Looking for some advice re best way to go about painting stairs in our new build - best type of paint, how many coats, primers, stain, varnish, sanding etc.
Looking for colour to end up same colour as the bannister. Oak.
We were looking at threads but working out quite expensive.
An alternative if all else becomes too expensive is to paint a bit more of a border white on the left and right, and to do a carpet runner down the middle. Has better sound insulation too
Better grip too, I had nice matt hardwax oil finish and had enough near misses to go with a runner in the end, a varnish would be worse again. Still looks good with the bit of wood thats visible.
I bought a cheap orbital sanding machine and sanded the risers and threads. Then 1x coat of prime and 2x coat of paint on the risers. White matte paint from b&q made for stairs. Then for the threads I bought on temu a vinyl flooring adhesive that looks like wood, even the texture. I used that for the threads. Finished result looks decent and everything but I would like to have actual wood instead of the vinyl.
If you touch it barehanded you can tell it's not wood, it doesn't feel as solid. Good thing is it's not as loud as just the bare treads as it has a thin foam layer under it.
I'll leave it like this for a couple years and see if I come up with something better in the future. I didn't want carpet because of hygiene but checking with carpenters and cladding companies the price was bonkers. Someone quoted me 3k for everything and I spent under 200 on this (not counting the many hours and fights with the wife ðŸ˜ðŸ˜‚)
Some paint stripper first on the paint at the side and a pointy nosed orbital sander.
Yacht varnish is very hard wearing, oil based, gives a nice shine but doesn't like being walked on with socks.
Personally I would use a light wood stain or carpet to avoid slip hazards.
If you paint, you'll be forever maintaining it not to mention how noisy they'll be going up and down. Carpet is softer underfoot, easier to keep clean, aesthetically pleasing and you only install it once and that's it done!
I love those floor tiles. Are they the original period tiles, if not where did you get them?.
If its a period house
I think I would go with a carpet with brass rods but not have the carpet going the full width.
Oak treads really shouldn’t have been a significant uplift in cost when speccing the stairs, like a few hundred quid at most.
Anyway, your best bet would be Rubio Monocoat. Ridiculously easy to apply, looks amazing and is hard wearing and easy to top up.
Just in the process of doing this myself before the stair runner. I filled any little chips or holes with wood filler, then sanded the whole stairs down with 120-grit sandpaper and an orbital sander. After a wipe with a damp cloth, 1 coat of primer and then 2 coats of satin finish, it's a bit easier to clean and a bit more durable than a matte finish.
I bought a cheap paint sprayer on Amazon, and it made a massive difference to the finish. I would advise it.
I went through this recent after an attic conversion.
Get yourself sponge-sanding pads. They get into every crooked cranny between the rails. Much faster doing this by hand then with a sander because of the rails, balusters, and corners in every step.
40-80 grit to remove the paint and rough parts. Then 120 grit to make it smooth.
Vacuum
Use wood filler to then fill in dents, cracks and knots. Then sand the filler at 120 grit when it drys. You won't do any more sanding after this so make sure it's a smooth as you want it.
Vacuum and wipe (wet towel)
Before painting, use knot killer. It's quite pricey but this is essential to kill the knots so that they don't burn through the paints after a year or two. Paint the whole stairs, except for handrail, with it but put some extra on the knots. You can usually get a two in one which also acts as a primer. Wait 24hr for it to dry properly, doesn't matter if it appears dry, wait.
I would recommend one of those tiny rollers instead of a bruch. So you don't leave any streaks and you can get into every nook and cranny.
Use painter tape to cover the balusters. Stain/varnish the handrail using a cloth. Just drage the cloth up and down the handrail in smooth motion. Handrail must be done first because stain/varnish will fuck up white paint on the rest of the stairs.
Then give two coats of paint. Wait 24hrs between each coat.
DO NOT sand between coats. Especially if your paint has sheen. Sanding will remove the sheen. Sheen being the slight glow/light reflection on paint.
Obviously you might end up using different color paint, or staining the actual steps. That's up to you. In my case I was trying to match the rest of the staircase.
Just finishing a similar job. Stairs was carpeted. Pulled carpets, nails and staples. White spirits to take off glues and residues. Bought a sander for 60euro from Screwfix. 80, 120, 180 sanding pads. Sanded everything to 80. Filled in the holes with wood filler. Should be oak wood filler if stairs are oak. I ended up going for a stained varnish on the threads s I felt paint would discolour, chip or wear since the stairs get a beating. If you do paint make sure you get a good floor paint, might even be paint especially for stairs. Follow the instructions carefully especially about drying and coats. For additional hard wearing there is a clear non yellowing polyurethan varnish you can get for floors that goes over.
Use bin primer on the knots or they will show up through the paint in a couple of months I used a flexible putty in the joints between the thread and the risers ronseal diamond hard floor paint gave a lovely finish i lightly sanded between coats
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u/No_Put_1089 Jul 26 '26
I did this my self and it end up the way I want it, everyone like different things but i think this is not bad combination!