How to Paint an Unfinished Basement Ceiling: 4 Easy to Follow Steps!

There are a lot of reasons to paint your unfinished basement ceiling. One of the most important ones is to make it look better.

Usually, unfinished basements look very bad. You can’t put furniture, and even if you can it won’t look very good. Another reason is that if you paint your ceiling, it will look higher.

A lot of people have asked me how to paint an unfinished basement ceiling and that’s why I have decided to make this mini-guide for you.

Before we continue to the guide, here are some frequently asked questions about spraying exposed basement ceilings.

Can You Paint an Unfinished Basement Ceiling?

Yes, you can paint an unfinished basement ceiling. The paint will give your unfinished basement ceiling a fresh look, and it will make your short basement ceiling look higher. 

But, that’s not all. There are a lot of reasons why you should paint your unfinished basement ceiling. But, here are some more reasons.

Paint spraying your basement ceiling is the fastest option you got. It’s a lot of times faster than using drywall. I completed the entire project within 2-3 hours (including the pauses I made to wait for the paint to dry). If I used drywall then it would take me days to fully complete the project. Plus, it’s harder to use drywall.

• You can easily access the pipes – If your house isn’t fully finished and you know that you need to access the pipes in the future, then painting the ceilings instead of using drywall is a smart idea. The exposed ceiling allows you to access the pipes without any problem.
• Cheap – You have to spend some money on this project, but it’s cheaper than drywall. Plus, if you already own a paint sprayer then the expenses are 50% less.
• Visual Height – Obviously, if you paint the unfinished basement ceiling the overall height won’t change. But, it will feel that the ceiling is higher, which can be good.

Read more — Best Deck Sprayers

What Paint Color Should You Use For Your Exposed Basement Ceiling?

Well, you can use any paint you want really. But, I prefer to use – white, black, or grey, and here’s why.

• If you use white color –  White color will make the basement feel brighter. But, you need more coats. Plus, you need a special primer to prevent the knots to turn yellow after a while.
• If you use black color – The black color is very good to hide everything. If you use a black color everything will disappear. But, it can make the ceilings feel lower.
• Grey Color – This is a good mix of black and white colors. Grey makes the basement feel lighter plus it hides a lot of details.

Read more — Best Fence Stain Sprayers 

How Much Does It Cost to Paint an Unfinished Basement Ceiling?

The price depends on where you live, and what tools you own. But, based on our own research– painting an unfinished basement ceiling will cost you 1-3$ per square foot. If you already have most of the tools then it will cost you less. If you don’t have a sprayer or paint, then that’s the estimated cost. 

What Tools Do You Need To Paint Unfinished Basement Ceiling?

One of the most important tool you need is a paint sprayer. The paint sprayer delivers a high-quality finish and it’s fast, so you will be able to complete the whole process faster. If you don’t already have a paint sprayer then I recommend you check our post about – best paint sprayers for ceilings. So you need:

• Paint Sprayer
• Primer
• Paint
• Protective Gears
• Paint Tape
• Respirator (If your basement doesn’t have ventilation)

The respirator is very important. I don’t recommend working without a ventilator or respirator in a closed ambient.

How to Paint an Unfinished Basement Ceiling

Once you get all the tools you need, it’s time to actually paint the exposed basement ceiling. Here are the things that you need to do:

Clean The Basement Ceilings

If you still have insulation, I suggest removing it. There’s no reason to keep it unless you need noise reduction. If you already have removed the insulation then I suggest getting a brush or broom and to double-check if you missed any spot of the insulation and remove it.

Now it’s time to remove the dust. I recommend using a vacuum cleaner, or an air compressor. The air compressor is very effective and it blows away the dust, but the problem is that it creates a huge mess. But, you can use the vacuum cleaner to remove the mess the air compressor made.

Related Read — How to Paint a Concrete Basement Floor?

Clear The Basement and Wear Safety Goggles

After you clean the ceiling, it’s time to clear the basement. Start by removing everything that you don’t need. There shouldn’t be any furniture or anything that can get into your way. If you can’t remove something then you should tarp it.

You should also tarp the entire floor since the paint may slip and touch the floor. After you tarp the floor make sure to tape the sides of the floor to prevent the paint from touching your walls. If you have unfinished walls and you are planning to paint them in the future then don’t worry about the sides.

I recommend putting the lights into plastic bags and tarp all the windows and doors (Learn here: how to paint doors?). Once you clear the basement, it’s time to protect yourself:

• Wear Goggles ( and clean them often)
• Gloves
• Painter Coveralls to Protect your Clothes
• Shoe Protectors
• Respirator

As I mentioned before, having a respirator is very important. Especially if your basement doesn’t have air ventilators.

Prime The Ceiling

You need to prime the ceilings first so the paint can stick. If you are spraying different pipes then priming is necessary, it helps you get a lighter color faster.

If you are spraying white color then I recommend using a different primer. The one I recommend using is the Shellac Primer, without a special primer the white color will show off the knobs and they will get a yellow look after a while. You will need to use ammonia to clean the yellow look. For any other color such as black or grey, you can use any primer.

While you are spraying the primer make sure to move quickly and not spray at the same place for a while because you will get drips, and make sure to cover the whole ceiling. I usually spray 2-3 coats of primer.

Paint The Ceiling

After you prime the ceiling, it’s time to paint it. Since you already added 3 coats of primer that means that you don’t have to use a lot of paint. We usually use 2-3 coats of paint for basement ceilings.

Follow the same rules while painting too – don’t spray in the same place for too long or you can easily overspray. Make sure to cover the whole basement ceiling. And this is how to paint an exposed basement ceiling.

While spraying makes sure to move your whole arm and not only your wrists. This helps you to work longer without having to take a break. Each coat takes about 20-30 mins for you to spray, and 30-60 minutes to dry.

Your paint sprayer needs to have a hose or a large range, otherwise, you can’t spray the ceilings because the paint won’t reach it. Here are some more paint sprayer tips.

Read more — How to thin paint for spray guns?

Can You Paint the Pipes in the Basement?

Yes, that’s the point of it. If you paint pipes then they will disappear virtually and the basement will look better. But, make sure to use a primer to help the paint stick.

I had different pipes in my basement – softer pipes, copper pipes, etc. And once I covered them with paint, the basement looked better.

Read more — Best Plasti Dip Paint Sprayers 

Final Words

And this is it – this is how to paint an exposed basement ceiling. If you follow this mini-guide you will get great results. Keep in mind that you need a ventilator or a respirator in your basement. If you have any question you can comment down below or send me an email.