Sprucing up a dated Basement in Andover

An old paneled basement that needed freshening prior to placing the home on the market for sale was the project for the day.

Paneling was a common upgrade in the late 1960s and 70s and now it dates the house and is often a topic of discussion when someone is either buying of selling.

What process to take and  the COST of freshening this room?

The good and the bad of older paneling that it was actually made of actual wood.  I know this sounds funny but most of the new paneling is NOT wood but a combination of materials and resins.

To change a original paneled room from wood finish to paint:

1. find any loose areas of paneling and nail down as needed.
2. light sand all walls and surfaces with sander of hand sander and wipe down.
3. Apply one coat of oil blocking stain blocking primer to all surfaces.  A 9 inch 3/4 roller will usually work for this process but brushing seems might be needed.
4. When primer dries use a good latex paintable caulking to caulk all seems where seperate pieces of panel abut each other.
5. Apply one or two coats of latex paint to all surfaces as needed.

The cost of painting a 12 x 24 foot room walls and trim only:

(most basements have dropped/suspended ceilings so ceiling is not factored in pricing)

• 2 gallons of oil primer
• 2 gallons of finish latex paint
• 6 tubes of latex caulking
• (2) 9 inch roller covers
• 1 box of nails

Material cost: $ 170.00

Labor:  $ 920.00

Total: 1,090.00

This project may not SELL you home but will change the basement from a dark space to a FRESH usable room.

If you need guidance on this or any other project please feel free in contacting us at RAMSDEN PAINTING WEB PAGE