painting the walls a bright yellow and the wood cabinets white.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Comcrete walls, even with the spiical primer and paint they need will one day peel and look like hell.

If they are not yet painted at all, I'd say "don't"

If you must have color in that room, make frames out of furring strps (1x1s or 1x2s), stretch a colorful bed-sheet over it spale-gun it to death on the rear and hang from the (wooden) rafters above via a monofilament(fishing line) and two eye-hooks.

Voila, instant color.

 

[toggleswitch2]

staple-gun, that is.

 

[circlew]

What's on the walls now?

Are they poured concrete or CMU (block)? Have they been painted before? If they are bare block you will want to use block filler first. It's a thick paint that will close up most of the pores so the primer and finish coat wont just soak into the block. If it's poured you'll want to use a primer suitable for concrete and masonry. Make sure you use a water based system, as alkyd or other oil based paints will peel due to dampness in the wall. For best results start with the block filler (if necessary), primer, and then one or two (may depend on color used) finish coats of 100% acrylic paint. I would suggest tinted primer if you choose a dark or bright color. If you want a textured finish, you can use a product like PPG Perma-Crete. As for color, you can try out various combinations on PPG's or Sherwin-Williams websites.

 

[autowasherfreak]

The walls are already painted white. I thought about stapling some sheet to the rafters or maybe painting the ceiling and rafters white.

 

[circlew]

Since the wall are already painted, what shape are they in? Is the white paint peeling? If so, anything you put over it paint wise will also peel as Toggleswitch mentioned, due to moisture. Exterior below-grade walls must be properly waterproofed from the outside to prevent excess moisture in them. Interior concrete or block walls shouldn't be a problem. As far as stapling up fabric to any open framing - whether ceiling or wall - I would find this to be a fire hazard, and would probably violate building codes. Fabric glued to a fire-rated backer such as drywall would be much safer.

 

[autowasherfreak]

The walls are concrete block, the paint isn't peeling. The walls are dirty and I've tried washing them but it didn't improve anything. There are so many pipes and shut off valves in the laundry area so covering them is out of the question. I think I will try painting the ceiling and and support beams to see if that will help.

 

[circlew]

Surface prep

If you decide to paint the walls or ceiling, make sure the surface is as clean as possible. The best paint in the world won't give good results if you use it on a dirty or greasy surface - it just won't stick well. Also, if the surface is glossy (not likely on concrete), it will need to be deglossed first for the paint to perform properly. Most of the complaints I heard about paint failure when I worked at the paint store were related to improper surface prep.

 

[whirlaway]

Basement Paint

I painted my basement with Dry-Loc paint,it can be tinted any color.Mine looks like a big pool its light blu-green,and grey floors and steps,it has held up wonderfully.I rolled it on,I bought it at the Pittsburg paint store.Ive always used Pittsburg paints.Latex for walls oil for baseboards.Be careful if you paint pipes,my ceilings arent real high,cause you might bang your head if they are all the same color.Good Luck Bobby

 

[mayguy]

I painted ours 4 years ago, glad I did!
(Before)

 

[mayguy]

(Before)

 

[mayguy]

Floor
(before)

 

[mayguy]

After

 

[mayguy]

After

(I no longer have this washer/dryer.)

 

[mayguy]

Floor after

 

[toggleswitch2]

Bizarre to me is that gas is available a few yards/meters away yet the dryer is electric.

In my area gas is much, much, much, cheaper to operate.

 

[countryguy]

In the city here, almost everyone has natural gas furnaces & water heaters but electric dryers and stoves. It is not often that you see gas dryers and stoves being advertised for sale by the major store chains, etc.

Gary

 

[panthera]

Toggles,

My parents, in Fort Collins, were forbidden to use a gas dryer in the same room with a furnace (35'x25'x 8.5'), even tho' the furnace draws in its own fresh air and has a powered exhaust back out...

Many localities just plain have rules which date back to the town gas days and haven't update them.

Personally, if I had a choice, I'd take gas over electric any day. Faster and cheaper and less trouble prone.

 

[mayguy]

Toggle.

I no longer have the electric dryer, and stove. I took those out, and replaced it.

Dyer is a Maytag Neptune, and Stove is Maytag Convection.

 

[toggleswitch2]

.
O I C!

 

[toggleswitch2]

I can understand electric dryers in Canada, in that the heat can be saved most of the year.

I can also understand electric stoves in homes that are super-insulated. One does not want to have to vent/exhaust a gas cooker and throw out all that valuable heat. With super-insulation the air quality (i.e. pollutants emitted) may be the issue with a gas stove.

 

[yogitunes]

using an airless sprayer to apply paint to the walls will give a nice even coat, and will cover the pipes, just to save time.......as for the rafters I'm thinking in my basement of painting them white also, but I have just seen a basement with them painted flat black, with a sprayer, all areas exposed for access but yet hidden in the darkness, everything was covered in black, wires, pipes, vents, it was just a neat look you wouldn't think of until you see it for yourself, just the vent covers and the light fixtures were painted gloss white....a very clean crisp look

 

[alr2903]

Togs, My parents first house, had fuel oil heat, they lived in Michigan. Years later the utilities added natural gas to the neighborhood. That house was built in i think 1957 (spacemates). Everyone on the street of course had their furnace converted to gas, but all the stoves, ovens, water heaters and dryers were electric in the beginning. I am sure many changed the later to gas as they bought new, and some were happy with what they had. I do remember the thought of an endless supply of natural gas and no stinky fuel oil to have delivered in bad winter weather was readily accepted. alr2903

 

[mixfinder]

Spray it on

I have found latex paints chipped and peel less than oil base. The nice thing about spraying is being able to spray the joists and subfloor in what might be an unfinished basement ceiling. It makes it much brighter. You can also add properties to the paint to make it inhospitable to spiders, insects and mold. You'll love using the sprayer and be amazed at how little mess it makes and how closely you can cut in around trim and windows.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I'm thinking of doing one wall in light pink, and the other wall in a bright yellow. For the cabinets doors white and the rest in either yellow or pink, the shelves inside white.

Is it safe to paint wiring?

 

[moparwash]

BLUE!

Painted 2 years ago over the white...and repainted the floor grey...so far, so good!

 

[moparwash]

Still room for 2 more!

Westy Slant fronts can replace the table!

 

[westingman123]

Me "rike"

While I'm in total agreement that Westy slant-fronts are awesome; I must say that table is, as well. My chrome set is the red cracked ice pattern, but I really like the inlays in yours. I'll bet it makes a great folding surface.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I like that table too. There was a old chrome table in the laundry room when we moved it. It's great for folding.

 

[circlew]

"Is it safe to paint wiring"

I've done so in the past with no problems. I used latex paint on plastic NM cable running down the wall, and it stuck OK. What type of wiring system is it? If it's metal conduit, that's normally painted when in exposed areas. MC or BX should also be able to be painted. Older woven fabric jacket cables may have a waxy finish that would repel paint, as may some plastic jacket NM. The only kind I would hesitate to paint would be the very old uncoated woven jacket type, as I'd be afraid the water in the paint would soak into it. If it's very old, it may disintegrate when touched. Also, just make sure paint doesn't run into any of the boxes.