How to paint the staircase risers white

Last weekend I finished painting the staircase risers and stringers after years of contemplation. I had been thinking about painting the risers white for so long because our staircase looked heavy and dark. In my eyes, the stairs seemed visually distracting as you walked into the house and looked overwhelming. Since we were still in a state of lockdown in Toronto and hopes of more relaxed measures in the spring, I decided to use the spare time while at home towards painting the staircase.

So what stopped me from doing this home project before?

Sometimes we pause and delay home renovation or update projects either because they’re costly or time-consuming. And painting wooden staircases isn’t an exception. I’ve had this discussion with some of my girlfriends and we all agreed about one thing: The cost of hiring someone to do this particular project is expensive in Toronto, Canada, and can range from $2,000 to $4,000, and more for large-sized staircases. As well, it’s a time-consuming plan that requires lots of patience, meticulous work, and attention to detail. Regardless, it is a worthwhile project and therapeutic if you enjoy arts and painting.

How long did it take to paint the staircase risers and stringers?

I knew this project would take more than a day to finish because the stairs needed to be primed and painted more than once. That meant I had to wait for the paint to dry before applying the second coat. As well, there was no real urgency in finishing the work on a specific date, even though I committed to completing it within a two-week time frame. So I took my time and worked mostly on weekends for about 4 hours each day. And to sum those days and hours up, I guestimate it was roughly 20 hours of combined work. It included taping, sanding, cleaning, priming, and painting.

Necessary steps I discovered while painting the staircase risers

Before taking on this significant task, I read DIY blogs that provided information on the tools and steps one would need to have. However, some steps and tips are necessary to follow for a perfect staircase painting task:

1. Clean the staircase: You have to sweep or vacuum the stairs before applying the primer or paint. Dust and hair that sits on the stairs can easily attach to the paint, and next thing you know, you’ll find strands of hair stuck on the painted risers. You do not want to skip this advice.
2. Taping every part of the staircase you don’t want to paint. If you want a clean finishing and precise paint job, you must green tape parts of the stairs to protect them from spillage.
3. Use high-quality paintbrushes for priming and painting. I recommend using different sets of brushes for each step in 2 or 3 sizes. I prefer using brushes over sponges on wood because they add a nice texture and better penetrate the deep wood veins.
4. Apply extreme durability latex paint for high-traffic areas. It’s easier to clean and comes in different finishes. I used a matte finish on the riser since our staircase faces the entrance and we don’t want the risers to appear too shiny.
5. Start painting from the top to the bottom of the stairs to avoid touching the freshly painted risers.
6. Use a damp cloth or wipes to remove dust after sanding because dust won’t allow the primer to stick properly and can create weak spots where the paint could chip.
7. Immediately clean any drips of primer or paint on the treads.

Must have tools to paint stair risers and stringers

• Towels or newspaper
• A Sanding machine: This is the one I used that saved the day. It comes with a compartment that sucks much of the dust in and creates less of a mess.
• Face mask to wear while sanding
• Sanding sponge: I used this for hard to reach areas
• Primer paint
• Your choice of paint color, preferably an extreme durability latex paint

A step-by-step process to paint staircase risers and stringers

In this section, I’ll explain precisely how I painted the risers and stringers on our staircase. You can follow the same process if you want to paint different parts, such as the handrails or balusters.

Taping

The first important step is to place masking tape on the treads, walls and the staircase parts you don’t want to paint. Start first by vacuuming the staircase to remove dust, hair or any dirt particles that shouldn’t stick to masking tape. Since I was painting the risers and stringers only, I taped the wall just outside the stringers and all corners of the treads. Make sure you tape in a straight and tight line where the treads meet the risers.

Sanding

Before priming or painting any part, you must sand the wood to remove the glaze and smooth the surface so that the paint adheres to the wood. I used the Black & Decker Mouse Sander for this job, and as someone who never touched an electric sander before, this machine is robust, lightweight, and perfect for use on small furniture.

For hard-to-reach spots and corners, I used 3M sanding sponge (medium). The sponge has a better grip and flexibility than flat sanding papers.

Priming

After sanding the risers and stringers, I vacuumed the staircase, dusted the corners, then wiped out everything with a damp cloth. By doing so, I made sure the surface was clean and ready for priming.

You may have to apply more than one coat or layer of primer paint if the staircase is a dark stain. Ours is a dark brown stain, so I used two layers of primer on the risers and three coats on the stringers. The good thing about primer is that it dries pretty quickly but I still waited a day before applying the second and third coats. I’m glad I chose to use more than one primer paint layer because it provided a clean and smooth canvas to paint over the risers.

Painting

We’re almost there. The last step to this project is painting the staircase risers and stringers. It was the most exciting moment of the process and the most stressful because I was worried about spilling the paint tray on the stairs or smudging the risers with too much paint. I woke early that morning, around 6 AM., had a nice cup of coffee, and prepped the work area. I took the task slowly and carefully, starting from the top of the stairs. Since this was the first time I worked with paint, I applied the first coat lightly and switched between the large brush and small brush to make sure the paint looked smooth and leveled. Then I let that layer dry for two days before applying the second coat.

Removing masking tape

Before removing the masking tape, I made sure the paint was completely dry before peeling them out. However, parts of the tape had paint drips, and these were hard to peel. So I used a sharp blade to cut the tape right at the corner where the riser meets the tread.

After removing the tape, I did some minor touch-ups, such as filling in some gaps and scraping some paint off the corners where I didn’t place the taping correctly. For that reason, I urge you to take your time applying the masking tape precisely and entirely.

Am I happy with the final look?

Oh yes, absolutely! And I’m proud to say that I did it all by myself.

Originally published at https://ellemuse.com on March 11, 2021.