Apply one coat of flat, semi-gloss or satin finish of a top-quality, 100 percent acrylic masonry paint. Fill every pore and void on the wall’s surface. Follow with a second coat of paint. Devote extra care toward covering any pores you missed with the first coat. Remove protective tape, plastic and dropcloths and discard.

If your concrete-block basement walls are dry and free of efflorescence (i.e. salt deposits) or mold, you can coat them with a masonry sealer or all-purpose water-base primer-sealer, then paint with a high-quality latex paint. A new wall color is an easy way to make the basement feel warmer, brighter, and more welcoming.

Since concrete walls are porous, they need to be sealed with primer before painting. Apply one coat of mold killing primer all over the walls. Once that dries, apply two coats of masonry paint. It’s important to use masonry paint because it’s specially formulated to breathe. This is a must have feature when painting concrete walls.