Are you in the process of replacing or refinishing your hardwood floors? If so, you shouldn’t forget about your staircase! To achieve that clean and modern look in your home, these two surfaces should match.

If you want to avoid paying someone to refinish your staircase, we can offer some insight. Here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow to get the job done on your own.

Refinishing a Staircase: A Guide

Nowadays, most people replace or refinish their hardwood floors because of aesthetics. This season, it is time to throw out the old — such as honey oak and red mahogany — and embrace the new — mission oak, walnut, and driftwood.

And since an updated staircase should always accompany a new floor, these are the steps you need to take to refinish yours.

1.   Preparation Is Key

When working with wood, sanding and cleaning is of the utmost importance. So, you should start by sanding until you reach the bare wood of your staircase. Make sure you’re thorough, so the staining you apply later actually adheres to the wood.

After you’re done sanding, you have to clean the surface of the wood both by hand and with a vacuum. Follow it up with a cloth soaked in some pre-mixed surface prep compound, and you’ll be ready for the next step.

2.   Staining

Quality and durability-wise, it is best to go for oil-based stains. Besides their long-lasting nature, these types of stains also penetrate the wood more easily, leaving a cleaner finish. Of course, it’s also important to find a stain that matches your new floor perfectly or as closely as possible.

When applying your stain, be careful not to use too much. To avoid this problem, it is best to apply it using a handcloth. That way, you will deposit enough of the stain on the wood and remove any excess at the same time.

As with all similar products, give the stain ample time to dry before you continue the process. Generally speaking, it’s best to leave it for the time specified on the bottle of coat you buy.

3.   The Finish

After the stain fully dries, it’s time to apply your finish. This step is pivotal, as the finish coat helps seal the stain and protect it from outside damage. It will also give your staircase that shiny new appearance.

4.   Drying

When you’re satisfied with all your work on the wood, it’s time to leave the finish to dry. Refraining from touching it for however long the packaging recommends is pivotal, as doing otherwise could ruin all your hard work.

5.   What About the Other Staircase Elements?

As you work on the staircase itself, don’t forget to also stain or paint your balusters, base rails, and stringers. Depending on the design you’re going for, you can either use the same stain as on the stairs or just paint these elements in a matching color.

If you opt for staining, follow the same instructions as above. And if you’d prefer to paint them, don’t forget to use a primer and protect all the surfaces around you from paint drips.

Need Any Help?

In case all these steps look like far too much work — worry not. All you have to do is call a trusted painter who can easily match your staircase to any new hardwood floor you install.

With Mike’s Decorating and Painting, refinishing a staircase so it goes perfectly with your new interior design is a piece of cake! Give us a call, and let’s get to work!