Author Topic: staining joists in basement  (Read 3430 times)

Chubbs55

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staining joists in basement
« on: November 11, 2017, 09:12:22 AM »
This winter I'm determined to get my basement finished once and for all (and on a tight budget).  In order to avoid higher property taxes, I've decided to forgo a traditional ceiling and have looked at painting or staining the joists.   After reading cons of painting as far as breath-ability issues with the wood, does anyone have thoughts on staining the joists a dark brown, something that could be done with a pump sprayer?  I've already dry-walled the walls and did a crows foot texture which turned out pretty good (except the first wall) and have soffited drywall around the water discharge pipe and plan on doing a soffit to cover the h vac main trunk that runs the length of the house with some 1/8" oak panels I have left over.  I'd like to get the ceiling done before I get too far with other projects which I'll be asking for advice later in the winter. 

If staining is an option, is there any prep work that needs to be done ahead of time besides sweeping between the joists?  Any products that could be recommended?

Thanks again for your time with suggestions.

paddedhat

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Re: staining joists in basement
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2017, 04:10:54 PM »
I've done them with cheap off white latex paint, sprayed on. You could either buy a cheap hand held sprayer, or rent a commercial one. It goes fast, and looks amazing for what it is. With a flat latex finish there is no issue with breath-ability. I'm not sure what you read on the subject, but if you are dealing with wood in a basement that's potentially rotting because you encapsulated it with paint, you got some pretty big moisture issues, so I find it hard to be all that concerned about it.  I did a cheap basement flip and my painting sub suggested it. He just blew all the dirt loose with an air compressor, put drop cloths on the floor and shot a nice even coat on the ceiling. I then installed basic fluoresent strips lights to the side of the joists for indirect lighting. The space really looked sharp. 

Sibley

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Re: staining joists in basement
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2017, 07:10:16 PM »
I've never lived somewhere with a basement and not needed a dehumidifier down there, at least in the summer. As long as your humidity levels are under control, you should be fine either way.

NextTime

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Re: staining joists in basement
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2017, 09:06:51 AM »
I've done them with cheap off white latex paint, sprayed on. You could either buy a cheap hand held sprayer, or rent a commercial one. It goes fast, and looks amazing for what it is. With a flat latex finish there is no issue with breath-ability. I'm not sure what you read on the subject, but if you are dealing with wood in a basement that's potentially rotting because you encapsulated it with paint, you got some pretty big moisture issues, so I find it hard to be all that concerned about it.  I did a cheap basement flip and my painting sub suggested it. He just blew all the dirt loose with an air compressor, put drop cloths on the floor and shot a nice even coat on the ceiling. I then installed basic fluoresent strips lights to the side of the joists for indirect lighting. The space really looked sharp.


pics?

Cadman

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Re: staining joists in basement
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2017, 09:55:58 AM »
I saw a basement recently where the joists were painted back in the 60's in a very unique way. The bays and sides of the joists were painted black (along with any pipes, ducts or wiring). The bottom edge of the joists were painted white. 1x3's were then cut to fit between the joists, painted white, and nailed in place every 2 feet, flush with the joist bottoms. Every other joist bay was offset a foot, creating a very unique repeating pattern that looked almost 3-dimensional and hid everything else, all for the cost of some paint and 1x's.

paddedhat

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Re: staining joists in basement
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2017, 06:14:31 AM »
I've done them with cheap off white latex paint, sprayed on. You could either buy a cheap hand held sprayer, or rent a commercial one. It goes fast, and looks amazing for what it is. With a flat latex finish there is no issue with breath-ability. I'm not sure what you read on the subject, but if you are dealing with wood in a basement that's potentially rotting because you encapsulated it with paint, you got some pretty big moisture issues, so I find it hard to be all that concerned about it.  I did a cheap basement flip and my painting sub suggested it. He just blew all the dirt loose with an air compressor, put drop cloths on the floor and shot a nice even coat on the ceiling. I then installed basic fluoresent strips lights to the side of the joists for indirect lighting. The space really looked sharp.


pics?

Sadly no. That one was a flip of the home I grew up in, after my mom passed. It was the spring of 2000. The Obama $8,000 new home buyer credit was coming to an end, and the buyers were in a panic to find homes before the free money dried up.  I redid the interior in a few weeks, and sold it in a few days, hardly had time to sleep.

When it comes to the whole idea, it's pretty harmless to give it a try. If you don't find it acceptable as a finished product, there is little to lose, since it was cheap to do, and you end up hiding it behind some other finish anyway.