How to Refinish a Fieldstone Basement

Remove any loose or crumbling paint, mortar and chunks of fieldstone.

As with most any surface, the key to creating a lasting, durable finish when painting fieldstone is adequate preparation. If you plan to refinish a fieldstone basement, though, you'll have to commit yourself to extensive preparation or you will see chipping and peeling in a short time. Because fieldstone attracts dirt and tends to chip, you can expect to spend a full day or two preparing it before you touch a brush.

Things You'll Need

• Metal putty knife
• Pressure washer
• Coarse brush
• Bucket
• Tube of concrete patch
• Caulking gun
• Broad metal putty knife
• Razor blade
• 5-gallon bucket
• Nap roller
• Roller frame
• Extension pole
• 4-inch latex paintbrush
• Latex primer
• Latex paint
• Epoxy paint
• Wooden stir stick

Instructions

1. Remove any loose or crumbling paint, mortar and chunks of fieldstone from the basement walls using a metal putty knife.

2. Clean the walls and flooring using a power washer only if there is a drain in the floor. Use a bucket of water and a coarse brush if your basement has only a sump pump. Allow the basement to dry out completely before continuing.

3. Cut the tip from the tube of concrete patch and load it into the caulking gun. Fill any holes or cracks in the fieldstone. Smooth the wet patch using a broad metal putty knife. Allow the patches to dry for one full day.

4. Fill the five-gallon bucket halfway with primer. Snap the nap cover to the paint roller frame and affix the frame to the extension pole.

5. Apply latex primer to the fieldstone walls using the roller. Begin in one corner and roll vertically, moving from left to right. Continue applying primer until all of the walls are coated. Apply primer to any areas that proved inaccessible to the roller using the brush. Allow the primer to dry for three hours.

6. Clean all painting tools with water.

7. Apply latex paint to the fieldstone walls in the same manner as you did the primer in step five. Clean all painting tools with water.

8. Pour the epoxy paint into the bucket and mix in the resin with a stir stick. Apply epoxy paint to the fieldstone floor using the roller. Begin in one far corner and work backward in the direction of the door.

9. Allow the epoxy to dry for three hours, and then apply epoxy to any areas that were inaccessible to the roller using the paintbrush.

Tips & Warnings

• Never attempt to refinish vertical fieldstone surfaces without cleaning and priming them first.

• Do not attempt to refinish horizontal fieldstone surfaces with ordinary floor paint, which will peel up over time.

Resources

• Popular Mechanics: "5 Pro Painting Tips Every Amateur Should Know"