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How to freshen up an old (possibly painted) staircase?

I'm looking to freshen up an old staircase that we've inherited (so I'm not quite sure what materials I'm dealing with..). After some sanding, it appears the ballastrades are made from two different types (and colour) of timber and have possibly been painted.

I'd originally planned to sand and varnish/stain the stair case but now am not sure this will come off well given the above. Now instead I'm thinking perhaps we should sand and paint the stairs and ballastrades...

Would love to get some advice on what would be the best solution and products to use. Thank you 🙏

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Comments

homereno1

Also, ideally we'd stain or paint it lighter to match the Tasmanian oak timber floorboards. Would this be possible, or am I dreaming?

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/55205#Comment_55205

Hello @homereno1

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your staircase.

Would it be possible for you to sand down one of the steps so that we can see the actual colour of the timber step? Personally, I think it adds to the charm and character of the staircase. Having different types of wood for your staircase is like a candy treat for the eyes. While a modern house strives for that homogenous look and feel an older home that comes with different parts tells a much better story of its history and the materials that were used to build it. It reveals its personality and also becomes a talking point when describing the type of wood that was used.

My vote goes to sanding the stairs and handrail back down to timber and using an Intergrain 1L Slip Resistant Ultrafloor or similar and a complimenting clear coat for the handrail.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Nailbag

Hi @homereno1

Its all very doable, just depends how much work you want to put into the, Staining will require a LOT of sanding back to raw timber as @EricL mentioned. Painting will be much easier and quicker and if you stick with a dark colour, it won't show the scuffs etc.

Nailbag

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/89859#Comment_89859

Good Evening @homereno1

Love those stair treads, I would actually try sanding an unseen edge to see waht the true colour is or even leav that dark shade with a light sanding.

I prefer oiling timber over painting, ther is something about the feel and scent that you know you have done a good job bringing the timber back to life. It will need maitenance being a trafficed area so oiling again ever few years but the depth of colour will deepen.

WIth the handrail I would really try sanding some more to see what the underlying colours are. How are you sanding? I have used an ozito belt sander Ozito 75 x 533mm 850W Variable Speed Belt Sander and it seriously kicks my little rectangular orbital sander in the behind. I would suggest to sand in teh same line when using it for maximum effect.

If you dont want to sand the handrail, maybe a part sanding and whitewash would look good. The last thing I would do is to change the colour tone/warmth of your lighting, It will bring up aspects that are washed out in cool the white that you have now. Switch the light to a warmer colour or even an angled light of some kind. Maybe an undersided at the back of teh handrail LED strip light even.

Dave

homereno1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/110764#Comment_110764

Thanks so much Eric, Nailbag and Dave! Plenty of food for thought here.

I'll do some more sanding today to see if I can peel back to the original timber some more. @Dave-1 I'm using a Makita orbital sander with 180-grit and will try that method.

Love the idea of the LED lighting too.

@Nailbag do you know what type of paint could be used for stairs?

Thanks

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/122774#Comment_122774

Good morning @homereno1

An orbital sander will take a resonable amount of effort sanding wise, A powwered belt sander may be a better option.

Also 180 grit sandpaper is a fine sandpaper, to remove what you have back to timber you need a courser sandpaper, say an 80 grit to start with and then a higher number to make smooth.

Dave

Nailbag

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/122774#Comment_122774

Hi @homereno1

Best overall sander to use is a Random Orbit. These are a very efficient sander thats also easy to manage. Plus one you will get use of again and again. Then use your Makita orbital to get into the corners. A belt sander on the other hand is very aggressive and you won't get near the corners or sides. And in all be decades of renovating possibly used one twice. But they are awesome on large flat surfaces.

And definitely consider @Dave-1 suggestion of step lights. The ones that go on the wall offer the best spread of light.

Paint wise I would go oil-based due to the high traffic use they will get. The team member experts in the Paint Shop will be able to advise in more detail.

Nailba

homereno1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/130581#Comment_130581

Will do, thanks Dave!!

homereno1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/110764#Comment_110764

Pretty stoked with how they've come up! They're definitely not perfect but we love the lighter colour and history in them.

Now we need to stain and protect the timber stairs and railing, but we don't want the colour to darken.

Is there a matte finish stain that won't darken the timber once applied? Or alternatively, a white wash stain to help keep it light (whilst also helping blend the imperfections)?

Thanks so much for your help so far!

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/123084#Comment_123084

Hi @homereno1,

Your stairs have a lovely character now that you’ve lightened them up, and it makes sense to want to preserve that paler, natural look. Most traditional clear finishes—whether oil, polyurethane, or standard stains—will darken timber a few shades once they soak in.

You could try using a matt oil such as this Feast Watson Matt Timber Floor Oil, but I imagine it would still slightly darken the stairs and railings.

There's this Feast Watson Liming White Satin Stain & Varnish, which could also be an option; however, it would take away some of the natural look of the timber.

Personally, I would prefer the matt oil, but it's likely that it would darken the timber slightly. Maybe you test it in a small section and see what you think. If you're not a fan, just sand it back and recoat with the liming white.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

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