Advice for re-painting basement walls

My basement walls are cement blocks which have been painted over. The paint is flaking in spots and shows signs of mildew.

What would be the most cost-effective way to fix this problem? I can think of several options:

1) Attempt to strip the old paint (difficult) and apply epoxy paint

2) Apply epoxy paint over the existing paint. Will this hold?

3) Seal things off with a vapor barrier, insulation, and possibly drywall and forget I ever saw a problem

Does anyone have any opinions on these options, especially with regard to how to remove the old paint, or any other recommendations?

Thanks!

Hi Inkieminstrel, welcome to the forum.

I would definitely go for first stripping off the old paint.. It doesn't have to be excruciatingly difficult if you use a solvent or stripping agent

Jeffie,

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I'm worried that the paint stripping will be difficult because the cement underneath is very rough and porous (think cinder block). Will solvents and stripping agents be effective on such a surface? I'm not sure the paint will peel off because of the surface it's on. Maybe a wire brush will do? I suppose it's time for a test patch.

Personally I would brush away (maybe a synthetic brush rather than wire brush you don't want to tear up the walls) the loose paint. You will want to kill the mildew with bleach and water.

Epoxy performs best in high moisture environments, but can be overkill ( how much moisture is in your basement). Latex paint works well on concrete. Because it is water based a little moisture in the concrete will not affect latex as it cures.