Are your children scared of going down in the basement? Do you jokingly call your basement a dungeon? Are you in desperate need of basement waterproofing bel air md? If you own an older home, chances are you have dark panelled walls in the basement.

Dark walls, combined with small basement windows and limited light make for a really dark living space! How can you make your basement more light and inviting? Here are a few ideas

Install more lighting.

Add a few more fixtures, whether that means installing pot lights, galvanized ceiling lights, or just using brighter bulbs in your existing fixtures. If you’re in the market of looking for new types of lighting for your basement, or in other darker areas of your home for that matter, then a small floor lamp can be a good choice in giving you and your family a sufficient amount of light. Just remember that if you’re not familiar with fitting lighting, always consult with a professional. You can find an example of a professional lighting company at: https://hometeamelectric.com/city-page/twentynine-palms/ but you may need to search for other companies closer to you.

Rip out your old walls and install drywall

Obviously the best solution for your basement walls is to install new drywall, this give your home the most up to date look, however, let’s weigh the pros and cons:

Pros: You end up with smooth painted walls

Cons: It’s both the most expensive and the most time-consuming option

Paint your panelling

Did you know that you can paint that dark panelling in your basement? What’s involved? First you’ll need to make sure that the surface is clean. Use a primer that offers good adhesion, one of our favorites for this application is Sherwin Williams Extreme Bond Primer, or XIM UMA both of which are designed to stick to glossy and smooth surfaces such as panelling.

Pros: Very economical and you can paint it whatever colour you choose

Cons: You still have the ridges from the old panelling

Wallpaper your panelling

Once your panelling is primed you can have wallpaper installed over the top of it. In general, thicker wallpaper will work better in this situation that a thinner wallpaper would because the thicker paper hides surface imperfections better.

Pros: You don’t have to install new drywall to achieve smooth walls

Cons: The panelling needs to have been installed properly in the first place. If there are bumps, especially where the panels join, this could show through the finished product.

In conclusion

There is hope for your dark dungeon-like basement! If you’d like to paint or wallpaper your panelled basement walls why don’t you book a quote? We’d be happy to transform your basement with lasting beauty!