Refinishing your staircase can completely transform the look and feel of your home’s entryway. A freshly refinished staircase makes a great first impression on guests and adds warmth and character to your home. While refinishing stairs is a big project, the results are well worth the effort. Follow these tips for refinishing your staircase like a pro.
1. Assess Your Staircase’s Condition
Before beginning any refinishing project, thoroughly examine your staircase to identify areas that need repair or replacement. Look for loose balusters, damaged treads or risers, worn edges, cracks, nails popping up, and any other issues. Fix all necessary repairs first so your refinished staircase looks flawless.
2. Sand Down the Stairs
Sanding is the most important and time-consuming step when refinishing stairs. This prepares the surface for staining or painting by removing any existing finish or paint, as well as smoothing out dents and scratches. Use a random orbital sander with progressively finer grit sandpaper, starting with 60-80 grit and working up to 120-150 grit for a smooth surface. Always sand in the direction of the wood grain. Sand all treads, risers, stringers, balusters, and railings until you reach bare wood.
3. Vacuum Away Dust
Vacuum up all sanding dust thoroughly using a hose attachment. You don’t want dust particles getting stuck under the new finish. Tack cloth the stairs as a final step before staining or painting.
4. Fill Any Gouges or Cracks
Inspect the stairs again after sanding and fill any remaining cracks, gouges, or nail holes with wood filler. Let the filler dry completely and then sand smooth. This helps achieve a flawless, finished look.
5. Apply Stain and Polyurethane
If you want a natural wood look, apply oil-based stain in your desired colour using a brush or lint-free cloth. Allow to dry fully before protecting the stain with three coats of water-based polyurethane. This clear finish provides maximum durability while allowing the wood’s beauty to shine through. Lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper between coats for best results.
6. Or Opt for Paint
For a painted staircase, use a high-quality oil or latex primer followed by two coats of satin, semi-gloss, or gloss paint. An enamel paint provides a tougher, more scrub-resistant finish. For a sleek modern look, paint stair treads one colour and risers and stringers a contrasting colour. Or paint the entire staircase white for a clean, bright look.
7. Reinstall Treads and Railings
After all finish coats have dried 24–48 hours, reinstall any hardware, balusters, treads, or railings you removed prior to refinishing. Fill any old screw holes with wood putty before inserting new screws.
8. Add New Stair Treads
Consider updating your staircase with new oak, maple, hickory, or pine stair treads designed with bullnose edges or decorative ends. Treads can match or coordinate with your flooring. Adhere quality treads securely over existing stairs for immediate visual impact.
9. Update Railings and Balusters
Replacing old railings and balusters is an affordable way to refresh the look of your stairs. Add turned wood spindles, wrought iron railings, glass panels, or sleek metal cables for contemporary flair. Make sure new railings meet local building codes for height and spacing.
10. Improve Safety and Visibility
During your staircase refinishing project, take the opportunity to upgrade with safety enhancements. Improve lighting over the stairs. Add glow-in-the-dark strips on the edge of each step to illuminate the way. Install new balusters if existing ones are spaced too far apart. Apply anti-slip tape strips to stair edges to prevent falls.
11. Consider Your Home’s Style
The style of your staircase refinishing or remodelling project should complement your home’s architecture and interior design for a cohesive look. Traditional homes often suit wood railings and balusters, neutral stain colours, and classic decorative details on stair stringers. For Arts and Crafts bungalows, try darker stains and simple straight lines. Modern and contemporary homes call for metal cables, glass panels, and sleek floating staircases.
12. Watch Your Step
Refinishing stairs takes time because of the need to work carefully on each step. Prevent slips and falls by only working on one or two steps at a time. Cordon off the staircase and post signs to alert your family each time you refinish. Set up lighting and ventilation too. Take breaks to avoid fatigue.
13. Minimize Mess and Dust
Contain mess and dust from your project by laying drop cloths over the flooring and taping plastic sheeting over walls and railing. Set up a window fan exhausting air outdoors. Refinish in dry weather so you can open windows for ventilation. Wear a respirator mask to avoid inhaling particles.
14. Be Patient During Dry Times
Drying times will slow down your staircase refinishing project. Oil-based stain, filler, primer and paint all need overnight drying time. Allow at least 24–48 hours of dry time between coats of polyurethane or paint. Humid weather further lengthens dry times, so allow ample time for each step. The waiting produces a stunning staircase!
15. Maintain Your Stairs
Once your staircase refinishing project is complete, be diligent about ongoing maintenance. Dust railings and wipe stairs down regularly. Reapply polyurethane or paint as needed to protect wood and maintain the refreshed look. Avoid dragging heavy objects on stairs that can dent the surface. Your newly refinished staircase will impress for years to come!
Summary
Bring new life to tired stairs with these professional tips for refinishing your staircase. Attend necessary repairs, take time for thorough sanding and prep work, apply the finish coat of your choice, and upgrade with safety additions as desired. With some elbow grease and care, you can completely transform your entryway with a beautiful new staircase. Enjoy the renewed style and charm it brings to your home. Your stair refinishing project is an investment that’s well worth the effort and pride you’ll feel each time you walk through your amazing new entryway.
