I am spraypainting my basement ceiling black, I am also putting up drywall. I am not sure how to finish the space above the top of the wall, where I can see insulation between joists. Any thoughts are welcome.
Painting insulation is just begging for trouble.
If you're looking at joists and insulation then you don't have a ceiling to paint. I wouldn't paint the insulation, so I guess your choices are to leave it as is or to install a ceiling. If all the wiring, plumbing, air ducts, etc. are above the bottom of the joists then you have a few more options and an easier job; otherwise you may want to look at a suspended ceiling.
Spray Painting Basement Ceiling
If you're finishing the basement, and you're insulating it properly, then there's no need to have the insulation on the ceiling at all -- all it serves to do is provide sound dampening between the two floors. When you finish the walls and floors, make sure you provide a vapor barrier on the surfaces -- I can't emphasize this enough. Even a visually dry basement will allow moisture through the walls and floors -- this is the nature of concrete. If the moisture is outside your home, it wall pass inside. If you don't install a vapor barrier, then this moisture will build up under the carpet and behind the walls. Fiberglass, wood studs, wood sub floor, carpeting, and all sorts of other floor and wall products will be damaged by this moisture over time. The vapor barrier on the walls should not be waterproof paints or coatings -- I've seen those fail time and time again. And the floor should not use those plastic and chipboard products that are out there today -- those leave an overhang of chipboard to be exposed to the floor and rot. A good, penetrating concrete sealer can be used on the floor. A good choice for the walls is a plastic vapor barrier, which will also prevent water from passing through cracks, should they ever form on the walls. Spray foam insulation on the walls, if it's closed-cell, will also solve your problem.
