How To Prepare Stairs for Painting

How To Prepare Stairs for Painting

You don’t have to be a professional DIY-er to turn your home’s stairs into a jaw-dropping and stylish focal point. The secret is in the prep work. So, get ready for a fun weekend project and learn how to prepare stairs for painting by reading this!

Choose Your Weapon

Painting can be done with a few different tools. Each one works, but all have their pros and cons.

A paintbrush is great for getting into small areas and is easy to control. It’s an old standby and won’t fail you. The only con is your hand might get tired while painting after a while.

A roller, on the other hand, gives smooth lines on stair steps but won’t be getting any edging or corners done for you.

Then, there’s the paint sprayer. A sprayer will get the job done quickly, and we like that. However, nothing will replace the importance of doing initial prep work.

Beyond brushes, having all the right tools on hand will make painting enjoyable and easy. Be sure to add sandpaper, tape, and drop cloths to your list.

Prepare the Surface

For paint to adhere properly, the surface of the stairs needs to be clean and roughed up a bit. Getting rid of any glossiness helps paint to stick.

Wipe down the stairs with warm water and soap to remove dirt. Wipe it dry and then use a sanding tool (paper, sponge or electric sander) to lightly sand each step.

Vacuum to remove dust, then wash again and allow it to thoroughly dry.

The final step in preparation is to mask off any areas around the stairs you want to keep paint free. If you’re using a brush or roller, painter’s tape will do the trick. Simply line any edges to protect walls.

If you’re using a sprayer, plastic sheeting is the best thing to protect walls and furniture from the sprayer’s fine mist. If an object or piece of furniture looks like it might get hit, cover it with drop cloths or plastic.

Prepare the Family

It might be rather amusing to completely prep the stairs and begin painting, only to realize someone is still asleep upstairs and is now trapped up there until the paint dries.

To avoid this comedy of errors, give everyone else in your household plenty of warning so they can retrieve anything they need from upstairs and hang in the house’s lower level before and while you work.

Now for the Fun Part: Painting

Taking your time to apply a few thin coats rather than one quick coat is well worth the extra time. Allow a coat to dry completely before adding another. Repeat until you have the desired look you want.

If you’re using a brush to paint, a helpful hint when learning how to prepare stairs for painting is to paint one side at a time, and only one side a day. This way, one side of the stairs is always available for walking.

Painting stairs is very doable and worth the final outcome. Take your time and follow each step and your stairs will be brand new.

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