Our staircase was sporting some fairly terrific carpeting and that particular ’90s golden oak shine. As a result of the very very very first thing you see while you stroll by our entrance door, it was a mega eyesore. Frugal Hound was the one one in favor as she favored digging her claws into the carpeting. Evidently, she was overruled.
Full Value: $44.50
Offers:
- Nail puller
- Nail punch
- Picket filler
- Sandpaper
- Polyurethane
- Damp rags
- Paint brushes
- Paint
- Painter’s tape
How To:
Step 1: Take away the prevailing carpet runner.
- In our case (see what I did there?), this was vastly simpler talked about than accomplished. The earlier proprietor put in talked about runner with roughly 1.5 million staples. Poor Frugal Husband pulled staples out for days. Actually days.
- Methods to take away staples: with a small nail puller, by punching them into the picket with a nail punch, or by levering a flathead screwdriver beneath them.
- Offers: brute energy, nail puller, nail punch, flathead screwdriver/lever.
Step 2: Patch all holes with picket filler.
- We had a very excellent many holes to fill. Nonetheless, efficiently undoubtedly undoubtedly definitely worth the time to precisely fill each. single. one.
- Offers: picket filler.
Step 3: Sand full staircase.
- Constructive, it is a ache, nonetheless, it’s really essential for smoothing out imperfections all through the picket. Most significantly, sanding removes one of the best layers of poly/paint/shellac in order that your end or paint will adhere.
- We sanded by hand on account of we don’t personal a sander. It was time-consuming, nonetheless massive low-cost.
- Sanding our spindles was fairly a go to since they’re, efficiently, spherical. I discovered it best to wrap the sandpaper and spherical and type of rub facet to facet.
- Offers: sandpaper, arms, endurance, This American Life podcasts.
Step 4: Wipe down staircase with damp rags after which vacuum.
- It’s essential to take away all detritus and sawdust kicked up by your sanding efforts. In one other case you’ll be portray gunk into your closing product.
- Offers: damp rags and a vacuum. A retailer vac may very well be very truly helpful, nonetheless you might get by with an regularly vacuum.
Step 5: Resolve which areas you need wood-colored vs. paint-colored.
- There are an especially large variety of fiddly objects of molding on most staircases. Resolve prematurely one of the best ways you need your colours and finishes laid out.
- Offers: your ideas.
Step 6: Apply polyurethane to all areas you need wood-colored.
- Poly, as a result of it is affectionately know, is fairly smelly and messy. Nonetheless concern not!
- Positioned on latex gloves and punctiliously pour poly onto a rag then wipe onto your surfaces. Attempt to not drip and don’t glob it on–you’ll seemingly want a number of coat.
- We did 4 coats with a view to even out the picket shade from beneath the carpet runner (it was lighter) and mix all through the 1.5 million staple holes we’d crammed with picket filler.
- You’ll want to attend just a few hours between coats and it’s most fascinating to open your total doorways and residential dwelling home windows for air circulation since poly is smelly.
- Offers: polyurethane, latex gloves, rags.
Step 7: Tape all through the areas you’ll be portray.
- That is elective, nonetheless, we had been glad we took the time to tape on account of odd angles concerned on a staircase.
- It’s not like portray a flat wall–there’s way more nuance correct proper right here.
- Offers: painter’s tape.
Step 8: Paint.
- We used frequent ol’ brushes and white inside/exterior hi-gloss enamel acrylic paint (Behr Premium Plus Terribly Pure White #8050), which we had leftover from touching up our trim. You must make the most of one issue additional heavy obligation, nonetheless we figured since we’re not touching the painted areas of the staircase (the treads and handrail are sometimes not painted), we’d be high-quality. And I can attest: to this point, so good.
- Portray the spindles was, efficiently, excruciating since they’re spherical. As shortly as I bought paint on one facet, it’d migrate to the choice facet and glob up. I needed to shortly flick my brush spherical with a view to get it even. I ended up utilizing a tiny watercolor brush to even out the globs.
- Be capable of do fairly a number of coats–we did three to get the colour even all via. It’s undoubtedly undoubtedly definitely worth the time for an additional coat or two to make sure good security.
- At all times have just a few damp rags shut at hand. Once you happen to drip paint, wipe it instantly collectively collectively along with your rag and it gained’t stain or stick.
- Offers: paint, paintbrushes, damp rags.
Step 9: Rejoice and admire!
