Has anyone painted wooden stairs?

[alice]

Just wondering if you were pleased with it? does it last?

[KidKruger]

Yes I have. Yes I was. Yes it can do.

[malumbu]

Ditto, yes, yes and yes. As with all wood I use minimum of three coats, primer, undercoat and gloss, and all old school oil based. Stairs get heavy traffic and will get damage. Typical repainting for the interior is every five years or so, but leave it until it needs redoing. And it is all in the preparation!

[Seabag]

I?ve renovated a staircase or two, then painted them.

Mammoth task, well worth the effort as you use it each day.

[KidKruger]

I used:

Heavy, then light hand-sanding of stairs.

Seal wood with acrylic floor covering (stops stains - tar etc. - ingrained in wood coming through, which it did after 1st attempt).

Two layers of undercoat in chosen colour.

Two layers of acrylic floor covering to get gloss finish.

All water-based, all quick-ish drying.

Four flights of stairs and hallway took a couple of weeks, first few days of which were hand-sanding.

[alice]

Many thanks for all advice. Any suggestions for non gloss finish. Matt or satin.

[womanofdulwich]

But sooo noisy without any carpets.

[KidKruger]

alice Wrote:

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> Many thanks for all advice. Any suggestions for

> non gloss finish. Matt or satin.

The way I do it - I?d just use acrylic floor covering which is not glossy ie. Matt/semi-Matt.

I use Ruskins btw, sold at Plough.

[alice]

Yes I?ve used that on sanded floorboards. So it goes on over the paint?

[KidKruger]

alice Wrote:

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> Yes I?ve used that on sanded floorboards. So it

> goes on over the paint?

In this specific example, I?ve used it as detailed in my process list, above.

ETA: just realised my process list had a typo, fixed and should make sense now.

[malumbu]

Good heavens KK, what a thorough job. I'd still go for oil based, maybe I imagine it gives a better finish and is more durable.

If you have old boards they are quite often finished with this black gunk which takes ages to get off with paint stripper, particularly now you can't get methylene chloride anymore. Also carpet tacks often left embedded. Although I don't mind a bit of distressing, and in any case you can't be too precious as you will get knocks on hard used areas like stairs.

[diable rouge]

I personally like the 'floating' effect of an exposed wooden handrail, always worth investigating what quality of handrail you've got, a lot of period properties used good quality wood e.g. oak, mahogany, for the handrail and cheaper wood for the spindles.

Again personally, I'd avoid a gloss finish, looks too institutional, matt finishes are far more forgiving of blemishes, eggshell is a good compromise.

I'd also be very wary if you intend to paint the treads too unless you intend to have a runner, as the last thing you want is a slippy finish...

[Sue]

Mine are painted all white including the handrail 🙂

[KidKruger]

I sanded and varnished handrail natural/unpainted.

[alice]

Im thinking of matt black stairs and white banisters

[wordsworth]

Just take it one step at a time.

[malumbu]

black and white? Lots of opportunities for optical illusions https://www.moillusions.com/simple-black-and-white-pyramid-optical-illusion/

[Seabag]

I?m thinking of installing stairs in my bungalow, any advice?

[diable rouge]

How about a Fawlty Towers-esque staircase?...

Or a Penrose staircase?...