Having a two-story private house, you want to create a cozy atmosphere in it. Decorating walls and floors always helps to create a feeling of fresh and new space; beautiful furniture creates appropriate conditions for living. However, there are a number of other nuances that play an equally important role in home improvement. Having a staircase leading to the second floor, you need to ensure that it does not stand out from the design of the entire room, is functional, beautiful, and safe for use by any family member.

Therefore, it is worth preparing especially carefully when choosing a dye for it.

Requirements for processing spans

Any two-story country house has a staircase. When carrying out repair work, do not forget about it. Painting such an element is very important, because it is necessary to choose the right substance for processing and carry out the process itself in accordance with certain requirements. If we talk about flights, you need to know the following nuances:

• for long-term use of the ladder, it is important to process it correctly, otherwise the material may begin to break down and deteriorate;
• in the process of finishing staircases they use: antiseptic solutions, fungicides, stain, impregnation that prevents fire, primer, paint and varnish;
• any product is diluted before use, which gives it an optimal consistency that can be applied to the material;
• To achieve an optimal appearance, at least two layers of any substance are needed.

If the work is carried out in the house, then the processing will be minor, associated with giving the product an aesthetic appearance, emphasizing the wood pattern. In such cases, there is no need to prime the surface; you need to clean it well with sandpaper and use a stain, which will give a more pronounced color. The stairs inside the house are most often opened with varnish, which can be of three options:

• matte;
• glossy;
• semi-matte.

Matte

Glossy

Semi-matte

Using the matte version, it turns out to more accurately emphasize the texture of the wood, while the glossy version more emphasizes the beauty of the product itself. When choosing a varnish for work, it is important to pay attention to the composition; it should not contain harmful substances and have minimal perceptible odor. In this case, there is no need to use paints and other substances intended for external use, because they have a pungent odor that is harmful to others.

Modern varnishes and paints are created with virtually no odor. If possible, it is better to buy a ready-to-use solution, or dilute one available on the street. If you need to use a dye with a quick drying time in your work, then you need to be prepared for the fact that all strokes must be accurate and even, there will be very little time to correct them, all smudges must be eliminated immediately, otherwise they will spoil the external impression of the repair.

When access to the second floor is carried out from the street, you can use paints and other compositions for external use.

If you choose the wrong paint, the result of the repair will be a damaged product.

Types of coatings for different coatings

A country house can be equipped with a staircase made of wood, metal or concrete. For each material, it is important to choose the right type of coatings.

Tree

Metal

Concrete

Oil paint

Suitable for finishing inside the house. The alkyd variety fits well on the surface, the urethane-alkyd variety is used for cases where the surface has already been painted, and the pigmented variety helps to hide imperfections and blemishes. Such paints can be thickly rubbed, in the state of powder, which is dissolved with drying oil, or ready-made. Drying oil can also vary, it can be artificial and natural, the second option is preferable in terms of quality, and the first in price.

An artificial type of drying oil helps if you need to paint a staircase indoors, and a natural type can cope with stress outdoors.

Alkyd

Pigmented

Drying oil

Varnish

The best option for processing wooden stairs to highlight the beauty of the wood structure. The varnish is easy to use, it dries quickly, and does not cause difficulties in processing the material. There are varieties: oil - in which vegetable oil is mixed with artificial oil, which are additionally mixed with resin of natural origin. When this composition dries, the surface becomes dense and has a yellow tint. This type of varnish is used only indoors, because it will not withstand more significant loads.

Alcohol varnish – has a proportion of alcohol that interacts with a resin of natural origin. This option allows you to apply several layers almost simultaneously. The result is a very stable coating that is not damaged by any external influences.

The only downside is low water resistance.

Buttered

Alcoholic

Cellulose nitrate varnish helps to cover the surface with a dense, colorless and odorless layer that dries quickly. The area of ​​application is wood.

Polyester varnish - forms a thick and dense layer on the surface that is resistant to any kind of impact, including water. Epoxy varnish is used with a hardener; it is resistant to moisture and alkalis, but does not tolerate atmospheric conditions well. Polyurethane varnish is very durable and wear-resistant, and is considered the best choice in the case of stairs made of wood. The downside is the high price, but the quality is worth it. A less expensive one will also have worse wear resistance; it is a water-based varnish;

Enamel

It is obtained by combining varnish compositions with pigments. It helps to give better color and shine to the surface, but does not withstand the influence of moisture, which is why it is extremely rarely used as a composition for painting steps.

Enamel for wood and metal

Enamel on concrete

Impregnated stains

A kind of antiseptic that helps protect wood from fire. After applying the stain, the surface is often varnished. It darkens the color of the wood, which is important to consider when choosing a varnish.

Impregnation

Mordant - antiseptic

Oil for stairs

Consists of natural oils with the addition of wax. Oil can serve as a varnish substitute; it adheres well to wood and creates a durable protective layer. The steps become not only protected, but also beautiful. Thanks to the bactericidal properties of the oil, the tree is reliably protected from fungus and mold.

When planning to paint steps in a residential area, you need to know exactly what type of paint composition is appropriate in the given conditions.

Subtleties of painting various coatings

For wooden coverings

To paint a staircase made of wood, the first step is to prepare the surface and understand what kind of wood you will be working with. If there is a need or desire to leave the wood texture, then the coating must be thoroughly cleaned and treated with stain. Once it is dry, you can apply varnish or translucent paint.

In the event that it is necessary to completely paint a wooden surface, it is cleaned and puttied to remove all defects from the top layer of the steps. After sanding, a primer must be applied. Urethane-alkyd paint is used on previously painted surfaces. When the new layer adheres well, you can safely paint the entire product. If the painting turns out uneven and unsightly, then all the applied color must be removed with a stripping solution.

Coniferous stairs, especially pine, must be freed of resin before the main work. To do this, use a 25% technical grade acetone solution, which must be applied with a brush. Only after this the product is washed and dried.

If you need to apply varnish, the best option is to use a sprayer, but the work can also be done with a wide brush.

Coloring of concrete products

Applying paint to the concrete surface helps not only make the staircase more attractive, but also protect it from negative factors. If the staircase is not ready yet, then you can add paint to the concrete solution to improve the characteristics of the future product. When you have to work with a finished product, you need to choose a paint to match the concrete. As an additive to the solution, you can use a pigment that is not afraid of moisture and sun. For best results, it is recommended to use white concrete.

If it is necessary to paint a finished staircase, then a special concrete paint is used, it can be:

• water;
• acrylic;
• polyurethane.

Water

Acrylic

Polyurethane

Before application, you need to sand the surface, prime it, select a color for the finished product and paint it using a wide roller.

For metal stairs

Before painting the stairs, it is important to treat them to remove any signs of rust, for which you can use an angle grinder with an attachment, sandpaper or solvent. The next step is to degrease the surface and coat it with a primer. In those areas that contained rust, you need to go through the primer especially well, and after waiting for it to dry completely, you can begin painting.

To paint a metal product, it is necessary to use enamel or paint that has a significant degree of resistance to environmental conditions and abrasion. For a painted staircase, you can try to apply a new layer on top of the old one; if the result is positive, you can continue, but if the result is unsatisfactory, then the old layer must be completely removed.

How to choose paint?

To decide on the choice of paint, it is important to clearly understand for what purpose it is used. Compositions are available for external and internal use. If you want to preserve the texture of the wood, the color of the dye should be as close as possible to the product. If there are unevenness on the surface, you can hide them using a composition with dense pigment. Different types of paints are applied using appropriate means. Usually on the packaging of each paint and varnish there are instructions for use.

Alkyd enamel and acrylic paint are applied using a roller or brush. If work is carried out outdoors, then for the same options it is better to use a spray bottle. To work with stairs inside the house, use oil paints or environmentally friendly options with a natural base. After using them, the surface becomes no less wear-resistant and beautiful than after using more harmful analogues.

In order for the wood to retain its texture, it should not be primed. It is best in this case to use not paint, but varnish of a matte or glossy variety. You can use a transparent option or tint it, which can significantly affect the appearance of the product. For interior work, it is important to choose paints or varnishes that dry as quickly as possible. For external work, you can take compositions with a smell, but they have better performance qualities.

For maximum effect, it is better to apply an additional protective layer that will protect the surface from abrasion.

Wooden structure: painting technology

In order to paint wooden steps with your own hands, you must follow a technology that has been tested by many generations. The principle of operation is to perform the following actions sequentially:

• Prepare the surface for upcoming painting. Using fine sandpaper, you need to sand the wood along the grain.
• Fill identified cracks and defects inside the steps and other parts of the stairs with wood putty.
• After the plaster has dried, clean the surface from dust and particles using a vacuum cleaner.
• The next step is a primer, which helps to saturate the wood and make better contact with the new coating.
• The processing continues by applying paint or varnish using the selected device.

Painting with a brush is the most popular, so it is worth considering it more carefully. You need to start with the areas that take up the most space: railings, steps, stringers. The direction of brush movement is from top to bottom to avoid drips. You should not put a large amount of paint on the tool, but you should hold it at an angle of 45 degrees.

In order for the product to have a finished look, it is painted two to six times, waiting until each layer is completely dry. In order for the paint to dry quickly, the temperature and humidity must be optimal.

Excessively hot or cold weather will cause cracks and poor performance.

Preparation

Before you start painting a wooden staircase, you need to find out what type of wood it is made of. This point will play a key role in preparing the material for the process. Needles: cedar, pine, spruce have a high level of resin content, which will lead to poorer contact of the material with the paint. Deciduous wood does not have such features, so it is easier to work with them.

If the staircase is made of fresh wood, then it is important to understand that such material will absorb paint or varnish more actively due to the larger number of pores. When working with old wood, the necessary procedure will be to prime the surface, without which the new coating will not apply to the product.

An important step before painting is to putty the cracks, which helps to avoid paint or varnish leaking into them. If you have to work with a transparent composition, then it is important to use putty that matches the color of the stairs. Only after the putty has dried and the surface has been sanded can it be primed. For optimal results, it is better to do this process twice. As soon as the second layer has dried, you can paint the stairs.

Recently, cottages with several floors have become fashionable. An integral element of such houses is the staircase. Without her it’s like having no hands. The most common material from which it is made is wood. It's no secret that this material is very capricious and susceptible to moisture and rotting. Therefore, painting a wooden staircase is the primary task of residents. The question arises: how to paint a wooden staircase in a house? Let us consider in detail the process of selecting materials and the algorithm for performing work.

Painting a wooden staircase with your own hands begins with choosing a painting material. We start by defining the end result. Taking into account all the wishes, we begin to select the material, color and technique for performing the dyeing process.

Before painting a wooden staircase, you need to take into account:

• If the type of wood and its texture are good, then you should choose varnish.

• To avoid losing the texture of the wood, you should not use primers. And the paint should be such that the pores of the wood are not completely closed.

• When choosing the type of covering for the stairs in the house, we focus on those options that dry quickly and do not have strong odors.

The most problematic part is the steps of the stairs. We are wondering what to cover the steps with so that they can last a long time. The covering for steps must have a high degree of strength that does not wear out over time.

Paints for stairs must have the following properties:

• protect the tree from rotting and fungal infection;
• ensure good appearance for a long time;
• do not accumulate dust.

On video: the best way to paint wood.

Types of coloring compositions

In construction stores, the range of painting compounds is quite wide. When deciding how to properly coat a wooden staircase, you should become more familiar with the types of paint materials.

Compositions for painting wooden structures are divided into:

• Alkyd based. Their advantages include quick drying and non-toxicity. At the same time they are antiseptic. This type of material forms a film on the surface of the stairs that can protect it from mechanical damage. Their price is not high and the palette of colors and shades is wide.

• Acrylic based. Just like alkyd, they dry very quickly and do not have an unpleasant odor. They can last for a long time. The surface is painted with acrylic paint and is not subject to fading or fading. They are environmentally friendly, as they are mainly produced on a water basis and do not release toxins over time. Wood coated with acrylic paints breathes freely. There is also a wide choice of colors.

• Oil based. Their advantages include only a low price and low consumption. But oil paints are not suitable for staircase construction due to a number of reasons. After painting, the wood does not breathe. It is very easy to wipe and is subject to various mechanical damage. It also contains harmful substances that can negatively affect human health. And finally, the service life of these paints under all favorable conditions reaches 5 years.

It is best to cover stairs with acrylic paints. The best option is alkyd paints for stairs. Their use always results in high-quality results and looks quite attractive.

And yet, what is the best way to paint a wooden staircase? If we turn to the manufacturers, the invariable leader is Tikkurila dyes. This is the best manufacturer that enjoys well-deserved popularity.

Compositions for work inside the house

The placement of stairs during the construction of a house varies. But let’s look at stairs that are arranged according to the following criteria: inside and outside the house. Namely, how to paint the stairs in the house. Design plays an important role here, so the selection of compositions should be approached responsibly.

To paint stairs inside the house you can use:

• paints;
• varnish compositions;
• various compositions for impregnation and staining.

On video: how to cover wood.

Only one type is not always used. If you try, you can combine them all successfully. For example, after painting work, we cover the finishing layer with varnish.

For interior work, experts often use enamel paints, which dry fairly quickly and form an excellent protective layer. Moreover, they are absolutely harmless to the health of residents. The disadvantages of enamel paints include the fact that they do not protect wood well from moisture.

Varnishes for wooden stairs are intended not only to protect wood. They favorably emphasize the natural pattern and add shine to the surface. The positive properties of varnishes include ease of application and rapid drying of the substance. The question arises, what varnish to coat a wooden staircase in a house. Experts recommend using alcohol-based formulations. The varnish is absolutely not suitable for outdoor use, as it cannot withstand low temperatures.

Important! No matter what varnish was used, it is strictly not recommended to paint indoor stairs with yacht varnish. It contains toxic substances that it releases even after it dries completely.

Painting of wooden structures is also carried out with impregnated stains. They provide both biological and thermal protection. In addition, stains can be used to tint the surface in the color desired by consumers. It is recommended to use oil stains or those with the addition of wax.

At the end of all work, a polish is used to provide a finishing layer. It will give the product a high degree of wear resistance and give it a presentable appearance.

Features of painting the stairs to the second floor

The most common type of stairs in a house are structures that lead to the second floor. Often this is the main element of the interior, the appearance of which sets the tone for the rest of the decoration. How to properly paint a wooden staircase leading to the second floor? Here are some basic tips:

• If no one lives in the house yet, it is better to paint the stairs disassembled.
• If the structure is already installed, then the stairs to the second floor are painted gradually. The first steps are from the top, and then we go down.
• If painting is carried out while living in the house and it is impossible to exclude its use, then the flight of stairs must first be painted one step at a time. After they are completely dry, we pay attention to the remaining steps.

Advice! When applying the last layer, strokes should be applied along the grain of the wood. And the time indicated in the instructions for complete drying must be increased by 5 hours.

Correct painting technology

Of course, you can entrust this work to the masters, but in this case you need to prepare to pay a considerable amount. You can cover the wooden staircase structure in your house yourself. To do this, consider detailed instructions on how to paint a wooden staircase.

So, when painting stairs with your own hands, you need to complete the following steps:

• The preparatory stage, during which the dirt is initially cleaned and all cracks and cracks are sealed with wood putty. Depending on the type of wood, priming is performed to ensure good adhesion of the surface and paint compositions.
• After complete drying, we grind the surface, which is done using sandpaper of different abrasiveness.

Important! To obtain a flawless surface, cleaning must be repeated after a couple of days.

• Next we perform the final cleaning. It is necessary to achieve a well smooth and clean surface so that not even the smallest particles of chips remain.
• Then it is necessary to coat the stairs with primer twice at intervals of 24 hours.
• Only after the primer layer has completely dried can you begin to paint or varnish the structure.

The composition must be prepared for use according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The process of applying the coloring composition has some nuances:

• When using varnish, the priming process is skipped.
• You can use paint brushes of different shapes and sizes or rollers.
• The process must be carried out in such a way that when painting the railings and other parts of the stairs, the paint does not spread and droplets do not form.
• To achieve a flawless finish, it is recommended to apply up to 5 layers.

Climatic conditions in terms of temperature and humidity indoors must be optimal. Otherwise, cracks may appear on the varnish surface.

Painting a pine staircase structure

The process of covering a structure made of pine is slightly different from the rest, for example, a staircase made of larch. This is due to the content of resins, which prevents the uniform distribution of coloring matter. It is because of this that it is difficult to tint pine boards.

In this case, how to paint a pine staircase? It is better to cover with enamels. This product allows you to both emphasize the wood pattern and cover the structure completely. To develop the design, the enamel must be thinned. When completely stained, there is no need to thin the enamel.

How to paint a pine staircase? You should pay attention to the dyes used to paint pine stairs:

• Alkyd-based, working with them is absolutely no hassle.
• With a pigmentation effect that will hide minor defects.
• If paint is applied to a previously painted product, it is better to use urethane-alkyd compounds.

To add shine, a palette to match the tone of natural wood is added to the varnish for pine stairs.

Painting metal stairs

Let's turn our attention to metal structures. There is sure to be one in every home. How to keep a metal staircase in excellent condition and what to paint it with?

Here, special attention is paid to rust. You can also use sandpaper to remove it. If the affected areas are too large, then choose a metal brush or grinder with a special attachment. There are also special compounds that easily dissolve rust.

After removing the rust, the surface must first be degreased and treated with a primer. In those places where there was rust, they are treated more carefully. We also pay attention to the places where welding was done. They must be carefully leveled by grinding.

Metal stairs or fences that are made of metal must be coated with special varnishes and paints that are intended specifically for metal surfaces. If the staircase was painted earlier and the old coating was not removed, then before painting it is necessary to paint a small area. If no reaction occurs, you can proceed with full painting. A structure painted using this algorithm will last quite a long time.

Particular attention must be paid to the steps of the stairs. Wooden steps especially suffer from constant wear and tear. Therefore, they must be processed carefully to prevent the paint or varnish on them from abrading. Varnish for steps must be particularly durable.

The last question that arises when painting staircase structures is what color to paint the stairs.

Here's the simplest answer. The colors should match the entire interior of the room. You can leave the natural structure of the wood, or you can use paints for a wooden staircase to match the chosen design. The main thing is a good home environment. The choice is up to consumers.

Painting stairs step by step (1 video)

Everyone knows that wooden surfaces can be greatly damaged by negative external factors. If this concerns wooden fragments used in the construction of a house, then you have to resort to all possible measures to protect them - extending their service life turns out to be a very important point for the owners.

Wooden stairs to the second floor are an important part of the house that needs protection

The staircase is one of the main parts of the house. It is important that it does not succumb to the influence of external factors and does not lose its attractive appearance and functionality ahead of time. To resolve this issue, it needs to be properly protected. There are many means of protecting material such as wood. For example, various varnishes and enamels, coatings and paints, the appearance of which will add additional zest to your interior and extend the life of your wooden staircase. The main significant factors affecting wooden structures, regardless of whether they are located outdoors or indoors, are considered to be the influence of air temperature, humidity, light, mechanical actions and impacts.

How to paint a wooden staircase

Painting can be done with paint, varnish, stain, or various special enamels intended for wooden products. Painting the stairs will not only give it an aesthetic appearance, but will also protect the material from the harmful effects of the environment.

How to paint a wooden staircase correctly

First, let's look at the differences between enamels, paints and varnishes intended for wood surfaces.

Oil paints for wood coatings are made using drying oil, artificial or natural. In addition, oil paints are divided into ready-to-use and thickly rubbed. Thick-grated ones need breeding. Paints diluted with artificial drying oil have lower qualities than those diluted with natural drying oil. Also, oil paints diluted with natural drying oil can be safely used for painting outdoor stairs, because they can protect the wooden surface from unwanted external influences. But oil paints diluted with artificial drying oil should only be used indoors, because here the external influence is not as great as outside.

If the choice fell on varnish, then you need to know that the line of paint and varnish products is very diverse. Let's look at this information in more detail. Firstly, all varnishes are divided into two types - black and light. Light (oil) ones have high moisture resistance compared to those made from synthetic materials. The variety of synthetic varnishes is much greater, because there are many synthetic bases for their creation:

• polyester,
• perchlorovinyl,
• nitrocellulose,
• polyacrylic and others.

If you want to add shine to the painted wooden surface, you need to choose nitro varnishes. And if you need to paint the metal base of the stairs, then choose bitumen varnishes.

There is another type of paint for wooden surfaces - enamel. This type combines the qualities of varnishes, because they are made on their basis, and the qualities of paints, which give the enamel its tint. The only significant disadvantage of enamel is the appearance of a film, which eventually flakes and cracks. Enamel is also not used for outdoor work - it is completely unsuitable for this, and in the bathroom, where the humidity is quite high.

There is also a separate type of material called impregnation. They are used both to protect wood and for finishing. Impregnations are pigments that are dissolved either in a chemical solvent or in water. Pinotex and stain are considered the most commonly used representatives of impregnations. It is widely believed that it is advisable to apply impregnation as a first layer, which will protect against moisture and reduce the material’s ability to ignite.

From everything described above, we can conclude that the choice of a product for painting wooden handrails for stairs depends only on you: on your preferences and on the design solution of the interior of your home.

How and with what to paint the steps of a wooden staircase

To paint the steps of a wooden staircase in a house, it is recommended to use varnishes based on urea-formaldehyde polymer. Unfortunately, they are highly flammable materials and have an unpleasant, pungent odor, but at the same time they are capable of creating a surface with an ideally beautiful decorative shine and the desired tone.

If the staircase is located in a dry room and the possibility of exposure to moisture is minimized, then it can be used for painting enamel - they are quite decorative and will retain an attractive appearance for quite a long time.

Technology for painting wooden stairs

This technology consists of three main stages:

• preparatory work on the surface directly for painting;
• dyeing process;
• opening with varnish.

The first stage includes grinding the surface and puttying it if necessary. These steps will make it possible to uniformly apply the selected products for painting the wood surface. It is advisable to interrupt work after finishing the first sanding in order to raise the pile.
Immediately before starting the second stage of work, you need to do degreasing.

The method of painting a wooden surface allows you to choose for yourself which product you will use. When choosing paint, you need to remember that the wood must be properly prepared. For greater safety for residents, you can choose matte paint, which, compared to glossy paint, will be less slippery after drying. In cases where the staircase is made of valuable wood, experts advise highlighting this advantage by using stain rather than paint for the coating.

The next step after painting a wooden staircase is applying the finishing coat. There must be at least three finishing layers. After every third layer, the wooden surface must be dried. It must be remembered that glossy varnishes will wear off much faster than matte varnishes.

Another important piece of advice from experts: it is more practical to paint a wooden staircase in an unassembled state. If the need for painting arose after its assembly and installation, paint it step by step. The first step is to color some fragments, then others. These steps will make it possible to eliminate inconvenience and use a ladder during painting.

As mentioned above, it is better to paint the stairs when they are disassembled. When painting the stairs in this form, it is possible to access all sides of the element. In turn, painting on all sides will provide additional protection from temperature influences and moisture.

To make the right choice of means for painting stairs indoors and outdoors, you need to carefully read the characteristics of the paint and varnish material. It is better to paint the stairs to the second floor or attic located on the street with special products for exterior work. One of these popular products is Drevoplast - an artificial paint for wooden surfaces with a base of alkyd resins with polymer additives. This paint is intended for a fairly wide range of uses. It can be used to paint almost all wooden elements located in the yard of your house (platforms, windows, ceilings, doors, gazebos, wooden fences, benches and much more).

Any wooden surface, including stairs, can be painted either with your own hands or with the help of specialists. This service is quite widespread, relatively inexpensive and accessible, it is offered by almost all companies working in the field of design and installation of wooden decorative fragments.

Wood is rightfully considered the most popular building material for the manufacture of stairs of any design. But when arranging flights of stairs, it is necessary to take into account that each type of lumber is processed differently.

For example, the structure of coniferous materials contains resin, which negatively affects the paintwork. Therefore, you not only need to know how to paint a wooden staircase, but also what paints for wooden stairs are best to use for a particular type of wood.

There are two traditional types of timber coloring:

1. opaque;
2. transparent.

Coating wood with a transparent or translucent varnish allows you to highlight the natural beauty of the wood. Treating wood with opaque compounds allows you to create a uniform colored film on the surface of the material, the shade of which will correspond to the declared dye.

How do professionals paint wooden staircases, and what paint should be used to paint a wooden staircase in a house so that it fits harmoniously into the interior of the house?

The retail network offers a varied selection of high-quality paints and varnishes and additional materials for processing internal and external wooden structures - these are:

• varnishes;
• paints;
• enamels;
• stains;
• polishes.

In order to confidently navigate the variety of the above dyes and know the best way to paint a wooden staircase in a house, you need to familiarize yourself with the approximate characteristics and properties of paints and varnishes. This way you can understand what paint or varnish needs to be used to finish a particular structural element of a flight of stairs.

Lucky

Varnishes for wood finishing are divided into five main categories according to their composition:

• nitrocellulose;
• alcohol varnishes;
• oil varnishes;
• polyurethane;
• acrylic varnishes.

Nitrocellulose paints and varnishes

Nitrocellulose varnishes are a composition of varnish colloxylin, various resins and low molecular weight plasticizers in combination with volatile organic solvents. They are distinguished by the speed of drying and the increased strength of the applied coating.

They are highly resistant to seasonal weather conditions; thanks to this property, nitrocellulose varnishes can be used for painting wooden exterior stairs.

Hints: for example, if you decide to paint the wooden porch of a residential building, then the question: how to paint a wooden staircase on the street must be divided into two components. The first component is the choice of paint or varnish for exterior work, taking into account the coloring of the parapet of the flight of stairs. The second question is how to paint the steps of a wooden staircase, and it is related to the choice of paint or varnish only for the steps of the flight of stairs, since the operational requirements for covering the steps differ from the requirements for the staircase railings.

Solutions of plant resins in alcohol solvents (usually ethyl alcohol) are called alcohol varnishes.

The most popular alcohol varnishes are:

• shellac;
• rosin;
• carbinol.

Alcohol-based varnishes dry quickly and are easily polished to a mirror shine. The main disadvantages of alcohol-containing varnishes are their price, low moisture resistance and negative frost resistance. They are used only for painting work in dry interior areas.

Oil varnishes

Oil varnishes are based on vegetable oils and resins of synthetic or natural origin that have undergone heat treatment.

Varnishes are available in two coating options:

1. glossy oil varnish;
2. matte oil varnish.

The most popular varnish is with a matte finish. After the coating dries, depending on the chosen dye, a transparent yellowish film forms on the surface of the material. The disadvantage of oil varnish is its slow drying, which significantly lengthens the time of finishing the elements of a wooden staircase.

Paints and varnishes based on oil solvents have low moisture resistance and low resistance to variable mechanical loads. Therefore, the use of oil varnishes for finishing work is limited to internal staircase structures.

Polyurethane varnishes

Polyurethane varnishes are compounds of high molecular weight resins that form durable coatings with high performance characteristics: wear resistance, resistance to chemical and active mechanical influences. Widely used for painting steps and railings of outdoor wooden stairs.

Acrylic varnishes

This is a special type of paint coating - a combination of a plastic dispersion with a synthetic acrylic material dissolved in water. The composition of ready-to-use acrylic varnish includes additives of an antiseptic and a plasticizer, which gives strength and transparency to the finish coat.

Their composition may include:

1. single-component;
2. two-component.

Two-component acrylic varnish is a combination of acrylic and polyurethane binders. Acrylic varnish is unique in its technical characteristics and universal in its use. Here's how to paint the steps of a wooden staircase so that they meet the most stringent operational requirements.

In addition, the surface covered with acrylic varnish dries quickly and serves as reliable protection for wooden stairs from mechanical damage.

Special compositions for wood processing

No matter how beautiful the natural structure of wood is, over time and under the influence of external factors, wood and the varnished surface of stairs lose their presentation and attractiveness.

To extend the life of wooden stairs or maintain the original gloss of the varnish coating, special compounds are used:

• primers;
• antiseptic compounds;
• stains;
• polishes.

For example, how to paint a wooden staircase in a house before the final clear coat with colorless varnish in order to change the visible structure of the wood (tint) to suit your individual preferences. The most acceptable option is stain.

Stains

Stain (stain) is a special liquid (impregnation) for giving the wooden elements of the stairs the required color. This is usually the color of noble wood species.

Stains differ from varnishes in that the active elements of impregnation penetrate deep into the structure of wooden structures and paint them from the inside, preserving the natural texture and pattern of the fibers of the material. The process of painting a wooden staircase occurs without the formation of a surface film, unlike painting wood with varnishes or enamels.

Stain or stains are:

• water;
• alcohol;
• based on nitro solvents (nitrous).

Nitrate and alcohol stains are characterized by protective properties, while simultaneously performing all the functions of antiseptic impregnations.

In a subgroup of such stains there are compositions that do not color the wood, but serve solely to protect it. This makes it possible to use a colorless transparent varnish coating after tinting and antiseptic protection of wood with stains.

Water-based stains are rarely used for painting stairs. They are used mainly for painting small parts of wooden structures.

Alcohol and nitro stains dry quickly, are easier to work with and have a rich range of colors for the dyes used. Available in the form of a dry powder or a ready-to-use liquid solution.

Polishes

Polishes are special liquids based on resinous substances used for polishing the varnish surface of wooden structures. After covering the flight of stairs with paint or varnish, you can refine the glossy base by rubbing the wooden surface of the stairs to a mirror shine with polish.

Polishes are produced:

1. alcohol;
2. on a nitro basis.

The most popular are alcohol polishes. Polishing a wooden staircase with alcohol polish is carried out using a cloth swab moistened with polish.

For polishing surfaces varnished with nitrocellulose varnish, only nitro polishes are used.

Paints and enamels

Paints are suspensions of pigments or their solutions with fillers dissolved in drying oil, oil, latex, etc. Paints, when used, form an opaque, durable, uniform film on the surface of a wooden staircase.

Tools for working with paints:

• brushes;
• rollers;
• spray;
• solvent;
• clean rags.

The names “enamel” and “paint” are not identical. Enamel is a mixture of inorganic dyes with fillers and additives dissolved in film-forming varnishes, which after drying create a glossy opaque film with a variety of textures. In terms of parameters such as elasticity and coating strength, enamels are superior to oil and water-dispersion paints.

And again the questions - how to paint a wooden staircase in a house and what paint for the steps of a wooden staircase is most acceptable? Or maybe enamel is better?

We will consider these and other questions regarding paints and enamels further in the following sections, and for a more visual demonstration, watch the video about painting a staircase in this article.

Paints: properties, material characteristics

Wooden stairs are painted with a variety of paints and enamels. The purpose of the staining procedure is to cover the surface of the wood in order to protect the wooden surface from harmful influences, or to imitate any valuable type of wood.

Paint for wooden stairs inside the house can be:

• oil;
• acrylic;
• nitrocellulose;
• enamels.

Oil paint for wooden stairs

Oil paints are characterized by good adhesion to a wooden base, and provide reliable protection of wood from various atmospheric influences. The surface of a wooden staircase, painted with an oil paint composition, is distinguished by a durable smooth coating with a beautiful semi-glossy sheen.

Can be used both for indoor wooden stairs and for outdoor wooden stairs. But with one caveat - do not use oil paint as a coating for the steps of internal and external stairs.

The service life of a coating painted with oil paint is 10 years, provided that the painting was done on a new, clean wooden surface, and the original manufacturer's instructions were used when performing finishing work.

Acrylic paint for wood

Acrylic paints are synthetic compositions based on polyacrylates. The binding components are water and coloring pigments. When moisture evaporates, particles of plastic polymers create a stable and elastic film on the surface of the wood.

Acrylic paints are odorless and, despite their water content, have increased moisture resistance and resistance to temperature changes. The surface of the staircase, coated with acrylic paint, is easy to clean with any cleaning products.

Acrylic mixtures are easily tinted, do not burn, dry quickly and are not susceptible to ultraviolet rays, which allows their use for painting external wooden stairs.

Acrylic synthetic compositions have a long service life (more than 15 years) and are much cheaper than other water-based paints.

Nitrocellulose paints

Nitrocellulose paints for wood are easy to use, increased wear resistance and excellent coating quality. High surface elasticity, heat resistance, moisture resistance - this is not a complete list of the advantages of nitrocellulose paint.

When applied to the surface of the stairs, a thin, almost transparent film is created. The complete drying time for a nitro paint surface is 2 hours. Nitrocellulose paints can be used both outdoors and indoors.

Enamels

Enamel is very similar to paint and differs only in its composition. It is a combination of fillers and pigments dissolved in a mixture of artificial polymer. The enamel coating of the stairs has an expressive shine and is more durable in comparison with a similar paint coating.

Enamels are applied using a brush or spray. Wood enamels are used only for interior work. Drying of the enamel coating should take place at an air temperature of at least 20°C for 72 hours.

Finishing wooden stairs

The process of finishing wooden elements of stairs includes the following operations:

• mechanical surface treatment (grinding, etc.);
• coating wooden stairs with special compounds (antiseptics, primers);
• surface painting.

Wooden stairs in the house are often made with an opaque coating. This is not the norm, but just a widespread tradition.

Because transparent coating with paints and varnishes requires hard wood with careful selection of elements in terms of texture, color and quality, which is slow and expensive.

In addition, when choosing what to paint the wooden steps of a staircase in a house, it is better to choose an opaque coating. An opaque coating is applied to the surface of the stairs in several layers, which allows you to hide all the defects made during the manufacture of the steps. Especially if these steps were done independently.

Stairs made by yourself can combine two types of coating. For example, the railings are painted with enamel, and the steps are varnished, or the same parts are varnished in two different shades.

Grinding

Before painting a wooden staircase, it is necessary to carry out the following list of preparatory work:

1. remove lint (tears) from the front surface of the wood;
2. putty (for opaque coating);
3. primer;
4. antiseptic treatment.

After this, sand the surface of the wooden staircase using sandpaper attached to a wooden block or using an electric sander.

Tips: Use an electric sander carefully - applying too much pressure while sanding may only enlarge the imperfections you were trying to remove.

Glue a piece of sandpaper onto a wooden block 10–15 cm long and get to work. For ease of work, make three bars at once: with fine, medium and coarse grain.

Sanding the parts of a wooden staircase is carried out along the grain, and not across it. The surface of the sandpaper must be periodically cleaned of wood dust.

The wooden surface of the stairs, intended to be covered with transparent varnish, must be impeccably flat and smooth. Therefore, after sanding with sandpaper, the surface of wooden workpieces or structures is wiped with a coarse woolen cloth.

Upon completion of sanding, thoroughly clean the surface of the stairs from wood dust and small inclusions.

Staining wooden stair structures

One of the simplest, and therefore most convenient, dyes is stain. However, you need to know that stain stains different types of wood differently. This depends on the difference in the content of a chemical substance such as tannin in the structure of the tree.

For example, if you stain the base of an oak staircase, the wood will turn dark brown. At the same time, a staircase made of pine or maple will have a yellowish tint.

Tips: special attention should be paid to coniferous wood: the resin of such wood strongly absorbs stain, which leads to uneven coloring of the wooden surface. Therefore, to stain the surface of coniferous materials, it is necessary to remove tree resin from the base of the product being processed.

There are several methods for applying stain to the wooden base of a staircase:

1. trituration;
2. spraying;
3. using a roller or tampon;
4. using a brush;
5. immersing parts in a stain solution.

In the case of using the first method, they cover the surface of wood located horizontally with stain and rub it evenly over the entire plane of the product (for example, the steps of a staircase). The grinding method is used mainly for porous wood. For this method, stains that take a long time to dry are suitable.

Spraying method - stain is applied to the wooden surface of the stairs using a spray gun. This procedure for applying the composition is intended for staining vertical surfaces. The coating is smoother than with the rubbing method.

Staining a wooden surface with a swab or roller allows you to obtain a better, uniform coating. The roller is used for large areas, the swab for small parts. Instead of a standard tampon, you can use a sponge or piece of rags.

Painting horizontal or vertical staircase structures with stain using a brush allows you to obtain a more contrasting color coating than when using other covering methods with the same number of applied layers. Immersion is used only for staining individual small parts of the stairs.

Alcohol stains are applied to the wooden surface of the stairs by rubbing in two layers. The initial layer is applied along the wood grain, the last layer is applied across it.

Upon completion of applying the planned layers of stain, the surface of the stairs is wiped with a clean cloth. After drying, the staircase parts are cleaned with fine-grained emery cloth.

The surface prepared in this way can be opened with a transparent colorless varnish. This must be done, since stain does not form a protective film on the surface of the wood, but only tints it with the desired color and in rare cases can serve as an antiseptic.

Painting wooden stairs with paints and enamels

Wooden stairs are painted with various paints and enamels (see the chapter “Paints and enamels”). Based on their properties, they are divided into paints for interior and exterior use.

For example, paint for a wooden staircase in a home can only be used to paint indoor staircase structures. When using this type of paint for exterior applications, the finish will crack, peel and eventually fail.

The following tools are used for painting:

• brushes;
• sponges;
• rollers;
• foam swabs;
• spray guns.

In addition, for small parts, dipping individual products into dye is used.

Painting of wooden structures should begin with treating the surface with a primer. The choice of primer brand depends on the composition of the paint or varnish for the finishing coat and the operating conditions for the finished base.

Wooden stairs must be painted from top to bottom. This is very important if finished steps are being painted, but there is no second staircase in the house. Do not paint wooden staircase structures in sections. The result may be a non-uniform coating of different color shades. Paint drips during the painting process are removed with a clean damp rag.

Traditionally, there are several methods of painting wooden stairs with paints and enamels. The most common is monochromatic painting of structural parts (see photo).

The highest quality and most durable coating is obtained when painting stairs with a spray gun. If brushes or a roller are used for painting, then you need to finish painting the wooden surface with long strokes over the entire plane of the product.

The most difficult method of painting a wooden staircase with a brush is:

1. Paint for wooden staircase structures should be applied to the surface of the flight of stairs using a free forward movement of the brush along the thread-like fibers of the wood in one direction.
2. After completing the painting of each layer, you need to wait a little, and without dipping the brush into the paint, adjust your strokes and remove paint drips, if any.
3. When using a sponge or swab, paint must be applied to the surface of the wood at least three layers. Due to the high labor intensity of the process, this method is rarely used.

There is also a method of painting wooden surfaces with a two-color texture. Using paint or enamel in two shades, a design is created that imitates the structure of wood or represents any abstract composition. The main paint color is used for the background, and the second color is used to apply a texture or image to the background surface.

In addition, paint to create texture or image can be water-based, but in this case the painted surface of the stairs must be varnished using a spray gun or a soft brush. After this, the base of the steps or stair railings is dried for at least an hour, then the surface is lightly sanded and varnished again.

Nitrocellulose paints dry quickly (20–30 minutes), which allows you to quickly paint parts of a wooden staircase. Thanks to the speed of paint drying, you can not only save time, but also reduce the risk of dust and insects sticking to the painted base.

Alkyd enamels and traditional oil paints are the most popular for painting both interior and exterior wood staircase structures. Oil paints are familiar and familiar to us. Alkyd compositions have positive performance characteristics and are more modern.

Varnishing wooden stairs

Before varnishing a wooden staircase, the following preparatory work must be done:

• grinding;
• primer;
• waxing.

To sand the surface of the stairs before applying the varnish coating, fine-grained sandpaper is used. The grinding technique is described above.

Priming of wooden structures can be done with stain or a special primer using the same solvent as the future varnish coating. The type of primer should be selected individually for each brand of varnish or vice versa.

The varnish coating of the stairs is characterized by the following parameters:

1. brand and type of varnish;
2. coating method;
3. number of layers of varnish.

The quality and durability of the varnish film depends on the correct choice of the brand of varnish used.

The procedure for applying varnish to a wooden staircase is as follows:

1. The varnish is applied to the prepared dry surface of the stairs in even layers using a brush, swab or spray gun. Volumetric parts are varnished with a spray gun or brushes.
2. The ends and edges of a wooden staircase are varnished using brushes of small diameter. In some cases, with a transparent finish, it is possible to use putty of the same color as the future coating to eliminate minor wood defects.
3. Before completing the opaque finishing of a flight of stairs, you can easily use putty to remove chips, dents, etc.
4. After sanding, priming and putty, several circles of paint are applied to the surface of the wooden structure.
5. To obtain a durable and high-quality varnished coating, one pass of varnish is not enough. After the first layer has dried well, the varnished base must be sanded with fine sandpaper to create a perfectly flat and smooth wood surface.
6. After sanding, use a clean rag or dry brush to clean the surface from wood dust and apply a second layer of varnish, diluted a quarter with solvent.

In painting work on wooden stairs, oil-based and synthetic paints and varnishes are most often used. They are used for the installation of paint and varnish coatings on wood both indoors and outdoors.

The most common brands of varnish are:

1. Oil varnishes— suitable for varnishing any type of wood. Oil varnish coating is the most durable, waterproof, with a strong, pleasant shine. The varnish composition is applied in two layers with a swab or brush. The drying time for the coating is 48 hours.
2. Oil-based pentaphthalic varnishes (PF) are used to cover the surfaces of stairs painted with oil compositions indoors. Before use, dilute with solvent or white spirit. To apply pentaphthalic varnish to the surface of the stairs, use brushes or spray guns. Drying time 36 hours.
3. create a more elastic, but less moisture-resistant coating than when using oil varnishes. The shine of alcohol varnish is the softest and most subdued. The most common are shellac-based alcohol varnishes.
4. If it is decided to carry out varnishing with nitrocellulose compounds, then it is better to choose glossy varnishes. When using them, the surface is of better quality. Nitrocellulose varnishes are applied to the surface of the stairs in several layers - with a brush, swab or spray gun. Nitrocellulose varnishes form a high-quality waterproof base with a high gloss.

Nitrovarnish must be applied in even layers, and any subsequent layer must be perpendicular to the previous one.

Then, after applying the final layer, the surface of the stairs is left to finish drying for a day. Next, it is sanded with emery cloth, wiped with a clean rag and polished.

We analyzed a variety of paint and varnish materials that can be used to paint the surface of wooden external and internal stairs. We looked at how to paint a wooden staircase on the street and what paint to paint a wooden staircase in the house.

When choosing varnish or paint for finishing the stairs, do not be afraid to experiment. It is important that the coating meets safety requirements and fits harmoniously into the interior of your home.

Vitaly

What is the best way to paint a wooden staircase to the second floor of a house with your own hands?

Modern residential buildings often have several floors or an attic, accessed via internal stairs. Often flights of stairs and landings are carried out. To create an interior in the same style, the wooden staircase to the second floor can be coated with varnish or painted with environmentally friendly paint. This article answers the question of how and what to paint a staircase with your own hands.

Finishing a wooden staircase

There are two types of finishing of wooden stairs:

1. Transparent - with this type of finishing coating, the wood texture remains open. Under a layer of colorless varnish, the unique pattern of natural wood perfectly complements the overall interior decoration of the interior in the same style as the overall design.
2. Opaque Finish - In this type of finish, a tone-on-tone finish layer of paint is applied to the wood surface in a continuous layer, covering the grain of the wood.

Varnish compositions for finishing wooden stairs

Varnish compositions for wood structures are special compositions that form a durable layer with a matte, transparent, shiny surface.

The properties of varnish compositions are quite different:

• Varnish compositions based on alcohol resins– these finishing compounds have a short drying time. Within 2 hours the coating is completely dry. Polishing the finishing layer also does not cause any difficulties. But alcohol-based compositions have significant disadvantages: low moisture resistance and insufficient frost resistance. These restrictions allow the compositions to be used only in warm rooms.
• Lucky based on nitrocellulose– the improved formula of the varnish allows the composition to be used for exterior and interior use.
• Formaldehyde varnish compositions– the most common for finishing structures of internal wooden stairs. The varnish perfectly covers surfaces and allows you to achieve a high quality finish.

Important! A huge disadvantage when using this composition is a persistent unpleasant odor that does not disappear from the room for a long time.

• Alkyd varnishes– made with the addition of various oil compounds that are well absorbed into natural wood. The top layer of alkyd varnish is resistant to mechanical stress, but the coating quickly becomes unusable - it quickly wears out. Such compositions should be used to coat wooden stairs that are of secondary importance and are rarely used.

Opaque types of coating

Opaque coatings can be applied in several layers, completely hiding the texture and imperfections of the wood. Before applying finishing compounds, it is necessary to completely clean previously painted surfaces and carry out a preliminary set of priming and putty work. Putty can hide small cracks and imperfections in wood; a layer of primer increases the degree of adhesion of the paint composition to the surface.

Tools for applying finishing compounds

To carry out work on finishing stairs in an apartment with your own hands, you will need: bristle brushes and flutes; drying oil; primers; turpentine; varnish or paint.

Advice. Before starting finishing work, work brushes should be carefully prepared; they are soaked in drying oil, then washed in turpentine.

Surface preparation

Before applying the painting composition, it is necessary to clean the surface of dust, paint or old varnish, remove dust, putty the stairs and coat them with a primer.

Important! Varnish or other paint composition should be thoroughly mixed before use.
The composition is applied to the surface with broad strokes, then the layer is leveled, while the brush is held slightly inclined.

Painting stairs: video