ᐅ Wooden staircase: oiled or lacquered

Created on: 16 Feb 2016 11:00
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daytona
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daytona
16 Feb 2016 11:00
What are your thoughts on this? We definitely know that it will be a wooden staircase, preferably in a dark shade. (Walnut or ash with black oil finish also looks stylish). Due to the almost unlimited options of wood types, colored oils, or stains, we are currently not quite sure which direction we want to go...
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Sebastian79
16 Feb 2016 11:04
I would never choose a painted finish for straight staircases—always oiled, so you can easily touch it up later.
Musketier16 Feb 2016 17:37
We installed a dark-stained beech staircase because walnut was well beyond our budget. I still think it looks very stylish, but it is extremely slippery (especially when walking around the house in socks).

After slipping down the stairs twice, we decided to add something to the treads.

We didn’t like the typical stair mats because they mostly cover the actually very beautiful staircase. So, we chose anti-slip strips instead.
Bodo!16 Feb 2016 17:41
Sebastian79 schrieb:
For straight walkways like stairs, I would never choose lacquered – always oiled, so you can easily do touch-ups.

Yes, we also planned to lacquer, but were advised against it for exactly that reason.
Neige16 Feb 2016 18:59
I partly agree with @Sebastian79. Durable surfaces can be achieved with a good-quality 2K varnish, and it is somewhat easier to maintain than an oiled finish.

Wear marks also appear on oiled surfaces over time, but as mentioned before, they are easier to repair compared to varnished floors. Usually, the problem is not the varnish itself causing unsightly spots, but rather the varnish "cracking," which can be triggered by deep scratches or poor workmanship. This allows moisture to penetrate between the varnish and the wood, leading to damage.

However, I would also recommend oiling, as damages are easier to fix, as noted above. Personally, I am a fan of parquet floor oil from Natural-Farben, which is then treated with the same brand’s finishing oil. The finishing oil makes the floor more resistant to wear and more slip-resistant.

One thing to keep in mind when oiling is that it enhances the wood’s color, so it is advisable to consider using pigmented oil. Definitely test this beforehand.
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milkie
16 Feb 2016 19:06
Hello,
we have oiled floors throughout the house (there are no visible dents or scratches), but for the staircase, we decided to go with lacquer based on advice. What a mistake. We moved in September, and of course, 1-2 dents are already visible. So definitely oil!
Best regards
milkie