How to Paint Staircase Risers
I have a foyer staircase makeover update for you today showing you how to paint staircase risers. I know many of you think I love to paint… I don’t, but I do a lot of it because it is the only way I will get the look I want in my house with the budget I have to work with. :-)
Last week I was determined to getting the staircase completely made over.
A recap…. here is what the staircase looked like when we moved into the house.
Dark stained everything and a carpet runner.
It is a big staircase with wasted space underneath.
This was our inspiration for the staircase makeover, but on a much smaller scale.
I removed the carpet runner and had to figure out out to deal with finished and unfinished wood.
I wrote how I did that, in this post: Staining Staircase Steps
Now it is time to paint the staircase risers.
How to Paint Staircase Risers
I painted the risers and side trim in semi-gloss white.
I used Sherwin Williams Pure White. I needed 3 coats and then touched up a few areas. When painting over stain and wood, you have to make sure you use a product or primer that will block the stain before painting.
If you don’t, the color of the stain and or wood tannins will bleed through the paint and change the color.
You also need to sand over the surfaces first to rough them up a bit so the primer and paint have something to grab onto. A quick going over with 100 grit sandpaper on a hand sanding block is how I do it. No need to sand to the bare wood.
It is still a work in progress. I have removed the painter’s tape and have not cleaned the steps since I am now going to start on the balusters… all 62 of them, plus 3 posts. I wish I could clone myself so I could get the job done faster. :-)
Leave the Newel Post Stained or Paint It
I was undecided if I was going to paint the newel post white or leave it stained.
In the staircase makeover I did in my previous house. I didn’t paint it.
I do like the look of it painted. I found this photo on Ann’s blog, On Sutton Place.
But I ended up leaving it stained. I did paint the staircase spindles white. You can read more about doing this in this post on painting staircase spindles.
Under The Staircase
You can see in this photo how the stairs look underneath and why we want to close it off. This was a second home for the previous owners. I think it was not a priority for them to finish it off since the house was their place to come and relax.
You can read how we finished this area into a hidden closet in this post – How to Create a Hidden Closet Under a Staircase.
If you have any questions or problems that arise when painting staircase risers, let me know in the comment section of this post and I will try to help.
