Proper painting of a wooden staircase with your own hands: studying the technology. How to paint a wooden staircase in a house - tips and tricks How to stylishly paint a wooden staircase

During use, stairs are constantly subjected to various tests. Temperature changes, exposure to sunlight, humidity, all affect the service life of the product. An excellent option that does not require special skills and knowledge is painting the stairs. It will protect your product from problems. The procedure for painting stairs can be done even with your own hands.

Only, at first glance, it seems that the procedure for painting a staircase is simple. In fact this is difficult process, requiring compliance with its technologies and rules. But to achieve the desired result, you need to spare no time or effort.

Do-it-yourself painting of stairs is now popular, since the cost of work for painters is very high.

To make the staircase look like new after renovation, the owner needs to choose the right tools and materials. It is also necessary to carry out the restoration of the stairs in the house consistently and correctly.

Sequence of actions you need to know:

  • Choose the right paint or varnish;
  • Prepare tools and materials for work in a timely manner;
  • Before painting, you need to clean the surface (grind or putty);
  • We cover the stairs with primer;
  • First we paint the railings, then the steps;
  • Finally, coat it with varnish or polish.

The choice of material also depends on the location of the stairs. If the staircase is located outside, then you need to choose paints and varnishes based on natural ingredients (drying oil). If the surface is exposed frequent washing, then we use alkyd paints. Stairs located inside the house are painted with oil paints.

How to paint a staircase in a house: types of paint and varnish coatings

Before we paint the stairs, we find out what material it is made of. Mostly it will be wood or metal. Concrete, glass, stone and other building materials could also be used in the construction of stairs.

How to paint the stairs in the house? It is better to approach this event creatively. The choice of material will depend on the staircase design style you choose.

When finishing a wooden staircase, the choice should be made in favor of materials that emphasize and preserve the naturalness of wood. There are a variety of them.

For painting wooden stairs the following can be used:

  • Oil or alkyd paints;
  • Enamels that add attractiveness to the product;
  • Varnishes that highlight the structure of wood.

The ladder can be metal. You can paint such a staircase various compositions. These are alkyd-based enamels, nitro paints, and oil paints. To paint the stairs, you can let your imagination run wild and use different coatings.

How to varnish a staircase: secrets of the material

If you want to highlight all the beauty of natural wood, you will need varnish. Varnishes are solutions that, when applied, form a film on the surface of the product. And it, in turn, protects the staircase from negative influences.

Many experts know how to varnish a staircase. This can be done in two types of varnish: transparent or opaque.

The opaque coating is applied not in one, but in several layers. Therefore, the stairs take on a dark shade. This is done to eliminate all wood imperfections. A clear finish, on the other hand, is applied to highlight the natural beauty of the wood.

There are several types paint and varnish materials that can be used to paint stairs:

  • Alkyd;
  • Formaldehyde;
  • Alcohol;
  • Nitrocellulose.

A polish can be applied over the varnish to enhance the shine of the wood. However, all varnishes are highly toxic, and when using them, it is necessary to use safety glasses, gloves, and respirators.

What kind of paint should be used for the stairs inside the house?

One of important elements The interior decoration of the house is the staircase to the second floor. Timely care and painting contributes to the longevity of the product.

The paint for stairs inside the house must be of high quality and safe. Colors can be varied, depending on the design of the room. It is better to paint the stairs in colors that will distinguish them from the walls.

Shades can be very diverse. These can be tones that fully match the tone of the wood, or bright, saturated colors that highlight the staircase from the entire interior. Once you have decided on the color, you can move on to choosing its type. You should choose light paints that allow the wood to breathe, as well as quick-drying ones without an unpleasant, pungent odor. Oil paints have these qualities.

Types of oil paints:

  • Alkyd paints. They have a rich color and are easy to use;
  • Pigmented paints. Help hide wood defects;
  • Urethane-alkyd. Such paints can be applied without first cleaning the surface.

Also, for painting stairs indoors, use enamel paints. The enamel dries very quickly, has no toxic impurities, and has excellent protective properties.

Do-it-yourself painting of stairs (video)

There is quite a variety of colors that can be used to beautifully paint a staircase in a house or country house. They differ in type, color and structure. What color you should paint your stairs depends on the interior style of the house itself. Painting the stairs can be done using the services of various construction companies, but to save money, you can do it yourself.

The staircase in a house is an important part, especially if the building consists of several levels. With its help you can not only climb to the next floor. It should become a unique element of the interior. Therefore, every owner of a two- or three-story private house needs to know how and with what to paint a staircase.

To give the staircase a finished look, several types of paint and varnish coatings are used. These are varnishes, impregnations and paints themselves.

The first ones emphasize the structure of the wood (tinting) or fix the result (transparent), the second ones also emphasize the beauty of the wood pattern, but require additional fixing. The paints allow you to paint the stairs as you please.

Coloring is done not only for aesthetic purposes. On the floor, tongue and groove pine boards are most often used. Despite its strength, unopened wood wears out 5 times faster. This is due to the fact that dust and grains of sand become clogged in the pores, which over time destroy the structure of the floorboards. By painting a staircase made of pine or any other wood with varnish or paint yourself, you extend its service life.

stain Stain is one of the cheapest compositions for covering stairs. Impregnation happens different color

. It is designed to protect the wood and give it some shade. But it is better not to cover the stairs only with stain - after drying, you should use varnish.

Clear/tinted wood varnish

Varnish is used to cover steps, balusters and railings. The colorless composition does not hide the wood texture. It is very important that the sanding of all elements of the staircase is carried out the highest level. Transparent varnishes come in several types:

  1. Latex. Non-toxic material, safe for humans and animals. When applied to wood, it forms a thin, durable, water-resistant layer. It has antiseptic properties - protects wood from mold and rot. Can be used both indoors and outdoors.
  2. On water based or acrylate. Doesn't have unpleasant odor, non-toxic, forms a fairly durable coating that is resistant to mechanical damage, and prevents the aging of wood.
  3. On synthetic resins. Such varnishes dry quickly and are resistant to aggressive environments(alkalis, acids), used only for interior work. Do not use synthetic resin varnishes to paint steps. They are suitable for balusters and railings.
  4. Yacht. Happens different types, depending on the base - alkyd and its varieties (urethane-alkyd, alkyd-urethane) and acrylate. It is toxic, so when using it inside a living space, wear a respirator, otherwise the probability of poisoning is 99%.

Advice! Use for painting stairs only as a last resort. It is poisonous even after drying.

Tinting varnishes include oil-based compositions. With their help you can change the color of wood from pale yellow to rich brown. When choosing, you need to look at what percentage of oil is included in the composition. To paint the steps of the stairs, this parameter must be at least 65%. In this case, you will get a durable, wear-resistant coating. If the oil varnish contains only 50% oil or less, there can be no talk of any strength. This composition is suitable only for balusters and railings.

Wood paints

On sale you can find a great variety of the most different compositions. But which one is suitable for painting wooden stairs? To answer this question, you need to consider the types of paints used for wood:

  1. Oily. They consist of drying oil, stabilizers and coloring pigment. They do not have a strong odor, are affordable, are available in a wide range of colors, and are used economically. However, wood under such paint does not breathe. The resulting surface cannot withstand mechanical damage and quickly wears off and becomes dull. Service life up to 5 years.
  2. Alkyd. Based on pentaphthalic varnish with the addition of coloring pigment and antiseptic additives. Dries quickly. The finished coating is elastic and resistant to mechanical damage, durable. Alkyd paints are cheap and have a rich color palette.
  3. Acrylic. Produced on the basis acrylic resins. They are non-toxic, do not have a strong odor, dry quickly, are wear-resistant, have a rich color palette, and do not fade over time. The tree breathes under this coating. Service life up to 20 years.

Advice! Invariably good result provide alkyd paints for wood. Choose them if you want to save a little money and get high-quality staircase coverage.

Paste for covering stairs

Paste is considered an unconventional type of coating. It consists of linseed oil And beeswax. The consistency of the paste depends on the hardness of the wood. If the wood is hard, then there should be four times more linseed oil than wax. For soft breeds, use two parts oil to one part wax. You can make your own pasta or buy it at the store.

Surface treatment is quite simple: the paste is simply rubbed in, for this you need to use a natural lint-free cloth - this will make the surface of the stairs a little matte, with a silky shine.

What to pay attention to

The criteria for choosing a certain type of paintwork for a wooden staircase are as follows:

  1. Floor load. If the stairs to the second/third floor are often used, then a wear-resistant coating is chosen.
  2. Tree species. Pine floors can and should be painted; larch boards have a beautiful pattern, so it is better to choose a colorless or tinted varnish.
  3. Availability of ventilation. The staircase is usually located close to entrance area, which means there should be no problems with ventilation. Therefore, you can choose any LMB.
  4. Price. The issue of saving is especially important if a lot of money has been spent on repairing or building a house. In this case, you can choose cheaper paintwork materials for the stairs, but not at the expense of the quality of the finished coating.

Dyeing technology

Painting a wooden staircase takes place in 2 stages. This is preparing the base and, directly, opening the railings, balusters, and steps with varnish or paint.

The first stage is very important; you cannot do without it if you want to get a beautiful and smooth staircase.

Preparing the base To work you will need a solution for wood putty or alternative ways sealing cracks (wood chips, wood dust mixed with clear varnish), antiseptic primer,, spatula, sandpaper - 80, 100, 120, 180 - 220, 240 - 320 and zero.

The technology for preparing the base with your own hands is simple:

  1. Remove debris from the stairs and wash them with water. Then wait completely dry.
  2. Treat steps with remover old paint. Using a spatula, remove the swollen coating. Remove what hasn't risen with an iron brush.
  3. Clean the steps, balusters and railings with sandpaper, or preferably two – first 80-grit, then 100-grit, remove dust with a brush, and vacuum the steps additionally.
  4. Seal the cracks. The putty will not last long if the stairs are actively used. Try sealing the cracks with wood chips. Select a piece according to the size of the hole, coat it with PVA glue and place it in place. Another way to seal cracks: mix wood dust with colorless varnish, seal the cracks with the resulting composition and let dry.
  5. Go over it again with 120-grit sandpaper, remove the dust and finish the job with sandpaper. Ideally, the steps, balusters, and railings should be smooth “like an egg.”
  6. Treat the stairs with an antiseptic primer. Use a roller for this. Make sure that the mixture gets into all the recesses and decorations (if any).
  7. Wait for the primer to dry.

Now you can begin the final stage.

Paint coating

This is a crucial moment. Depends on the quality of the coating appearance stairs and how harmoniously it will fit into the interior of the house. To work you will need paint and a brush/roller. You can use a spray gun (it costs significantly more than conventional tools for applying paintwork).

DIY paint application technology:

  1. Open the jar. Using a long, strong wooden stick, stir the paint thoroughly. There should be no lumps in it.
  2. If the composition is excessively thick, dilute it with a solvent.
  3. Dip your brush or roller into the paint. Start painting. All movements should be along the fibers. After priming, the paint should not be absorbed too quickly. If you notice that the composition goes into the wood like a sponge, paint the entire staircase and wait until the first layer dries.
  4. Reapply paint. Pay special attention to the joints of the baluster/floor, baluster/railing, as well as various notches and squiggles (if there are shaped elements on the stairs).

Advice! After the paint has dried, paint the stairs with clear varnish. This will increase the strength of the coating. As an option, paint only the steps, and varnish the balusters and railings.

Varnish coating

The preparatory work before such finishing is somewhat different. Sanding is carried out only once before the first opening. This is due to the fact that the varnish will inevitably raise all the fluff on the surface. Interlayer sanding will be required (180 - 220 sandpaper), and for the first layer it is better to use a special primer varnish.

Note. After stripping the primer varnish, the staircase is always a pitiful sight. It looks much worse than after removing the old paint. Don't be alarmed. A second coat of varnish, applied to a properly prepared surface, will do the trick.

Painting the stairs is carried out in steps:

  1. Prepare a clear varnish (if it is two-component, mix it with your own hands according to the instructions).
  2. Dip a velor roller into varnish.
  3. Start coating by running the roller along the grain of the wood.
  4. Let the layer dry. This is approximately 3 hours.
  5. Do another intercoat sanding. Use fine sandpaper (240 – 320).
  6. Apply a second coat of varnish. The third or more layers are applied only after the previous one has completely dried.

If you don’t like the natural color of pine, larch or other wood, use stain to make the stairs darker. You can apply an oil-based varnish, choosing the desired shade. It's up to you to decide which is better.

The drying time for the staircase depends on the number of layers of varnish. After a day, you can walk along it in socks or knitted slippers without hard soles. On average, the coating gains working strength in 7 - 10 days. In order to tidy up the staircase with your own hands and not spoil its appearance, you must have minimal skills in working with paints and varnishes.

Follow the instructions exactly, and then the result will meet your expectations.

All photos from the article Wood is a wonderful environmentally friendly natural material , it creates a special cozy and warm atmosphere in the house. But in their natural form, the service life of such products is short, and the price of processing stairs by professionals is often scary. Therefore everything more people thinking about how to paint correctly wooden stairs

with your own hands.

Our website specialists conducted an analysis and collected for you basic recommendations on the technology for performing the work.

Selection of composition for coloring

Oil-based covering paints are an excellent option if preserving the texture and natural color of the wood is not initially planned. Alkyd compounds are more suitable for virgin wood. Urethane-alkyd paints are usually used for repainting and for exterior work.

There are thickly rubbed and ready-made oil paints. To prepare a thickly grated composition with your own hands, mix the coloring powder with drying oil. For external work, thickly grated compounds are made using natural drying oil, for internal work - using synthetic oil.

Enamels are most often used for interior work. Here we have a wide palette of colors and record-breaking drying times.

But such compositions cannot boast of durability. Plus, enamels have a glossy surface, which from a practical point of view is not very suitable for stairs.

Varnishes are the most popular compositions for painting stairs. With their help, you can highlight the texture, preserve the natural color of the material, or, on the contrary, tint the surface.

The range of varnishes is huge and this topic is worthy of a separate article; within the framework of this story we will only note that alcohol-based compositions are used for indoor use. External work is carried out with nitrocellulose-based varnishes.

Impregnations and stains are another fairly large group of compounds that provide protection and tinting of wood on initial stage. You should not neglect them, because it is thanks to them that your staircase will not be of interest various kinds living creatures. Plus, some impregnations protect wood from fire.

Tip: To give your staircase a special, unique velvety shine, use a polish. There is no point in talking about specific compositions, since for each type of paint or varnish, its own type of polish is produced. Plus, application instructions may vary.

Technology of work execution

Painting wooden stairs is a relatively simple process and almost anyone can handle it if desired. But here a number of important nuances should be taken into account.

Firstly, each type of wood reacts differently to staining. Secondly, it is important to decide whether you want to leave the natural pattern and color visible, or give the product a different look. Plus, the wood needs preliminary preparation.

Preparing the stairs

  • If you intend to preserve the material in its original form, as well as in cases where light tinting is planned, the solid must initially be sanded and dust-free. Moreover, this should be done twice with an interval of a couple of days. After the first treatment, the surface is leveled and the pile rises within a couple of days. The second processing is needed to bring the array to an ideal state.
  • Next, the array should be treated with stain or impregnation, the number of applications here is determined visually, depending on what tone you want to achieve. Varnish or translucent paint is applied only after the impregnation has completely dried.

  • If planned dramatic change colors, the instructions will be slightly different. It all starts about the same, the entire surface is well sanded. But immediately after the first sanding and dust removal, all chipped recesses or other irregularities will need to be filled. Moreover, the putty is selected to match the color of the future coating. This is especially important before painting a wooden staircase. White color. After all, on white you can see all the smallest defects and visible spots of other colors.

Advice: if the stairs have already been painted, and you do not know what composition was used, then first apply the urethane-alkyd composition with which you plan to paint in an inconspicuous place and leave for a couple of days. If the paint applied without problems, then you can continue, but if the surface is warped, you will have to wash off the old coating or clean it off with a spatula and a hair dryer.

  • Before painting a wooden staircase in a house, keep in mind that the compositions best adhere to hardwoods tree.
  • Young or raw wood will work like a sponge, the traditional 2 - 3 layers will not be enough for it, some types of varnishes and paints will have to be applied up to 5 - 7 times.
  • If the structure is old or made of particularly strong rocks, then before painting a wooden staircase on the street or in the house, it will definitely need to be well primed. Otherwise, the paint will not adhere well and simply flow off the array.

Working with conifers

Price for conifers perhaps the most affordable. In addition, working with such a board is simple and pleasant, plus this array is quite easy to tint, giving it the appearance of expensive wood. As a result, a good half of the structures are made from coniferous varieties.

But there is also a significant disadvantage here. All conifers have a high resin content. If it is not removed, the particularly tarred areas will darken and stand out.

Any coloring or tinting composition will apply unevenly; some helmets will not adhere to resin at all.

The resin can be removed completely or partially. For partial processing, a solution of technical acetone is quite suitable; 25% of the composition is sufficient. It should be applied with a brush to the array, then rinse thoroughly with plenty of warm water and dry.

To completely remove the resin, you will need a special composition, which is quite possible to prepare with your own hands at home. Per liter hot water 50g of potash and about the same amount of baking soda are added.

After stirring, add 30–40 g of chips laundry soap, 200g of technical acetone and 10g of alcohol. After degumming, the board is also washed warm water and dries.

In order for a wooden staircase to serve for a long time, it must be properly cared for, as well as painted and decorated. Every home owner wants to know how to paint a wooden staircase so that it does not dry out or deteriorate.

1. Before painting the stairs, preparations for painting are carried out.

The wooden surface requires careful processing. After all the preparation procedures, it is painted and covered with transparent varnish.

Work on the initial preparation of a wooden surface begins with sanding, putty and sandpaper. The first step after cleaning is putty. Choosing a putty will not take much time - there are a lot of solutions intended for wood that are sold. Putty is sold in various colors and there is always a shade to match the wood. If you putty using materials not intended for wood, it will quickly crumble and become unusable. The dried surface is carefully sanded.

After the first sanding, you need to wait two to three days for the pile to rise on the wood, then sand again. Before sanding again, you need to clean all the corners and recesses and remove any accumulated dirt. Stains of dirt and grease are cleaned and degreased. After all the work, the staircase will look very good, it will become clean, smooth and even. All imperfections, such as scratches, knots, cracks and holes, will disappear.

In order for the updated staircase to please the owner, careful priming is required. The paint will adhere better to wooden surface and at the same time hide the remaining minor imperfections. The choice of primer depends on the type of paint and the type of wood that needs to be treated.

  • This is interesting -

2. Before you start painting the staircases, the primer must dry thoroughly.

Everyone is painted first small parts and small elements. The best paint for working with wood is alkyd or alkyd-urethane based. Glossy paints and enamels are not used for painting stairs for safety reasons. These dyes promote slip.

If the owners of the house prefer to preserve the natural color of the wood, then it is tinted with stains, giving the desired shade, and covered with transparent varnish. The stain perfectly emphasizes the magnificent texture of the wood and perfectly hides all defects and imperfections. The varnish will give the product a slight gloss and firmly fix the result of the work. You should not skimp on varnish and stain, and the result of treating the surface of the stairs will not disappoint. The choice should be made on products from well-known and trusted companies.

You can verify the uniformity of coloring and the quality of the coating by making preliminary tests on an unnecessary piece of board. This will also help you choose the right shade or color, as well as understand how many layers of paint or stain will be needed to achieve the desired effect. Each layer of stain is applied after the previous one has dried.

3. The varnish coating is applied mainly after three layers of stain.

At the same time, after each layer of pre-treatment, you should sand and sand the stairs, this will help remove all unevenness and bubbles. Paint or varnish, preferably with matte or semi-matte paints or varnishes. This type of painting will make a wooden staircase of higher quality, it will hide minor imperfections, it looks better than glossy varnishes and does not lose its shine for a long time. This processing process may seem complicated and time-consuming, but the results of the work will not keep you waiting. The entire surface will become neat, textured and original.

Wooden stairs should be disassembled before work. This is being done. So that all ends and parts are painted evenly, as well as processing and uniform high-quality painting will help protect the wood from moisture, deformation and rubbing. Painting should be done in a dry, not hot place, and direct sunlight is not recommended. If it is not possible to disassemble the staircase, it should be processed in assembled form. Under such conditions, painting is carried out through the step.

  • This is interesting -

Painting the stairs to the second floor - video

Painting a staircase is an important, final stage in the process of repairing or manufacturing it. Thanks to painting, the appearance of the material changes, and the entire product harmonizes or conflicts with the overall design (if the color is chosen incorrectly). And paint on the surface of a wooden staircase inside the house, especially outside, plays an important role in protecting against pests, external influences and bacteria, and extends the life of the structure. What to cover wooden steps stairs on the street, the reader will learn from today's material.

Why paint a flight of stairs?

There are several main reasons for painting staircase steps, treating spans, railings and stringers:

  1. Aesthetic component. A beautifully painted two-color staircase or a high-quality coating made with enamels based on synthetic resins completely transforms the appearance and makes it better.
  2. Protecting the surface of stairs from destruction. Wood is very sensitive to moisture, it is affected by various pests, and fungi and rot can develop.
You can paint the stairs yourself

The question of how to paint a staircase is practically irrelevant: in stores there is always a choice of acrylic, polyurethane enamel, oil-based, synthetic and natural, different colors. The use of oil varnishes, drying oils, impregnations and stains is not prohibited; they will help to completely transform and refresh the look of the wood, and at the same time protect it from the destructive influence of dampness and time.

Important. The steps of a wooden staircase, properly treated with coloring compounds, will last a long time, fully preserving the properties of wood.

You can learn how to treat surfaces, what tools and skills to use, from the rest of the article.

Types of painting materials

The variety of types, different in quality, price, color, of paints and varnishes is unparalleled: if you want, you will have a red staircase with a matte finish in several carefully selected colors, smoothly transitioning into one another - and this is possible. On store windows, there are compositions based on natural ingredients and synthetic ones, those that dry quickly and are easy to use and require adherence to application technology. All that remains is to figure out what exactly to paint the steps of a wooden staircase at home in order to choose a varnish for the stairs, a paint that best meets the requirements.

In this video you will learn how to paint a staircase:

And to do this, you need to know how the alcohol-based coating of stairs differs from paint with good adhesion, why you need a base and primer for stairs. So, according to the standard classification, paint coatings are divided into:

  • oil ones are the simplest and most common. If you don’t want to think too much about what paint to paint a wooden staircase in your house, this is what you need. An undoubted advantage is low price, the disadvantage is the increased drying time. For the production of such paints, natural ingredients are mainly used;
  • alkyd varnishes and enamels based on special resin. They contain products intended for antiseptic properties (preventing wood from rotting), such products dry quickly, after complete drying they are non-toxic and harmless to humans and animals. The palette amazes with its richness of colors and shades, the choice of painting according to the color of the staircase, in harmony with the rest of the interior details in the house - best option. Therefore, alkyd paint or varnish for stairs is considered optimal in every sense;
  • acrylic. Based on a water-soluble polymer, a red staircase painted with such paints will not only be bright, but also very beautiful. They do not fade in the sun, are quick-drying, and help you quickly and cost-effectively figure out how to paint a staircase in a wooden house.

Important. Stains occupy an intermediate position in the hierarchy of compositions for wood processing: they do not mask the texture, they only emphasize it, coloring it in various colors. They definitely require combination with varnish coatings.

What is the best way to paint a wooden staircase in a house, and what coloring substances are included in the enamels, can be found out in the next section.

Oil paints

Most people, when asked how to paint a wooden staircase, will answer that they will have to take regular oil paint (not to be confused with oil for metal stairs), a brush and follow the process. These substances are based on natural or synthesized oils and drying oils, which, when dry, form a film on the surface ( paint layer). Organic pigments are used to create different colors. For application to the structure to be painted, brushes, rollers, and spray guns are used (for large areas).

The required consistency of such paints can be easily changed using special solvents (to make it easier to apply and spray on the product). The main advantages of oil-based paints and varnishes are low cost and ease of use. Disadvantages include instability to alkalis and relatively low durability.

The paint layer will completely cover both the wood texture and defects - this can be used for your own purposes. Having carefully filled all the uneven surfaces of the wood, you can then use an oil composition to paint the wooden stairs yourself.

The painted structure will look renewed and will last a long time compared to the untreated one.


These paints have their pros and cons.

Varnish for staircases

Varnishing a wooden staircase is almost as easy as painting it with an oil composition. In this case, you can advantageously emphasize the pattern of wood cuts by pre-sanding the surfaces and edges. Moreover, for pine, the need for varnishing is complemented by stain treatment, at the request of the customer. Such a subtle move will allow you to “transform” a cheap, inexpressive texture into a more expensive one - walnut, oak, cherry.

Like paints, there are also oil-based and synthetic varnishes. But this coating must necessarily be transparent. But here it is necessary to make a reservation: completely colorless varnishes do not exist; any of them will at least slightly distort the color of the wood. This must be taken into account when choosing between varnishes and other coatings.

The need to paint steps and surfaces of stairs with varnish is dictated, first of all, by the requirements of protecting wood from external environment. Such a coating should have a water-repellent effect, be resistant, durable and, if possible, distort the natural color of the wood as little as possible.

Enamels

Enamels are complex finely dispersed compositions of pigments in organic solvents. Depending on the quality of the coating, there are matte and glossy. AND domestic manufacturer, and any others may suggest big choice high-quality, bright enamels to find the answer to the question of how to paint the steps of a wooden staircase.


Red staircase painted with alkyd or acrylic enamel, will sparkle with an even, rich color, without fading in the sun for a long time and protecting wooden structures.

When choosing what to cover the steps of a wooden staircase in a house, you need to remember that the compositions different manufacturers heterogeneous in nature, do not combine well: for example, oil paints cannot be mixed with nitro varnishes, since the result is often unpredictable. It is not always possible to compose combined color of several, especially, use expired enamel. Or you can experiment on a separate piece of wood, and then transfer your experience to the entire structure.

Stains and impregnations

This is a separate, isolated group of compositions for wood processing. For those who are going to treat the wooden steps of a pine staircase in the house, but do not know what to use or which composition to choose from the variety of proposals, we can safely recommend stain.

Stains, despite their name, are not used to spoil the wood or kill it, but on the contrary: to embellish it, to emphasize the grain of the wood. They are a dye solution that penetrates the pores and changes the color of the wood.


The main method of applying stain is with a brush or swab. The goal is to coat the surface with the solution, let it soak in and dry. After soaking for wooden crafts Varnish must be applied, since stains have absolutely no protective effect.

There are combined compositions - so-called azures. Represent ready solution coloring pigment to imitate valuable types of wood in varnish.

This is very convenient: you don’t need to wait for the stain coating to dry; you just need to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to get high-quality and fast processing.

How to paint a wooden staircase

For those who do not know how to paint a wooden staircase in a house, and are encountering painting a wooden staircase with their own hands for the first time, there are simple and effective step-by-step instructions.

First you need to prepare the wood for applying paint or enamel. We are talking about cleaning all parts, parts, and surfaces without exception from dirt, dust, grease, and old paintwork. This is not an easy matter, but there is no other way: paint can only be applied to wood that is free from foreign inclusions, otherwise normal penetration of the composition into the surface layer (adhesion) will not work. Along the way, all detected defects are eliminated: cracks, fallen knots, and minor repairs to staircase structures are performed.


Don't forget everything you need for painting

To do this, a quick-hardening putty is used, which is used to fill the detected cavities and then carefully sand them. The simplest test of wood readiness is touch inside palms: on a well-polished surface, traces of processing are practically not felt.

Regarding the choice of what is better to paint the balusters and the entire wooden staircase, the decision here depends on many factors, including the cost of work. For premises and interior work, we can recommend almost any of the modern compositions: they all dry quickly and are low-toxic. For painting you will need:

  • brushes (several pieces, wide and narrow);
  • gloves, workwear;
  • glasses;
  • paint (consumption is determined in advance);
  • solvent and rags for cleaning brushes.

Due to the complexity of the design configuration, it is best to use brushes different widths than a roller. Despite the measured paint consumption, the roller is more suitable for large, straight surfaces, rather than for many elements different sizes and shapes. Before painting the stairs to the second floor, it is recommended to lightly shake and mix the enamel: this is especially true for oil-based compositions.


Don't forget the respirator

Important. The next layer is applied only after the previous one has completely dried. The time required for the formation of a stable coating film is different for each manufacturer and is indicated on the label (instructions) for the composition.

Preparatory work

These include: cleaning, repairs (if necessary), impregnation with stains, selection of paints and varnishes by color and brand. This also includes dismantling elements that will interfere with painting (metal frames, railings) if there is no way to protect them plastic film for the period of work.

If we're talking about about the external flight of stairs, then before painting it must be properly dried and cleaned, otherwise high-quality coating will not work. It is strictly forbidden to work with enamels and paints in rainy weather, immediately after the change of seasons (winter-spring): the wood must be dry.

Do-it-yourself painting of a wooden staircase

IN self-painting staircases with wooden steps on the street, there is nothing complicated about how to paint the internal staircase to the second floor: you just need to prepare properly, including buying what should be used to cover the wood - varnish, paint or enamel.

Strict adherence to technology and manufacturer's recommendations is the basis of success: a red staircase, carefully prepared and correctly painted, even a simple one oil paint, will look better than exactly the same one, hastily and sloppily covered with expensive and bright enamel. Which product is more preferable in choice is decided by the consumer himself, taking into account his financial opportunities and operating conditions of the product.

The best paint for a wooden staircase in a house will be the one that fully fulfills protective functions to preserve wood in normal, serviceable condition and improves the aesthetic perception of the structure.

Professionals advise: when choosing varnish for stairs, beware of fakes, low-quality products, and expired goods. Before applying the composition to the product, it is recommended to check how the coating will look. To do this, some insignificant fragment or unnecessary detail, and only then, if the result does not disappoint, they begin painting the entire structure.

It is important to remember that layers of paint must be applied along the grain (not across), using smooth, sweeping movements, and the brush must be held evenly in your hand, working with the very end of the bristles.

Before applying to the wood, excess composition is lightly squeezed out on the edge of a jar or special container into which the paint is poured. You should not try to paint the entire product at once; it would be more correct to divide the process into several (at least 2) approaches with drying each layer. First, choose how you want the varnished steps to look, staircase, make your sketch, and then start combining compositions and brands, layers and application methods.

How to paint a metal staircase

Sometimes the following problem arises: how to paint a metal staircase. The technology of painting with a brush differs little in relation to the material. Anyone who knows how to paint the stairs in a house can easily cope with this issue. The only difference is that paint coatings for wood and metal may differ, although there are also universal ones, for example, alkyd paints in aerosol cans.

Metal will require more careful preparation and primers, in addition, it is more difficult to clean. To find out how to cover wooden steps metal stairs, you will need to study a separate article on our website.

Painting concrete stairs

Breaks down into next steps: cleaning and painting directly. It is carried out with a special composition (the label should indicate: for concrete). Both alkyd and other enamels or paints can be used.

This article gives a complete, detailed answer to the question of how to paint flight of stairs made of wood, explains the basics of wood processing technology, what to paint first and why.

Surely it will be in great demand for those who have started renovations or want to make signs and wooden frames with their own hands. With the help of acquired skills, you can gradually, moving from simple to complex, learn how to choose paint for wooden stair railings in the house, on the street, doing the work quickly and efficiently.