ᐅ Stained or painted staircase?

I am currently renovating our inherited house (built in 1965). Now we have reached the staircase and want to sand it down and repaint it. Easier said than done. After trying 120 and 80 grit sandpaper, we had some success on the stair side and the tread surface. However, sanding underneath the tread had no effect; it still remains shiny.

We were then advised at the hardware store to try paint stripper, which would cause the paint to peel off easily. We followed the advice and left it to work for several hours. Nothing happened, except that it came off in a few spots.

A colleague who saw the staircase in the picture said it might not be painted but stained instead.

We are at a loss about how to proceed. Can anyone offer some advice?

After removing the carpet, the exact outline of the carpet is visible in the wood due to different shades. Is it possible to remove that as well?

We actually wanted to paint the staircase a dark color, like walnut.

Hi,

I can’t quite picture it. You really need to see if it’s painted or stained!

If the grain is clearly visible, then it’s stained; if you can’t see the grain and the surface is uniform, then it’s painted.

Clear?

Beagle

Hello,

if you could upload a picture, we would certainly be able to give you more information. Just imagining it in your head is not that easy!

Fischer

Beagle schrieb:
Hi,

I can’t really imagine it; you have to see if it’s painted or stained!

If the wood grain is clearly visible, then it’s stained, and if you don’t see it and the surface looks uniform, then it’s painted.

All clear?

Beagle

Before making statements like that, you should first find out what staining and painting actually are. Staining changes the original wood color. Stained wood is always sealed afterward with either a matte finish or paint. Also, with clear paint, of course, you can still see the wood grain.

Now to the main topic: A remote assessment is naturally difficult, but I think the staircase (stringers, railing) was only painted thinly once or twice. The steps, however, were painted more thickly and multiple times because they are heavily used. If you have a paint layer about 2mm (0.08 inches) thick or even thicker, it will take longer to sand it off. I also remember that there used to be a special two-component paint for stairs that was incredibly hard. If you have that on there, good luck sanding it off.

Since you want to completely change the color of the staircase, you have to sand the entire staircase down. It might still be manageable on the flat surfaces, but I already see difficulties sanding the paint fully off the railing and handrail. If you have turned spindles in the railing, I can only advise having them lightly re-turned by a carpenter. You will never get them completely clean by sanding alone. Any spot with leftover paint will show as lighter areas at the latest when staining or applying a glaze.

I would attack the steps first with 40-grit sandpaper and a detail sander. Once the paint is removed, follow up with 100-grit using an orbital sander. Then proceed with your desired treatment.

Best regards, Thommi