Painting Stairs: Simple Step-by-Step Guide & Tips

In principle, you can paint almost all stairs. What is important here is the correct preparation and follow-up. Only with PVC is it impossible to make a statement, as it may contain plasticisers that impair durability.

If the old varnish on the stairs is still intact and undamaged, sanding is not necessary. Concrete and stone stairs also do not need to be sanded before painting, provided they are even. If the varnish is very smooth and shiny, you can lightly matt the heavily used surfaces with fine sandpaper in preparation.

After the last coat, the staircase needs about 24 hours to be walked on carefully, on socks or over a towel. To be normally loadable, the staircase must dry and harden for approx. 14 days after painting.

There are so many different stair designs. How much paint you need depends, of course, on how much surface area your staircase has. The best thing to do is to roughly estimate the square metre of a step and count the number of steps. Next to each of our colour shades you will find the practical paint quantity calculator, where you can enter the square metres to be painted. The calculated consumption is valid for two coats. Often these are enough. However, you may always need more coats.

If you plan to paint in two colours, you should, if possible, only mask off after 14 days, when the first colour has dried completely, and start with the second colour. You can use our painter's masking tape very well here. First, stick the tape to your jeans or T-shirt so that fine fibres adhere and the tape does not stick so strongly. Then carefully stick it to the desired area. When you peel it off, don't pull it towards you, but carefully to the side so that there is as little tension as possible and your paint is not damaged. It is important to always remove the tape while the paint is still wet so that the paint film does not tear. It's best to reapply the tape for each coat.

If the old varnish is crumbling, you should sand off the loose parts of the wooden stairs. Sand the edges of the old varnish carefully to have a smooth surface. varnish that does not come off can stay on.

Once your staircase has been completely sanded and the varnish removed, prime the staircase with our To Bond & Block - MissPompadour primer. A stainblock is also recommended on the already varnished wood if you want to paint the stairs a light colour.

Once you have painted your steps, be sure to seal them. This heavily used surface benefits from additional protection. The same applies to the handrail. However, risers and stair stringers are sufficiently stable even without sealing, provided they are painted with the stable varnishesn.

The same restriction applies to stairs as to other tiles. The vast majority of tile and stone stairs can be painted. One of the exceptions is coated terracotta tiles, as well as other water-repellent coated surfaces.

Prime stone, tile and concrete stairs with a thick coat of To Bond & Block before painting. The primer prepares the smooth surfaces particularly well for the varnish coat. If the concrete is porous, you can also dilute the first coat slightly or harden the surface again first with a special concrete sealer.

You should also seal the stair treads on tiles and stone if you don't put a carpet over them. You can use MissPompadour To Seal for this.

A painted staircase can never be as low-maintenance as your old tiled, terrazzo or stone staircase. These materials are almost indestructible surfaces. If you're worried about the turbulence of your household, consider painting only the banisters, stringers and risers, leaving the treads in the unloved terrazzo! In addition to its resilience, a finely patterned stone will forgive many a dirty shoe print, which will be so immediately noticeable with a noble black look.

If you want to paint your banister, first dust and degrease it with a gentle cleaner, e.g. our MissPompadour To Clean. You can then prime exposed wood in advance with To Bond & Block.

If your banister is already painted, you can either prime it with MissPompadour To Bond & Block or paint it completely without primer. Simply clean the railing with MissPompadour To Clean or another gentle cleaner and you're ready to go. If your banister rusts or tends to rust, remove the loose rust and prime the rusted areas with a suitable rust protection primer to prevent further rust.

Yes, even a plastic handrail is no problem. You can prime it in advance with MissPompadour To Bond & Block and then paint it with one of the varnishes mentioned above.

Like the stair treads, the handrail should also be protected by an additional seal. To Seal protects the varnish from the stress of hand perspiration and abrasion.