Troubles with basement ceiling

[TheGrudge]

My father in-law always tells me that water is his nemesis. He claims that leaks find him wherever he goes and that even if he lived in an apartment on the middle floor, he'd be in the apartment with the leaks.

For me, it's got to be ceilings.

I recently finished the basement in our Bristol model by Tamarack. I framed everything myself and then I had professional drywall guys put up the board and a taper I've known for years do the mudding and taping. The mudder/taper has done jobs for my parents, my in-laws, and he did my last basement. All were flawless. I mean...flawless.

This time around he did our basement and again, I was blown away by how he feathers the seams so nicely and spends a lot of time doing multiple coats, using a light to check his work as he goes.

So I painted the ceiling about three weeks ago. I put on two coats of primer and my dad and I painted the ceiling 5 times as we could not eliminate roller streaks. The way the room is designed it has a really long open area with two basement windows at the other end very close to the ceiling. Anyway, we've now moved furniture into the room and in addition to the roller streaks that gave us trouble I can see every seam in the ceiling during the day time. At night when there are just a few lights on it looks absolutely spot on and flat but in the day with just sunlight, it looks pretty bad. I'm wondering if it's a drywall issue or a paint/primer issue.

Like I said, we painted the ceiling 5 times after priming it twice so I can't see it being just a paint thing. On the other hand, when you feel this guys seams and put a level across them, they're perfect.

My family and friends are all telling me to let it go but I can't help but feel like I should sand the whole ceiling (lightly) and then re-prime and paint.

The one thing I will say - there seems to be a texture issue going on. If I look closely I can see different textures where the drywall mud is. He used "CGC Machine Mud" and he told me not to bother wiping the dust off before priming and painting. His claim was that the dust was so fine it would not be noticeable and if I tried to clean it off I might risk damaging the mud. Seems crazy but that's what we did on the walls and they're fine.

Oh, the only other thing. All the visible joints seem to be factory seams. Where the butt joints are you can't see any seam at all, if that makes any sense.

Any ideas as to what the issue could be? Like I said, I'll post a pic later.

It's also one of the most unforgiving areas in the house because there's just two windows at ceiling height at the opposite end of the basement so the light really dances across the ceiling.

[good2know]

What primer? What paint?

Thinking that 7 coats will have buried and difference between compound and paper.

Ceiling level windows are the worst for showing seams. Are the seams perpendicular to the light?

I wouldnt repaint it. A very light stipple, or a knockdoen ceiling finish would hide this.

which direction did you paint ?

[TheGrudge]

It was Para primer and while I can't recall the brand, it was specialized ceiling paint that goes on bubble gum pink.

Neither was cheap I can tell you that. I hate watery cheap paint so I always splurge!

I painted the first few coats going with the light, the last few coats perpendicular to the light.

The seams you can see are perpendicular to the light direction. The seams that are parallel you can't see.

[good2know]

paint sounds like home depot cil.

So good primer, good paint, good mudder.

Im guessing the seams are most viewable looking down the room? With back to window wall looking the other way, you see almost nothing? Sitting on a couch looking up you see almost nothing?

I have one like that too and thats as good as it gets with high windows.

Am 8th coat of paint wont fix it imo. Any attempt to replaster seams or skim coat entire ceiling would be no better and possibly make it worse.

99% of people wont see anything at all let alone think its ia problem.

I say let it go. Apply the Tarion standard - turn off all the lights and go upstairs to the kitchen. Hows it look now

[good2know]

Heres mine:

[TheGrudge]

Here's a few pics of mine. Some of the pics look pretty bad and to be honest, it's not that bright down there today. It does get one small notch worse.

With the lights on though, no issue and in the words of my wife "let it go man, you're the only one who looks up all the time". EDIT - Not sure why they're all upside down but I tried twice to fix it!

[good2know]

Listen to the lady

A set of those real/faux wood horizontal slat blinds and valence would minimize the glare when set to shine the light downwards.

I see the kids have moved in - they don't care for sure. haha

[TheGrudge]

The kids moved in about 30 seconds after the carpet installers left. Having the toys down there and not upstairs in our living room - now that's a slice of heaven.

I was thinking some blinds on the windows would work wonders so that's definitely on my radar. I need to get on the baseboard/casing soon.

BTW - I don't think your ceiling looks bad at all. I see what you're talking about but just barely.

[BrianT]

A big screen TV will direct the attention away from the ceilings.

[Mark & Lynda]

Have you placed a straight edge up against the ceiling? A 6 or 8 foot straight edge will reveal right away if the ceiling is flat between joists. If not, this could be showing the seams?