How to Refinish Stairs Using Polyurethane
Like any wood flooring or furniture, wood stairs can benefit from refinishing with polyurethane. Polyurethane creates a waterproof barrier over the floor's surface, which protects the wood from spills and surface damage. If you would like a polyurethane coating on your stairs, you can finish the stairs yourself. Take care, though, to ensure that the polyurethane finish doesn't have noticeable flaws. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Sanding block
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Broom and dustpan
- Tackcloth
- Stain
- Paintbrush
- Paint tray
- Small paint roller
Instructions
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1
Feel the surface of the each step in the stairs that you want to finish. If the stairs feel rough to the touch, sand the surface with medium-grit sandpaper on a sanding block until the major rough patches are gone. Switch the sandpaper on the block to fine-grit and sand the stairs until they feel smooth.
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2
Sweep the stairs with a broom to remove most of the sanding dust, moving the dust into a dustpan. Run a tackcloth over the stairs to pick up what's left of the dust from sanding.
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3
Stain the stairs to return them to the color they were before sanding or to change the color, using a paintbrush and paint tray. Cover any surrounding surfaces that touch the stairs, like the bottoms of walls and fixtures, with masking tape before staining and use as many coats of stain as necessary to reach the color you want. Allow each coat of stain to dry fully before applying the next coat.
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4
Apply polyurethane to the stairs, starting at either the top or bottom. Once you apply the polyurethane, you must not step on the stairs for at least 24 hours, so end up at the end of the stairs where you want to stay when you finish. Use a small paint roller to apply the polyurethane if the stairs are wide enough to accommodate the paint roller. Go along the grain of the wood. If the stairs are not wide enough to accommodate a paint roller, use a natural-bristled paintbrush for application. Let the stairs dry for 24 hours.
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Apply a second coat of polyurethane to the surface for maximum protection.
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Tips & Warnings
Always ventilate the area and wear protective clothing when working with polyurethane.
