Painting Cinder Block Basement Walls To Create A Cobblestone Look

18 January 2016
 Categories: , Blog


Do you have cinder block walls in your basement that just look awful? Well, instead of spending a small fortune to have studs and green-board installed, embrace the cinder blocks and paint them to create a warm cobblestone-like, inviting space that you will love.

To complete this project you will need:

  • Drop cloths
  • Card board box – a shallow box that can be used as a level paint tray – consider the lid off of a printer paper box.
  • Plastic garbage bag
  • Paint rollers, tray and 3" quality paint brush
  • Latex primer
  • Latex Paint
  • Painter's tape

Purchase Paint and Primer

Before you paint the walls, you need to apply a coat of primer. Instead of painting the walls with white primer, have the primer tinted mid-toned tan.

You will need four colors of paint – dark brown, light brown, tanish-gray and very light tan or ivory. You want these colors to blend well together but be different enough to stand out from each other.

Prime the Walls

Start your project by taping off any trim and fixtures that you don't want to get paint on. Put drop cloths down to protect the flooring.

Now, prime the walls using a roller and brush for hard to reach areas. Make sure to get the primer into the mortar cracks in the wall well because you won't be covering the mortar with paint during the final step. Allow the primer to dry overnight and start fresh the next day.

Paint the Walls

Put the cardboard box lid into a garbage bag and press the bag down inside the box. Pour a little bit of each of the four colors of paint into the four corners of the box.

Using the 3" brush, dip the brush into two colors of the paint. For example, dark brown and gray, gray and tan, tan and ivory, etc. Use various combinations of the colors on the wall and you will get a stone-like look as you paint each block individually. How you choose the color combinations that you use is completely up to you – do you want more dark blocks than light or more light than dark? Do you want equal amounts of both?

This project can go relatively quickly and result in an awesomely unique basement area that looks great. Take your time and play with the colors on each of the blocks until you get the look that you hope for. If you don't feel comfortable or capable of completing this project on your own, talk with your local painting experts for help.

To learn more, contact a company like Meyer & Meyer


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