Thinking of sprucing up the basement. Walls made of plaster that have been around for many years and patched up here and there. Not so nice when they're just painted. And it gives a clear basement feeling 
To frame up and put on some sort of panels. Well, but it reduces some space. Especially in a small hallway...
To put up fabric and paint. Hm, maybe. But it won't be much better when I want to hang something on the wall.
Anyone have ideas/recommendations on what I should do with the walls? Different materials, pros, and cons?
ps, all the walls I'm targeting at the moment are interior walls; no exterior wall.
To frame up and put on some sort of panels. Well, but it reduces some space. Especially in a small hallway...
To put up fabric and paint. Hm, maybe. But it won't be much better when I want to hang something on the wall.
Anyone have ideas/recommendations on what I should do with the walls? Different materials, pros, and cons?
ps, all the walls I'm targeting at the moment are interior walls; no exterior wall.
You don't say what you will use the room for.
Basement walls must breathe if they are underground. I wouldn't put up panels.
I don't know what you plan to use the space for, but one idea is to put up a stone wall. There are plenty to choose from in different colors and appearances.
Basement walls must breathe if they are underground. I wouldn't put up panels.
I don't know what you plan to use the space for, but one idea is to put up a stone wall. There are plenty to choose from in different colors and appearances.
Primarily, it is a guest room, and the idea is to have a stove in one corner (unused chimney vent there). So I want it to look somewhat cozy. Then there is a hallway outside.
Beyond that, the plans don't go any further today (except for a bathroom in the basement that is currently being set up).
Incidentally, I was flipping through an interior design magazine yesterday and saw a picture where part of a wall was stone, but in that case, it was (I think) part of the stone blocks the house was built on. It looked nice anyway.
But even though stone might be an idea, I find it hard to see it as more than a complement.
Beyond that, the plans don't go any further today (except for a bathroom in the basement that is currently being set up).
Incidentally, I was flipping through an interior design magazine yesterday and saw a picture where part of a wall was stone, but in that case, it was (I think) part of the stone blocks the house was built on. It looked nice anyway.
But even though stone might be an idea, I find it hard to see it as more than a complement.
How many of the walls are against the ground/earth?
You can have stone on those walls, and for the others, you can do whatever you want, wallpaper, paint, etc.
It would be very nice to have a stove in the corner with a stone wall as a background.
I can further imagine that if it's a guest room, you need sleeping places.
Then I would make one on each side of the stove that can be a sleeping place/sofa (if you understand what I mean)
Like an extension of the stove.
Do you have windows in the room?
It's a bit difficult to come up with ideas when you don't know how big it is and what it looks like.
You can have stone on those walls, and for the others, you can do whatever you want, wallpaper, paint, etc.
It would be very nice to have a stove in the corner with a stone wall as a background.
I can further imagine that if it's a guest room, you need sleeping places.
Then I would make one on each side of the stove that can be a sleeping place/sofa (if you understand what I mean)
Like an extension of the stove.
Do you have windows in the room?
It's a bit difficult to come up with ideas when you don't know how big it is and what it looks like.
If it is an older house, one should consider that there may be (often to some extent) moisture migration in both inner and between walls as these are not moisture-protected from below. One should be extra careful when covering walls in the basement especially if the plaster has already come off, as this is a strong indication of moisture migration.
A common recommendation is to replaster all walls and paint with breathable paint.
Best regards, plexi
A common recommendation is to replaster all walls and paint with breathable paint.
Best regards, plexi
On our newly built house, we used Maxits Gypsum for plastering, which we then painted over with silicate paint. The plaster was great to work with, and we achieved a fairly good result even though we were "first-time plasterers."
First, we primed with Beckers Silicatbinder and then topped it with white Silicate paint. It resulted in a very nice, relatively hard surface.
The plaster:
http://www.maxit.se/PDF/GOR DET SJALV/putsa_inne_gypsum.pdf
The binder:
http://beckers.resolutmrm.com/Pro_Beckers2/default.asp?sLang=SE&cmd=List2&List1=7+Utomhus#
The paint:
http://beckers.resolutmrm.com/Pro_Beckers2/default.asp?sLang=SE&cmd=List2&List1=7+Utomhus#
First, we primed with Beckers Silicatbinder and then topped it with white Silicate paint. It resulted in a very nice, relatively hard surface.
The plaster:
http://www.maxit.se/PDF/GOR DET SJALV/putsa_inne_gypsum.pdf
The binder:
http://beckers.resolutmrm.com/Pro_Beckers2/default.asp?sLang=SE&cmd=List2&List1=7+Utomhus#
The paint:
http://beckers.resolutmrm.com/Pro_Beckers2/default.asp?sLang=SE&cmd=List2&List1=7+Utomhus#