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Tips for Painting Your Staircase
Sam Lutz • Aug 16, 2016
Painting a staircase can be different from painting the rest of your house because often staircases are in an unavoidable, central location. Reaching the upstairs from the downstairs part of your house is impossible as long as the stairs are painted and wet. This means that proper preparation is needed in order to get the job done as quickly as possible. This tutorial will cover the entire procedure, so you can start using your staircase once again.
Prep Your Stairs
Depending on the state of your stairs, preparation may take more time than any other portion of the project.
- If your stairs are carpeted: remove the carpeting, tear out the nails and tack strip holding it in, then fill the holes and sand the surface before painting.
- If your stairs are wooden: fill any holes or cracks, then sand down the wood to rough up the surface in preparation to accept paint.
Once the stairs have been completely prepped, clean them thoroughly with a rag to remove sawdust, dirt, grit and other debris. Once this is done, then you’re ready to start.
Gather Your Materials
- Painter’s Tape
- Tarp
- Oil-Based Primer
- Oil-Based Floor Paint
- Paint-Brushes (Angled and Straight)
- Mini Paint Rollers
- Paint Trays
- Polyurethane
- Razorblade
Paint Your Staircase
- Line the edges of your staircase with painter’s tape to keep the paint job straight and tidy.
- Lay down tarps in the area around the staircase to prevent paint from splattering the stairs.
- Paint the stairs with primer. Allow the coat to dry fully. Use angled paintbrushes to reach the corners. To paint the flat parts of the stairs, use the flat paintbrushes or mini paint rollers. Oil paint can be smelly, and can also take longer to dry. Keep the windows open and the area well-ventilated.
- Paint the stairs with a second coat of primer and allow the coat to dry fully. You’ll be able to tell that the paint is fully dry when it is no longer tacky.
- Paint the stairs with a first coat of paint and allow it to dry fully.
- Repeat step 5 to add a second coat of paint.
- Paint the stairs with polyurethane. This is an optional step that will help seal in the paint and protect the finish on the stairs. Painted floors do need to be refreshed periodically, but sealing your staircase with polyurethane can stretch out the period of time between paintings. Wait for the polyurethane to dry fully.
- Use a razor blade to score the edges of the tape, then pull the painter’s tape up carefully and slowly to avoid tearing the paint on the stairs.
It’s worth noting that paint can be slippery. If you’re worried about making your staircase more slip-resistant for safety reasons, use a textured paint additive to make the surface a little bit rougher.
Stop in at Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture for the Necessary Materials
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we sell everything you need to paint your staircase. Come on by for floor paint, primer, paintbrushes, tarps, blue paint tape and more! We’ll also be happy to give you tips, pointers and answer any questions you might have about the painting process.
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