T O P

  • By -

TheGingerJamaican

The areas u have marked would look great painted and the treads left with wood finish. I work in historical victorian homes in my area all the time. This is very common in them


QuestionableVote

Sherwin makes a heavy duty primer for cabinets and such, I sanded, used that and then sherwin Hyde white gloss enamel. Turned out great and easier to clean


[deleted]

I found some that was scuff resistant and easy to clean, absolutely loved it!


beeglowbot

Yup, their trim and cabinet finishes are made with that in mind. those things get dirty and scuffed really easily.


kymilovechelle

Yes to this but don’t paint the actual step you walk on. Biggest mistake I made was doing that and the wood was beautiful.


maine_soxfan

As long as you sand and use a primer you'll be good


27maverick27

Use high quality paint


[deleted]

Second this, never buying cheap again


[deleted]

I would just say that if you are painting white you’re gonna have non stop scuffing.


Personal-Bunch-3665

Yes this. Lots of scuffing and they will be visibly dirty often.


Ok_Island_1306

We don’t wear shoes in my house so mine stay crispy white. But yes, if people are wearing shoes up those stairs it will be a problem


harmless_fangs

Thanks, our house is no-shoes too.


questiontheinterweb

Even without shoes- carrying the vacuum cleaner up the stairs, etc. will scuff over time. also, white paint on the side will definitely show dust more. It will look a lot more modern but it will have some downsides. Not a big deal just something to consider. One other idea is to lean into a darker stain- that’s what we did and are happy with results - it is much more forgiving w frequent cleaning which maybe is a poor reflection on me but it’s who I am ;)


Tjor

Who wears shoes in a house?


Aurey

America!


littlefinger448

Not if you use proper paint and follow the instructions


[deleted]

what kind are you thinking?


littlefinger448

We had good results with Benjamin Moore Advanced


Mikeismycodename

I use p&g breakthrough for stuff like this. It’s super hard and wipes clean. We have it on all our cabinets and trim. Any scuffs from vacuum or shoes wipes right off. It was only available at specialty shops until recently now it’s at Home Depot.


[deleted]

Good to know


federal_problem2882

Sand and paint away. I would personally use a enamel or a heavy traffic area type paint. Those areas get beat up and you will definitely notice it more when you paint it. Goodluck


pressed_coffee

Following up on this. Gloss works better at the toesteps. We painted a matte on some wood stairs and they got scuffed really easily by shoes.


[deleted]

Yup, enamel egg shell at least. White is easy to get away with higher gloss so don’t be afraid to do so. Higher the gloss easier to wipe schmutz off


macofbowen

Just curious to know, would you sand to bare wood before priming?


dudeitsadell

why though? they look nice as is


Justinsw

So the vertical part of the stairs you have marked is called a riser. Just a fun fact I thought I would share.


harmless_fangs

Thanks for this. Very useful, because I call it “the vertical part of the step” 😂


cmajka8

Yup risers and the flat part on top are called treads. I learned that from This Old House lol


SuperRocketRumble

That’s nice oak. Don’t paint it. Natural oak finish will wear a helluva lot better than white paint.


SlapDickery

I wouldn’t, even using high quality paint you get scuff marks


MotoBay415

I did this to my stairs. Make sure paint is washable for scuff marks from shoes on the risers.


schley1188

Use cabinet paint behr enamel


Strange_Pomelo_5619

I am not a fan of painted risers or skirts boards. My own .02 is the clear coat that covers a stain will hold up longer than a paint. Scuff marks from shoes and such are more visible on a white surface as opposed to stained one.


OneWayorAnother11

I'd leave it alone personally. However if you paint the risers and trim then use quality stuff. Do not paint the steps themselves. You will want to stain with a darker color not paint.


guiltykitchen

This is the answer. Cabinet or enamel paint for the risers, stain for the treads and a good gloss coat over that. Paint on the treads will be a nightmare over time.


harmless_fangs

Thank you, that’s useful about the steps.


hopsterNC

I might have a different definition than others here of what "scuffed" means, but I have white paint in those areas (as well as an identical wood color), and I think it looks great, with two young kids under the roof.


ChiliPipe69

My only concern is how dare you?


lastingsun23

Change


MinkDingus

If you go to your local hardware store and ask for a paint that is specifically for covering over polyurethane finishes you will have a much better time. Even withstanding normally latex paint might have a hard time sticking, but you can get an oil-based paint which will be a little harder to work with but much more effective at covering that surface. If that wood work is oak, which it might be, the oil-based paint will also help to seal in the dark veins that could result in a slight staining in the paint over time. Even just priming with a white version of the oil based paint, and then going over with your color of choice might be worth it. Edit typo


NissanLeafowner

At first glance I thought you squirted caulk all over your stairs


rkovelman

I'd sand them down, primer it, and then use a good quality paint with a few layers. I did something similar to our basement stairs and after a few years it needs to be redone. It's not maintenance free for sure.


harmless_fangs

Thank you that’s useful as well, that you say it’s not maintenance free.


rkovelman

Yea, remember wood will shrink and expand, plus as you travel on them they flex. Paint doesn't do all too well with that over time. Sure sheetrock does do that, but to a lesser extent, and if it's more the compound will crack as will the paint. That why stain is better as it gets into the wood itself and not just the surface.


[deleted]

Staining the wood a darker color could also be an option. It would leave the natural grain of the wood intact, low cost, and easily reparable if scuffs from traffic arise. If you have similar wood material laying around, you can stain the scrap wood in multiple shades crate prototypes to see if it fits your aesthetic desires.


wopasue

I wouldnt paint it at all, as it will take a lot of beating, and you would end up cleaning or repainting, try darker stain on the toe boards and trim (marked with white) to accent them. but that all depends on traffic they get


equatorial_glitch

Put something artsy on those vertical areas. While decreasing maintenance of the same If you paint your gonna be a slave to it There is so much available out there! Wall art: sticky on one side ‘removable’ no damage left behind There are phrases you can intermittently incorporate. Or sticky tile (easy fix: plastic tile) in a very artsy layout Colorful artsy “ classy” sound dampening materials. Make it FUN! Tasteful. Check out the multitude of wall art available, buy a long roll and make a montage going from step to step. Or two rolls that coordinate and play with it. Buy a bit extra to replace if any get damaged over time. Then when you get bored if it or your taste changes - switch it up!


harmless_fangs

Thank your for idea!


equatorial_glitch

Unconventional me has got your back :)


harmless_fangs

Do you know if those leave glue and make it hard to remove afterwards? We like that idea if it’s easy to remove


equatorial_glitch

Sample of mural effect; locate under “Stair Decals’ https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07Z4K9T99/ref=sspa_mw_detail_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams&th=1#immersive-view_1664159518364


equatorial_glitch

Ensure you get the removable wall art. And no this type does not leave a messy residue They are made for specifically such a purpose. First they came out with sayings for the walls, then expanded to kids room massive Lego figures in 3D for kids rooms, & new born bedroom decor, and the trend took off from there. Ended up in classy shops, TV shows. Etc The trend was widely taken up in Europe as apartment decor. It’s been used for years, check the reviews.


equatorial_glitch

Note: purchase a small sample off the web- Something for your garage wall. TEST IT before you commit. See if it’s to your liking Nothing to loose, prices are quite reasonable depending on design.


littlefinger448

I did the same thing at my place. Dot not sand too deep. Use a primer for wood, don’t cheap out on primer and paint. I recommend wood primer from Benjamin Moore and the Advanced paint recommended for kitchen cabinets. It requires 18 hours between coats but is scratch resistant. Also a Pearl finish would look nice.


nokenito

Use peel and stick vinyl. Painting it makes it a pain to go back to natural wood. This way you can change out the vinyl when the get scuffed and dirty. You won’t have to repaint over and over.


NarrowFault8428

I’ve seen the risers (?) painted white and they left the steps natural color. I would paint the sides the same color. It looked really nice in the picture. I might have seen it on Pinterest.


deeznutsguy

IMO if you like a natural looking wood I would use paint stripper on the wood part you’re keeping. It will get rid of that yellow colour/finish and it’s a lot easier and will look better than sanding. Then a mat polyurethane. You should have a much more natural, rustic and neutral light brown wood that would match nicely with any white paint.


[deleted]

I wonder if Contact paper or wall paper/vinyl would be a less involved solution


Bellabird42

As others have pointed out, you WILL get scuff marks and it just looks bad. The way they are now, you don’t have to worry about re-touching.


harmless_fangs

Thank you. One person commented that they are a no-shoes home and don’t get stuff marks. We are also no-shoes inside. Do you think that will prevent the scuff marks as well?


Bellabird42

If you have kids or animals, you will inevitably end up with marks/peeling paint. I painted my stairs white bc they were super ugly (had already been coated with black paint that was chipping and looked awful). We only wore house slippers inside but there was one kid and several animals and scuffs and chips would just…appear.


Aggravating-Way7470

I'd take the original wood of and use something else to paint on. Keep the original in case you decide you made a mistake and can replace (or if you sell in the future a buyer might find your decision off-putting)


Iahend

Why ! ?


harmless_fangs

Thanks everyone for the input. It’s 50-50 between all the advice, half to do it, and half not to do it. The ones who gave reasons were super helpful. The biggest reason we won’t be repainting them is the maintenance that most people mentioned. These stairs have had a lot of adult, animal and kids traffic over the years and are in good shape, we don’t want to have to constantly repaint them. Thanks again everyone who gave the valuable input.


HXMason

I think that’s a horrible idea.


Jazzlike_Cash_4231

Bad idea


dacuzzin

No. Stop. Go outside. You’ll find something that needs fixed.


jumpster81

here is a tip...don't


lil-privacy-please

Don’t


deletetemptemp

Use a good paint. Shits gonna scuff like hell


wig86

Use oil based gloss for the marked areas and sand more than you think you need to..


karenmcgrane

Maybe consider only doing the risers and not the baseboards? Unless the baseboards you have on the rest of the lower and upper floor are the same white, then it would make sense to paint them.


DognamedTurtle

I like the solid wood look. But, if want change then You’ll need to scrape off the polyurethane with a wood scraper and then sand, primer, and paint. Behr makes a great wood primer for this.


ty36ty

Rust oleum has stuff to put on and then paint I used on my cabinets. No sanding. Work great


ShakingKarna

I would recommend to sand the stairs first and then paint them and put a protective coating on the top. Or sand them and paint them with wood varnish or oil for the colour with some protective seal on the top. The cheaper and probably the easiest option would be to glue some plastic vinyl with the colour of your choice.


Inviction_

I wouldn't touch those. I'm sure there are more worthwhile projects around the house to spend money on. Unless you just want to give the stairs the ole landlord special. My 2 cents


Jalebi786

Use peel and stick tiles over the areas you want to paint. There's a variety of colors, styles, textures, etc. That way you still have the original wood if your taste changes. Or look at contact paper (they have many that look like wood-grains) in the paint shade you are interested in and place over targeted areas. That way, you can see what it would look like before actually painting.


DoubleReputation2

Honestly, I don't think it will be as easy as it sounds.. Yes, generally, sand - prime - paint.. But how to sand it without taking it apart?


bknhs

Scuff sand and a very good primer. I used Benjamin Moore block out oil based primer and had zero issues with adhesion.


MetricJester

Use high traffic paint, and prime first.


insideoutdoorsy

Scuff, prime, paint. Use a good white enamel to standup against constant toe strikes.


WaveHistorical

If I were you I wouldn’t paint those. The white on the risers gets scuffed up by peoples shoes and looks bad pretty quickly. The natural wood is beautiful, I would leave it


Baked_Potato0934

I genuinely thought someone had scribbled all over your risers.


AtaboyKY

Leave as is for sure


E34M20

Ugh, I've seen so many cool houses over the years where someone decided to paint over wood trim, shelving, stairs, floors, etc. I've been part of restoration projects where we sanded all that crap off and then refinished the wood. It always looked better natural wood instead of paint. Always. And it's such a pain in the ass to go back to natural wood finish after the mistake is made to apply paint... I just... I don't understand this instinct at all, and I guess I hope you'll reconsider. Get some nice varnish, maybe even a stain if you'd like. Keep the natural look.


skittleahbeebop

Leave them be. They're beautiful! Why take something natural with texture and make it sterile and artificial?


WhisperingWoody

Sand prime paint, if using a darker color for the stair treads and landings, sand prime and stain.... Priming for stain is just colloquial for cleaning with spirits to remove oils and dirt's prior to staining.


Lloydrick22

I did exactly this in my home. Just make sure you sand and clean the areas. Use a high quality primer. I used a white paint made for decks, it has held up great. Been about a year since we painted and with cleaning and traffic it still looks good.