Posts Tagged ‘stairs’

Many American houses that were erected in mid 20th Century have the typical stairway that you see as soon as you enter the front door. Many times that staircase is not wide enough and looking up; the hallways leading to the second floor can appear very dark. A great, inexpensive option to renew a dated staircase is with paint. Painting wooden stair parts is straightforward as long as you prepare properly and never cut corners when it comes to the quality of materials you use.

Very popular paint finishes for a set of stairs include high gloss in bright white or a creamy winter white to visibly brighten up the staircase. For a sleek, modern look, use darker colors and choose a paint product with an upscale matte finish. Rich chocolate brown is very fashionable right now.

Here are a couple of key points for painting a staircase with success:
It is critical that you get rid of all decrepit paint or stain so you have the bare wood to work on.
After all the final remnants of paint and stain are gone, sand the wood stairs and spindles and hand rails using a fine grit sandpaper to get a smooth, ready to paint surface.
Be sure you choose the best quality floor paint you can afford. If you are uncertain, speak with a paint pro at Home Depot, Lowe’s or your local home decor store and get advice. You want a long lasting, strong product that is a snap to keep clean, will offer you the color shade you want and will hold up for many years.
Always apply a high quality primer coat to all stair parts including the wood steps, the wooden risers, the balusters, newels and railings. If you find that the wood really soaks in the primer severely, let the first coat dry completely and apply a 2nd coat of primer. Allow to dry for a full 24 hours.
Use superior quality paint brushes to ensure a perfect finish and brush on the first coat of paint. If possible, allow twenty four hours between paint coats. If you have stripped and sanded properly and chose a high quality floor and staircase paint, you should only need to apply two (2) coats. In certain circumstances, you may need to apply a 3rd coat, which is often true for deep base colors such as blood red and royal blue.
Never allow people or pets to walk on the painted staircase until it has completely dried. For fun, apply the last coat of paint on Friday and then get away for a family weekend away and come back to a brand new staircase.

The best thing about painting is that is affordable, you can do it as a weekend project, and it is never permanent. If you really don’t like the final look, you can easily start again!