Interior Home Design – Painting an Old Wood Staircase
Many homes in America that were constructed in mid 20th Century have the stereotypical staircase that a visitor will see as soon as you enter the front door. Many times that staircase is not wide enough and looking up; the landing leading to upstairs can seem very dark. A great, frugal option to renew an old staircase is with paint. Painting wooden stair parts is easy as long as you prepare properly and don’t cut corners when it comes to the quality of paint and brushes you work with.
Popular paint finishes for a set of stairs include glossy in bright white or a cool off white to visibly brighten up the set of stairs. For an urban chic, modern look, use bolder colors and select a paint with an upscale matte finish. Rich espresso brown is very fashionable right now.
Here are a couple of key points for painting a staircase without any troubles:
It is important that you get rid of all old paint or stain so you have the bare wood to work on.
As soon as all traces of paint and stain are gone, sand the wood stairs and balustrade using a fine grit sandpaper to get a smooth, ready to paint surface.
Be certain you decide on the finest quality floor paint you can fit into your project budget. If you are uncertain, consult with a paint pro at Home Depot, Lowe’s or your local home decor store and ask for advice. You want a long lasting, strong product that is simple to clean, will offer you the color you want and will hold up for many years.
Always apply a high grade primer coat to all stairway parts including the steps, the risers, the wooden balusters, wood newel posts and railings. If you observe that the wood really soaks in the primer severely, let the 1st coat dry fully and apply a second coat of primer. Let dry for a full twenty four (24) hrs.
Use excellent quality paint brushes to ensure a perfect finish and apply the first coat of paint. Whenever possible, allow twenty four hours between paint coats. If you have removed the old paint correctly and chose a good quality floor and staircase paint, you will probably only need to apply two coats. In certain circumstances, you might need to add a third coat, which is commonly true for deeper colors such as lipstick red and navy blue.
don’t allow people or pets to walk on the stairs until it has completely dried. For fun, add the top coat of paint on Friday afternoon and then go away for a well deserved mini break and come back to a brand new staircase.
The best thing about painting is that is budget friendly, you can do it as a weekend project, and it is never permanent. If you really are disappointed the finished look, you can easily do it again!
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Tags: architecture, home improvement, interior design, stairs, stairway