It’s definitely one of my fave tools to use . Please read our full disclosure policy HERE. I continued this process all the way to the bottom of my staircase. You really want to go all the way to the tape, and then paint OVER the tape as well so that you won’t have any unpainted little spots. We were able to use the old nosing piece to finish the edge of the landing, but we had to raise it up 3/4″ with plywood to match the height of the new oak flooring. Decide on the thickness of the gray “stripe”. Painting vs. With Plan C as the chosen route, we got right to work on our staircase renovation. Hope that helps! I felt the exact same way when I started painting my kitchen cabinets, but you should see those beauties now! #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-filter-opacity .gw-gopf-col-wrap.gw-gopf-disabled { filter:alpha(opacity=30) !important;-ms-filter:"progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(Opacity=30)" !important;-khtml-opacity:0.3 !important;-moz-opacity:0.3 !important;opacity:0.3 !important; } #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-pagination-wrapper { padding-top:20px; } Check if your staircase has been previously painted with a stain or oil paint <—-very important. Problematic. **Note: we are using the regular blue painter’s tape for this portion because it’s cheaper and only being used as a placeholder. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Basement Living + Dining Room Which type is up to the paint expert. Back on topic. For other painting tips, make sure you prep everything and if you are going to use painter’s tape – get it all in place first. In today’s tutorial I am sharing how to paint trim, stair risers and handrails with perfectly crisp lines every time! This is the ONLY somewhat challenging part of this staircase remodel project. That way, you can remove any paint you get on the treads before staining them; and painted risers are relatively easy to protect from stain. It saved me loads of time! The preparation for painting wooden stairs is much less than it would have been for staining the stairs (bonus!). Just a few days after completing my bathroom makeover, I figured it was a good time to jump head first into re-painting my staircase. You’ll be tempted to start at the top of your stairs, or at the bottom and just paint EVERYTHING now that you have everything taped off. Whether you want to paint them a … A stare-worthy painted staircase remodel, to be exact. All the risers must be of the same height. Holy moly. Entry Stayin’ Alive – DIY Bathroom Remodel Progress. If looking to re-paint a panel with a need to match factory paint, you might have to wait for the introduction of pre-mixed factory colors, or let a professional shop do the job for you. If you do not want to sand here is an important tip. And that’s it! You can enter things like: dark stained stairs, black stairs, painted stairs, etc. All About Mindful Gray + 27 Real Homes That Use It. I … Your email address will not be published. Instead, paint your runner in sections so that you’ll be able to get to the top or bottom of your stairs by skipping a step here and there. I started here at the top. Use a foam brush to apply your high quality white paint of choice. Stairs need special consideration when it comes to choosing the type of flooring to use over them. #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-post-overlay-bg { background-color:#333333; } And if you’re wondering, YES, we do put our children to work on all our crazy DIY projects. Since it was certainly the right price point, he agreed to give it a try. Take your time as you tape so that the results are great. Now that it is done I couldn’t be happier with the fresh, crisp white … If I did have to varnish, my thought process would be to do it first. The gaps on the side you experienced after painting happened with my stairs. Use oil or alkyd paint. Patterns and Ideas for Stair Risers : As said above, stair risers are the most viewed by any person. Gawd I hate that word. About to start on the project! [UPDATE: View the finished staircase here]. on Jun 22, 2018 Lightly sand the risers and wipe with tack cloth. You Really Can Paint Tiles: Rust-Oleum Tile Transformations Kit, How to Freshen up your Grout Lines (for $2 or less). Pine has knots that will bleed and make your white paint yellow. It will start to peel once it has dried. Use putty or wood filler and a putty knife to fill in holes. The reason I did it that way is so that when I went to tape the landing, I could match up the runner from the stairs above the landing and the stairs below the landing. This stuff is outstanding, and the best part is that we purchased it from Lumber Liquidators for .99/sq ft!! Hi Sabrina, I am looking for the same look you have on the stairs here. . By the time I went back up to the first step, it was already dry. He put in a panel then painted. Lori, I have come to the dreaded mistake you did also…. Good luck with the balusters!! Go back and do a light coat of base color (in our case white) over top of the tape, everywhere. Repeat this for the other side of each stair. I would want to get the messy stuff out of the way plus you don’t want to accidently spot up your white paint. Follow our staircase painting tips. I would go to your local paint store and inquire regarding their recommendation. All rights reserved. Does the edger pad work ok when you get to the spindles? If it still doesn’t come out, you may need to repaint. Egg shell, satin?? Once I figured out where the stripes were going to go, I measured from the edge of the stair to the blue tape. For a smooth finish use a small roller but cut in with a paintbrush … Hope this helps!! If no paints comes off, then it has been painted with an oil based product. Truth is, we’ve had to renovate stairs MANY times in our day, and the problem is, staircase remodels are almost always $$$. Hi Laila, The look is almost dramatic, so much so that the stairway itself becomes the focal point by just painting it. I filled my gaps after I painted simply because I didn’t realize I need to fill them in until afterwards. #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-slider-controls > div { margin-bottom:20px; } In the photo it looks like the pad might be a bit cumbersome next to the spindles? Below is how the stairs should look prior to painting the gray runner. Also once you get going, you will find out what kind and length of strokes will be needed to get the balusters painted. Check ‘er out in This Old House magazine. *, we’ve had to renovate stairs MANY times in our day, The Cover Up…Painting Tiles with a Rust-Oleum Touch-Up Kit. No need to paint or ever have to touch up those risers. Once this is finished, you may use a latex paint on top since it has something to stick to (. Even though the paint that I used has comes with primer already in it, it … So keep the paint of the riser simple but effective and attractive. Thank you for posting this ingenious tool to paint steps. Thanks Sabrina… Will go with the Varnish first and then paint… Hope ours turns out as nice as yours. REVEAL ORC Week 6: Combined Living + Dining Makeover, Check if your staircase has been previously painted with a stain or oil paint, If it has been finished with stain/oil, use a oil base primer. A couple more uber budget-savvy DIY projects finished off this space: First, our DIY mirror frame we made using a builder-grade vanity mirror and some leftover barnboard from our guest room and bathroom ceiling projects. Well, it’s one of these! With proper priming, a latex should work without the “chipping” that often happens with oil, especially when the previous coating has not been prepared to accept it. Garage Sorry impatient up early and want to get an early start! #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-post-more { text-align:center; } Required fields are marked *. Bathroom Thanks Elisa & good luck , Hi Sabrina, We have a new stairs to complete and would like to follow the same sort of style you have done. Your email address will not be published. Before you paint, I would also consider a carpet runner -- a patterned runner can be costly, especially if you use metal to hold it in place, but it is less expensive than replacing the treads. For the risers and spindles, use white semi-gloss with primer already in it. My risers are painted white, don’t know with what kind of paint. It’s fairly customary to paint stair risers a bright, glossy white while the stair tread gets a coat of protective stain, but this is not same for all the stair risers. Congrats on the new house! Neither one of those options appeals to me; trust me, it’s totally worth it to take your time on the taping. However, like white floors, pretty and bright doesn’t always equal maintenance-free…but it doesn’t have to equal nightmare either. Priming – 2 coats 1.5 hours. I recommend this primer because it’s the best. In our case, the landing was subfloor that had been covered in linoleum. Pin this post for later! Hi Carol, it’s emailed immediately after you sign up! I reveal my secret material for that white riser look! *This post most recently updated 7/2020. I’ve got a lot of riser painting in my future so I’ll have to pick up one of those brushes. Lately, darker colours even black are being used with some great results. Gashes, divots, etc. Painting Stair Risers in Dark Colour A lot of stairway trim and risers get painted in white or off white, cloud white being the default choice. Dec 16, 2018 - Slippery stairs are a design and safety no-no, making slip-resistant paint a good choice -- but color and stylish details matter too. Then decide on how wide you want your gray runner to be. Leaving alternate steps unpainted will allow you to use the stairs while the paint dries. This part of painting basement stairs isn’t really any different in terms of supplies or technique than other paint jobs you’d take on. Oh, before I end this post, I thought I’d share some prepping advice with you (just so I can save you from making the same mistakes I did), Stay tune for the finished product! will it look funny if I paint my trim up the stairway white like the risers? The last thing you want is for your paint job to peel. I’m a workaholic or so I thought… three weeks have gone by and I’m about halfway done (not quite where I wanted to be!). It was that quick and that easy. Bedroom As I update this post, the painted stairs are going on being done for 5+ years! Hi Steve! Kitchen The large zigzag of numerous treads and risers impact the home's design, so arm yourself with at least a few stair painting basics before you load your roller. Now don’t get me wrong, my stair risers were the first thing completed! I probably should have waited a bit longer before I proceeded with the second coat but I didn’t, I was on a role and having way to much fun with this. How To Paint Wood Floors Without Sanding. Thanks for the comment! #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-post-media-wrap img { left:50%;top:50%;-ms-transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(-50%) translateZ(0);transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(-50%) translateZ(0); } If we were willing to put a ton more time into the staining plan, it MIGHT have worked, but we weren’t willing to spend that time and energy on a ‘maybe’. I wish I can say I found the magic tool to make the process of painting spindles go faster but I don’t. If you plan to use standard latex paint, however, top it with a few coats of water-based polyurethane to increase its durability. Semi-gloss paints dry to a harder finish and have enough of a gloss they can be easily cleaned. If you have a cement staircase, you will want … “Check if your staircase has been previously painted with a stain or oil paint” I just painted my stairs (both treads and risers) using an edger like you suggested. Paint the treads dark, paint the risers white. You can use a small foam roller for any larger, flat surfaces. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. The best and most widely used paint for stairs is a Semi-Gloss paint. That will help others decide whether they want to tackle this painted stairs project, too! Sabrina is the design enthusiast behind the blog, Pink Little Notebook, where she explores her creativity through home décor, thrift store finds, DIY projects and her ever growing love to paint everything in sight! Another option is to paint everything black except the balusters. Thanks! Today, we’re talking about how to paint stairs. Then I MUST recommend Valspar Signature Paint in Semi-Gloss at Lowe’s, if you are painting the risers white. This seals the tape edges so that you won’t end up with any paint seeping under your tape job! The tallest riser cannot differ from the smallest by more than 0.37 inch. Through her blog Sabrina combines everything she has learned over the years and hopes to inspire others along the way! Love the way this turned out! Try Ombre Stairs. So, we moved onto Plan C. It took a while for the hubs to embrace Plan C, since, admittedly, it was a little “different.” Sure, we’re not the only ones in the world to have painted stairs, but they are not universally loved and accepted on a regular basis…yet. Just make sure it is a very light coat of paint that you put on. Paint the tread next and continue down the steps in the same order, applying paint to every other step. P.S…before you go, we’d sure love to see you around here more often! I’ll send your free stair painting printable guide immediately ⤵️. Preparation. What is the easiest way to fix this? Keep the handrails and newel posts stained. Now they are scuffed and look terrible. Make sure to grab your printable DIY guide for this project! Try using either a pencil easer or Mr. Clean magic easer. #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-post-media-wrap { background-position: 50% 50%; } We realized quickly that wasn’t in our ambitious (cheap) budget. Subscribers are the first to know about the latest DIY and home decorating news from the nest. What type/sheen of paint did you use? The large zigzag of numerous treads and risers impact the home's design, so arm yourself with at least a few stair painting basics before you load your roller. Join us! You’re probably wondering what the magnificent tool for painting stair risers is? And while we love a good stair runner (especially with brass hardware), paint is a much more budget-friendly option. What?! FANTASTICALLY easy and SO quick! Hope this helps!! We used Behr, but it is made by every major paint brand. I thought I would have to sand everything down, since it’s already painted white, and I just can’t do that now. And we took that builder grade flush-mount “boob” light and created a beauty out of it in about 5 minutes. First, take off any old paint or coating to ensure the new paint sticks well to the stairs. When the paint is dry, lightly tape 4-inch squares of cardboard to the painted stairs and paint the remainder. Take a look, it’s literally this simple. Use White Traditional Risers with Traditional Stair Treads to replace the existing risers or when building a new staircase from scratch. Can the same edger be used afterwards with a different paint color or do you dispose of it after one use? In the image above, the blue painter’s tape was placed where our gray stripe would eventually be painted. Please read our full disclosure policy HERE.*. Cover all of the treads of your stairs with drop cloths or protective plastic sheeting to prevent paint … Dip into your paint and slowly drag across your riser in one direction starting from the bottom…. It’s free. She is indeed a storyteller of style and has an extensive mixture of artistic skills and abilities which include everything from make-up art, graphic designing, painting, drawing, and even self-taught photography, just to name a few. Steve. But I’ll let you be the judge. Once the stairs are ready, it's best to start by painting the risers. Well, we didn’t have $$$ for this project. Having straight lines and no paint on your stair tread is a very important component to making your staircase look flawless. Also I have some pretty good size cracks between the riser and step cap,. For the treads and rails, use a porch and floor paint. We are thinking of varnishing first. Thanks Truth is, I guess these stairs have always been fairly “stare-worthy”. However, after a ton of sanding work, we realized this plan was going nowhere. With two drags and10 seconds later, you have just completed a nice (very even) first coat! Durable, slip-resistant porch and floor paint is ideal for stairs. We didn’t have to varnish our staircase so we just went straight to the white paint. I love the look. In most cases, white risers will require a second finished coat, which should not be applied until the first is completely dry. Thinking about the BLANCO SILGRANIT Sink? So, this is how it started out looking. The paint that you select for this project should be determined from the type of materials that you are painting. And for any of you who ever had to paint spindles, you know what I’m talking about. © 2019 PinkLittleNotebook.com. Check your work being careful not to rub against wet paint. If you see any white or faded streaks, you know it has been painted with a latex product. If you want to see some updates about how they’ve held up, here are a couple of links: This super inexpensive project has even been in print! #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-post-col { margin-left:20px;margin-top:20px; } What Kind of Paint Do You Use on Interior Stairs? Once you get in the groove of painting, you will have no need to stop your rhythm to do more prep work. When you re-stain your stairs, do every other stair, so you are still able to walk up the staircase while it is drying. Hi, The vertical distance between the two adjacent treads is known as riser height. #gw_go_portfolio_painting .gw-gopf-cats > span { margin-left:6px; } It makes painting risers a breeze! It’s definitely worth to pick one up. Not bad for a couple of cans of paint and a little DIY time and energy! — How do I figure that out? What's happier than ombre? I used a straight edge to get the tape as straight as I could, but in the end, I had to eyeball it a little bit to get the runner on the landing to match up with the runner on the stairs. Painting. Remember: under that “inside” yellow tape is where your white “stripe” will be once the tape is removed. Would you recommend varnishing or painting first. These treads are made of pine. Yes! Porch and patio paint is a special type of paint that is specifically made for floors! The sad reality is that stain doesn’t take evenly to pine in this condition. As for the gaps, fill them in before you paint. Otherwise…you’ll either have to live with the paint job being flawed OR redo the entire project. I first taped the stairs above and below the landing. The best product to use for your DIY painted stair project is porch and patio paint! This is one of those projects I’ve set aside for longer than I should have. I like the white trim around the baseboards and up the side of the stairs but all of the trim in my house is dark wood. The reason why my staircase is not fully completed yet is because of those horrid “spindles”. Don’t forget! All opinions are my own, and all brands featured represent what I personally like and support. ’ t is made by every major paint brand align the blue tape stairs is something you ’ talking! 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Of painting, you have a single layer of tape wood filler and little... Preparation for painting stair risers is paint sticks well to the dreaded mistake you did also… thing want... Any larger, flat surfaces small foam roller for any of you ever! Across your riser in one direction starting from the edge of the steps did a DIY staircase remodel project be... The painter ’ s because I ’ ve got a lot of abuse on your stairs. Immediately after you sign up somewhat challenging part of this staircase remodel, to be on the safe just... Its durability: View the finished staircase remodel on the side you experienced after painting happened what kind of paint do you use on stair risers?... Up the stairway itself becomes the focal point by just painting it or... It off and start over??????????????... The magnificent tool for painting stair risers is “ boob ” light and a... We realized this plan was going nowhere will have no need to scrape it off and start over?! Figured out where the tape s literally this simple be removed before begin...