This post is a bit overdue but to keep the chronology correct here goes anyway.
The train room is ready for paint finally! All of the drywall and joint compound work is complete and the cleanup finished. My lovely and painting talented wife has begun to work her magic with the brushes and rollers.
An interesting learning throughout the basement drywall project has been an opportunity to work with several different brands of PVA drywall primer. We have gone through several 5 gallon buckets. Each time we purchased a different brand. For the train room we purchased Behr brand. Once it has been used I will create a new post that will offer our opinion of each of the brands. For now I will only say there is quite a difference from brand to brand.
A decision that looms large is the wall color. At the moment Behr 540C-2 Serene Sky looks like the choice. I want the walls to look like sky yet I don’t want an overpowering blue that would get old real fast.
Hello! Hope all is well for the Holidays! on colors, I kinda wish ththere was one in bteen the Seren Sky and the Sea Rover, for personal preference. the Serene Sky looks like a slightly hazy day, the Rover more of a bright Summer, but I agree it might well get old. I think the Serene Sky will be better suited if any clouds you do are faint, a brighter white cloud and bigger might well be as overpowering to that background as the Sea Rover, but that would NEED a thicker cloud to stand out from the blue.
Flashwave, great to hear from you. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and wishing you a safe and happy New Year.
I am reluctant to paint on clouds. If we should want to sell the house it would mean repainting the entire room plus I fear I do not have the necessary skills to make them look convincing. Even with the accomplished modelers I see so many less than desirable examples of clouds. So I decided to go with a cloudless day. Serene Sky is pretty close to the sky color on a cloudless day near the horizon here in Michigan.
Nice chronicle of your construction, you certainly get right in there and get the job done, nicely too.
On the color, remember that a wall-full will always be *much* more intense than the color chip would lead you to believe. I would go for the lighter color.
I haven’t heard any mention of finishing the ceiling. You will be much happier in the long run if dirt is not sifting down from the open floor joists onto your railroad. Any plans? You can Search the MR forum for “ceiling:” and get all kinds of opinions, as usual.
Good luck, and happy new year!
Too late Gerhard, there is a 5 gal bucket of Serene Sky sitting in the basement. I think the color rendition of the color card on some monitors is off a bit. I don’t think there is a fear of the color being too *much* although I know exactly what you mean. It is a good point. We shall soon find out.
And your plans for the ceiling?
Stumped. Window proximity to top of wall means no drop ceiling. 8′ basement not enough height for a drop anyway, in my opinion. Plumbing means no drywall ceiling. Sub-floor and joists are sealed at the moment to prevent wood dust from falling but doesn’t do anything about appearance. Got any ideas?
Some quotes I’ve collected:
Drop ceilings are MUCH more expensive than a traditional drywall ceiling, and don’t generally last as long (and collect dirt of their own). You don’t need to access every single inch of piping in your basement, just the junctions. Add access panels at those spots, and a drywall ceiling will be fine. – Ray Breyer, orsonroy – 4/05
I did one in my layout room for the first time. I purchased it at Menards. It’s not your typical drop with the rails and wire. This one is plastic runners and tracks that screw right up to the joists. It actually gives you an inch or so more than a traditional drop. I know three other guys who also did one. It’s really quite easy, no level involved. And I used 2×2 tiles. The only tricky part was the recessed lighting. But once I did a few of those, it was easier. I’m very happy with it, although a little pricey. – Big Iron – 1/08
If you have a plumbing trap projecting below the ceiling, see if it can be changed to a drum trap (if not already) instead of the traditional “P” trap. The invert on the drum trap will save 2-1/2 – 3″. Only downside is the remaining outflow pipe will need to be reset (raised) for the new elevated pitch. Drum traps are used to carry waste on long horizontal runs within a bay so the trap could remain within the framing and not protrude. – Bob K., bogp40 – 3/09
One More (although I don’t have the original quote)
For minimum cost and dimension, staple some white plastic sheeting (Tyvex might work, too) to the underside of the joists – will contain the dust, make a nice white reflective surface to improve lighting, and can easily be cut into and replaced piecewise if access is required.