Complete Your Stairway with These Painting Tips

Home renovations can be quite the undertaking, and it always seems like there is just one more thing that needs to be done for the job to be complete. One project seemingly leads to another.

Painting your home is no exception. You’ll start with a wall here, a doorframe there, and suddenly you realize that you’ve managed to paint every area of your home minus one, your stairway.

Tackling the painting of your staircase and stairwell can be a bit of a pain in the you-know-where. These handy tips and tricks can help you to avoid suffering from stress headaches and baldness associated with pulling your hair out in frustration. 

So, grab your paint swatches, brushes, and tape, and let’s take the stress out of painting your stairway. 

Tips and Tricks for Painting Your Stairway

After much trial and error, we have found these tips and tricks useful in creating a flawless, beautiful painted stairway in your home:

• Types of Paint to Use: 

Choosing the right paint for your stairway will be the difference between lasting beauty and a constant eyesore. Stairways are typically high-traffic areas of your home and you will want paint that can stand up to continuous wear and tear. 

While you can choose to use any type of wood paint for your stairway, ones designed specifically for floors will be your best option. You should choose paint for your stairway that is scratch-resistant, durable, and slip-resistant.

If you do opt for a standard wood paint, a satin finish may be more durable and less slippery than glossy finishes. It is also advisable to choose a paint that includes a built-in primer. 

• Tools of the Trade:

Purchasing the right tools for the job at hand will make painting your stairway much easier and less stressful.

The size of the brushes and rollers you choose should fit your stairs. If your stairs are on the larger side, full-sized rollers and brushes will do the trick. However, if your stairs are a bit smaller, choosing a smaller roller (designed for painting cabinets and doors) and a trim brush will make the job roll on a bit more smoothly.

• Prep Work: 

The stairs of your home are under constant use and can accumulate quite a bit of dirt, debris, and damage. Cleaning and properly preparing your stairway is a CRITICAL step to successfully painting your stairs. 

Of course, the first step in preparing your stairway for painting is to remove any coverings or carpet from your stairs. Be sure to check for wood damage before you begin the cleaning process. 

If damage is found, be sure to properly repair the affected areas with non-flexible wood filler. After repairing damage, broken or loose parts found on your stairway, you will need to lightly sand your stairs. 

Once repairs and sanding has been done, we advise that you thoroughly clean your stairs with soap and water and allow them to dry completely. 

• Order of Operations:

It sounds a bit obvious, but you want to start at the TOP of your stairway and work your way to the bottom (you don’t want to literally paint yourself into a corner). 

Final Thoughts

Painting your stairway can be a painstakingly tedious job, but taking the time to do it right will definitely pay off in the end. 

We hope these tricks and tips will help you to find painting success!