How to prep and paint exterior pre painted timber stairs?

katb27

Hi there,

I am looking for advice on how to go about painting these external stairs. They have these anti slip mats on them but our dog has started to chew and rip them off so I would like to just remove them all and repair / paint the stairs. We are repainting the whole external of the house anyway so would like them to match in with the fresh paint. How do I go about prepping and painting them correctly so that they are slip resistant and withstand weather?
Thank you!

JacobZ

Hi @katb27,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Obviously the first step would be to remove the existing anti slip mats and adhesive used. This should be relatively easy to do using a paint scraper such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/trojan-100mm-paint-scraper_p0093214 .

Once the existing anti-slip mats and adhesive have been removed, sand the stairs back thoroughly to remove any loose or peeling paint and smooth out the damaged areas. Start with a coarser grit such as 80-grit where needed, then finish with a finer grit such as 180-grit before vacuuming and washing the surface clean. You do not need to remove all of the paint, just any that is loose, flaking or poorly adhered to the surface beneath. It also doesn't need to be perfectly smooth but getting it relatively smooth will give you a better finish once the paint is applied.

You can then apply two coats of a durable exterior decking paint such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/cabot-s-4l-brown-timbercolour-deck-exterior-paint_p1521558 , following the recommended drying times between coats. I would avoid using standard exterior wall paint, as stair treads need a coating designed to handle foot traffic.

For additional slip resistance, you should apply an antislip tape such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/croc-grip-5m-x-50mm-white-anti-slip-tape_p3961672 or https://www.bunnings.com.au/croc-grip-5m-x-50mm-clear-anti-slip-tape_p3961671 across each tread once the paint has fully cured. Make sure the surface is clean and dry before applying it and press it down firmly along the full length.

This will give you a cleaner look that matches your home's new paint, while still maintaining the slip resistance you need on stairs.

Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob