How to Paint Risers and Stain Stairs

You can stain and paint your stairs.

Do you crave the elegance of a traditional staircase, with painted white risers and stained treads that match a hardwood floor below? Contemporary style puts a modern twist on classic elements. And a two-color staircase is a perfect, subtle starting point. If you've got the patience, you can save a lot of money in labor costs, as well as get immense satisfaction, by doing this project yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Painting clothes
• Painters cap
• Inexpensive latex gloves
• Several sheets of coarse and fine sandpaper
• 2 large, and 1 small, angled synthetic paintbrush
• 1 small, angled natural bristle paintbrush
• 2-inch foam brushes, 3 or 4 total
• Several small rags
• 3 or 4 rolls of painter's blue tape
• Oil based wood stain
• Fast-drying polyurethane
• An eraser
• Oil-based primer
• High-gloss or super-brilliant white latex paint

Instructions

1. Sand off the paint or the stain that is on your stairs, and any area you wish to refinish using a coarse-grain sandpaper. Tackle trouble spots with a fine-grain sheet.

2. Vacuum the stairs. Once the dust is removed, wipe the stairs down with a damp rag.

3. Apply blue tape all around the treads. This includes the bottoms of any balusters that may land on a tread, and the area underneath the tread nosing.

4. Put on your gloves. Use the small, angled natural bristle brush to apply stain to the inside corners, and back wall of the first tread. Always apply stain in the direction of the wood grain. Then, dip a rag in the stain. Apply a thin coat of stain to the same tread with the rag. Use a small amount and wipe with the rag to achieve your desired color. Repeat every other stair.

5. Once the stain on those steps has dried, repeat the process to the skipped stairs. You can re-stain until you achieve the color depth you seek.

6. Stain the handrail and posts. As with the risers, a rag can be used. The tops of the balusters should be blue-taped before staining.

7. Apply polyurethane to all stained areas. Take your time with this step. Use the foam brush and apply it very carefully.

8. After the polyurethane dries, use a fine-grained 400-grit sandpaper to roughen it up. Then, apply your second coat of poly.

9. Remove the blue tape once both coats of poly are dry. You will now have to apply fresh tape to the treads so that you can paint the risers and balusters. Taping correctly could take up to two hours.

10. Use sandpaper to clean any stain marks from the bare wood. Apply the oil-based primer to the risers, balusters and wall string using a large natural brush. As with stain, primer and paint should be applied in the same direction as the wood grain.

11. Once that dries, you can apply the paint using the synthetic brushes. You should choose a paint with a gloss level that matches your poly. Apply your gloves and put on your hat. Using the small angled brush, paint the corners of the risers and wall strings of each step. Begin at the top step and work your way down. Then, use a large brush to paint the rest of the risers, wall strings, and balusters.

12. Apply a second coat of paint when the first one has dried.

13. Remove the blue tape when the second coat has dried. If any paint has dripped, there are products you can use to remove latex paints. Step back and admire your hard work. Good job!

Tips & Warnings

• Stain takes about 4-5 hours to dry. Staining every other step makes it possible to go up and down stairs, and also to do clean ups you may have missed--before they dry.

• Before you put the tape down, run an eraser right at the edge of the riser, where the paint MAY seep under the tape. The eraser makes it easier to remove paint later if need be.

• Got stain on the walls? You don't have to resand, reprime and repaint. Believe it or not, coconut oil can remove it. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Just don't rub too hard, or some paint may come off the wall, too. And the sooner you get to it, the easier it is to clean.

• Trying to match your stairs to your hard wood floor? Take a picture of the floor to your local hardware store and ask for help. Knowing what wood species your floor and your treads are will definitely help.

• If you can't get stain from bare wood in places, shop for a primer that is specialized to cover stains.

• Keep a damp cloth nearby. If you drip stain, it is easier to clean now then it will be to clean later.