How to paint a staircase

Inspired by a handy YouTube guide. This article draws on the “Staircase Painting Made EASY!” video from the 60 Second DIY Tips channel, which covers the process clearly and with the kind of practical shortcuts that come from doing the job properly more than once.

1. Choose the right paint for stairs

Stairs take more punishment than almost any other surface in the house, so standard emulsion is not the right choice for treads. Use a specialist floor paint or a hard-wearing eggshell or satin formulated for wooden floors. It dries harder, resists scuffing, and can be cleaned without lifting the finish.

For the risers - the vertical faces between each tread - a standard interior eggshell or satin is fine, as they see far less foot traffic. If you want a two-tone finish with white risers and a coloured tread, plan the colours before you buy.

2. Clear and clean the staircase

Remove any carpet, carpet gripper rods, staples, and underlay. Pull out all the staples with pliers and punch any remaining ones below the surface. Sweep thoroughly, then clean the wood with sugar soap and warm water to remove grease, wax, and dirt. Rinse and leave to dry completely before you do anything else.

If the stairs were previously carpeted, there may be gripper nail holes to fill. That comes in step three. For now, just get the surface clean.

3. Fill holes and cracks

Use a flexible wood filler to fill nail holes, staple holes, and any cracks along the grain. Overfill slightly, leave to dry fully, then sand flush. Flexible filler matters here - rigid fillers can crack when the wood moves with temperature and humidity, and stair wood moves a lot.

Check around the edges where the treads meet the skirting or string boards. Caulk any gaps that would show through the finished paint. Press it in with a finger, smooth with a damp cloth, and leave to cure.

4. Sand the surfaces

Sand everything with 120-grit sandpaper, then finish with 180-grit. Work with the grain on the treads. Sanding takes the sheen off any existing varnish or paint and gives the new coat something to grip. Don’t skip this on previously painted stairs - paint over gloss without sanding and it will peel within months.

Vacuum thoroughly after sanding, then wipe down with a barely damp cloth to pick up any remaining dust. Leave to dry before priming.

5. Prime bare or previously painted wood

Apply a coat of wood primer to any bare timber. On previously painted surfaces in good condition, a light sand and a direct topcoat is sometimes enough - but if the previous paint was glossy or the wood is particularly thirsty, prime it first. Primer seals the surface and reduces the number of topcoats you will need.

Let the primer dry fully according to the tin instructions, then lightly sand with 180-grit and dust off before painting.

6. Paint the risers first, then the treads

Always paint risers before treads. Work from the top of the staircase downwards and paint every other tread, so you can still use the stairs while the paint dries. Paint the missed treads on a second pass once the first set has dried.

Apply two or three thin coats rather than one thick one, allowing each coat to dry fully before the next. Cut in along the edges with a brush, then use a small roller or a brush to cover the flat areas. Work neatly - drips on stair noses are difficult to sand back without taking all the paint off.

7. Leave adequate drying time before use

Floor paints and hard-wearing finishes dry to touch relatively quickly but take longer to cure properly. Most manufacturers recommend 24 hours before light foot traffic and several days before the paint reaches full hardness. Use socks on newly painted treads rather than shoes for the first week if you can, and place a mat at the foot of the stairs to reduce grit being walked in.

If you want a non-slip surface - particularly sensible at the top and bottom tread - you can add a small amount of sand to the topcoat, or buy a non-slip additive from the same paint range.

When to call a handyman

If the stairs need more than paint - squeaky treads to fix, damaged spindles to replace, or stair nosings that are lifting - sort those before you paint rather than painting over the problem. Call Richard if you want the preparation done properly, the painting done neatly, or if the staircase needs structural repairs at the same time.