We’re finally back on speaking terms with the basement. After a rough start — complete with a Drylok application interrupted by surprise mildew (you can read our original post about that drama) — we’re feeling relieved and accomplished now that the first major step toward converting the cinder-block dungeon into clean, usable storage is complete.
If you remember, our initial coat of white latex-based Drylok didn’t hold up — mildew showed through and caused a lot of frustration. That first experience felt like trying to paint with glue, and it wasn’t nearly as protective as we’d hoped.
After a second round of bleach treatment to calm the mildew, we followed the experts’ advice and switched to oil-based Drylok. Warning: this formula is strong-smelling and thick — much heavier and oilier than the latex version — so we suited up with proper respirators and worked as efficiently as we could. Fortunately, the recent warm spell helped; Drylok needs temperatures above about 50°F, and the unheated basement benefited from a few 70-degree days.
It took two long days and eight more gallons of product to finish a solid second coat on the walls and floor, plus two full coats on the ceiling. Altogether we used 13 gallons of Drylok. It was an investment in both time and money, but it already seems worth it: after a week that included two storms, we’ve seen no moisture seeping through, which makes us confident the basement is now weatherproofed for the long term.
We chose the premixed tan Drylok instead of white to avoid a stark, clinical feel. The color options include white, tan, gray, and blue; the tan softened the space and looks much better than the raw cinder block did. Best of all: no mildew — not one spot — even after the rainstorms. The oil-based formula appears to have been the right choice for durability and mildew resistance.
With the Drylok portion finished, we moved on to prepping and painting the floor. We deliberately used tan Drylok on the walls (rather than painting latex over Drylok), because painted Drylok can’t be re-coated safely and the manufacturer recommends reapplying every 15+ years. The concrete floor, however, wasn’t the moisture culprit — the porous cinder block walls were — so we felt comfortable painting the floor for aesthetics.
To save money and use what we already had, we pulled out leftover oil-based porch and floor paint in a chocolate brown shade (Valspar’s Brownstone) from a previous sunroom project and applied a single thick coat. The darker floor color hides dirt and outdoor footprints that will inevitably track in through the basement’s separate entry, and it ties better to the rest of the house’s warm, mocha tones so the space feels more cohesive.
This is still the early phase of a larger basement makeover. Once the floor paint cures, we’ll tackle practical layout issues: obscuring the big water heater that dominates the center of the room, developing smart storage solutions, cleaning up access to the crawl space, and generally making the basement more organized and useful. We hope to finish before the cold sets in and the unheated space becomes harder to work in.
How do you use your basement? Is it storage-only, abandoned, finished living space with extra rooms, or a designated hangout like a man cave? Share what works for you — inspiration and ideas are always welcome.
*A quick aside: a friend with deep construction experience asked if we used oil-based Drylok, and I was glad to say yes. After the mildew lessons we learned, it’s clear oil-based was the right route for long-term protection.