Yes You Can! How to Paint Old Stone Basement Walls + VIDEO!
My basement was in a serious need of TLC. In this latest installment of Yes You Can!, I’m going to show you how to paint old stone basement walls with DRYLOK. AKA the cake batter paint of wonders.
‘Cause yes! You can turn a dingy, damp, dungeon of a basement into a waterproofed, moodylicious lounge and a space you’ll actually want to be in. Have a look at the video tutorial and bone-up on those transformative basement-y skills with the instructions below.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
To prep
Bristle brush
Hammer
Scraper
Tool belt
Shop vac + broom
Respirator
Protective eyewear
To paint
DRYLOK Extreme Basement & Masonry Waterproofer (Tintable)
Fat paintbrush or smaller angled brush (my choice)
Tiny paintbrush (for deep cre-vaces)
CLEAN UP THOSE CRUMBLY WALLS
Gather your prep tools. With your hammer and scraper, remove any damaged or deteriorated mortar. Use the bristle brush to remove excess dirt, especially in deep crevices. Vacuum up the debris and sweep up large chunks with a broom.
ROCK THAT PATCH
Once the stone surface is tidied up, it’s time to rock that patch! DRYLOK’s Fast Plug works great to block out moisture and cures SUPER fast. Only mix what you can use in a short amount of time.
FACT: I mostly patched major or super dark crevices. I preferred the look of the deep grooves that occurred over time. Adds real nice character. 👌🏻
BREAK OUT THE PAINT
Most DRYLOK paints come in white or in ready-mix colors. I knew from the beginning I’d be painting this basement a moody color. When I discovered certain DRYLOK paints are, in fact, tintable, I went to my local hardware store and had way too much fun designing a custom color. Calling this one Brigham Green.
Using a fat brush or a smaller angled brush (like me), and an itty bitty one for those tight crevices, apply your DRYLOK in thickkkk globs. Vigorously paint in all directions—up, down, and all-around to achieve ultimate coverage.
For super extra deep crevices, swipe a fully-loaded brush of paint upward and then right to left until happiness is achieved.
Easy as pie, right? Haa—just kiddinggg! I didn’t come here to tell ya it was easy, but I did come here to tell ya it’s worth it. The magic of paint never ceases to amaze.
DRYLOK, you rock. ‘Cause these basement walls are waterproofed, and this old stone foundation is restored. Click here for a closer look at the “Before” of the Brigham Basement.
Tell me now, will you take on the task and
paint old stone basement walls?
This post is sponsored in part by DRYLOK. All thoughts, opinions, quirky thoughts and outlandish commentary are that of my own. Big, fat aces to the companies that continue to support this creative dream.
Did they tint the drylok at the store or you mixed some paint in there to make that final color?
At my local hardware store—all the deets in the post and video tutorial!
Regular outdoor paint works better than dryloc. DRYLOC peels off over short time. Out door enamel is tougher than nails. Same with floor paint. No luck with DRYLOC.
Respectfully and completely disagree here! I’ve used DRYLOK in more than one stone foundation basement. I’ve seen moisture permeate leaving discoloration or mineral staining at best, but the paint has never peeled off the walls. Did you paint directly over stone or previous layers of paint? For example, my stucco exterior was peeling from YEARS of improper paint jobs; it wasn’t until the walls were scraped and properly primed did the paint hold. By the way, DRYLOK also has a lifetime warranty on their product—I’d recommend reaching out!
Yea, gave you my opinion. I remolded my home 35 years ago. Dug out the cellar floor about 8” deep. Cemented the floor. Later I added an underground drainage with a sump pump because the cellar would flood in a hard rain. I first used white wash. That was before there was a dry loc. Two years that started falling off. So for about 20 years I kept applying dry loc. It never held up. Mold would grow through. Then it would flake off. 10 yeas ago or so a co worker told me I didn`t need dry loc. I painted my entire basement with accolade paint. You can`t sink your finger nail in it. It is so hard. You are welcome to your opinion. I also made a mistake of painting the rear section of my basement with dry loc floor paint. I cant lay anything on it or the paint will peel.
Happy to hear you found a solution to moisture in your cellar—thank you for sharing!