Painting Stairs: How to Do it Right
Why Paint Your Stairs?
Painting your stairs is an excellent way to give your interior a complete makeover or simply to extend the life of your stairs and protect them. Repainting stairs is a popular DIY job that anyone can do with the right preparation and materials.
Painting stair components requires attention to detail and the choice of the right materials. Because stairs are used intensively, ordinary wall paint is not suitable. You need a durable stair paint that is resistant to wear, scratches, and daily stress.
Benefits & Applications
Painting stairs offers both aesthetic and practical advantages. Whether it's a closed or open staircase, the result is immediately visible.
A New Look with Colour
With a simple change of stair paint colour, you create a whole new atmosphere in your home. The choice of stair paint colour is crucial. Do you opt for a timeless, neutral shade or do you seek dynamics with the trend: painting stairs in 2 colours?
A light shade on the treads and a dark colour on the risers, or vice versa, offers a unique and modern look. Ask yourself: what colour best suits my stairs in my hall or landing? With the right colour choice and quality paint, you create a real eye-catcher in your home.
Protection and Durability
A staircase is one of the most heavily used elements in the house. Painting stairs with specially developed paint for stairs provides a protective layer against wear. This is especially important when painting a wooden staircase. Untreated wood can quickly be damaged, but good paint helps prevent this.
Custom Colour
Painting Various Surfaces
You can repaint different types of stairs:
Painting wooden stairs: this is the most common job. Wood needs a good primer to ensure optimal adhesion of the topcoat and to prevent wear.
Painting varnished stairs: painting varnished stairs is possible, but requires extra attention to preparation, such as careful dulling or the use of a special adhesion primer.
Painting concrete or stone stairs: in this case, a robust floor paint or epoxy paint is the best choice to ensure a very durable layer.
Which Paint to Choose and When?
The choice of stair paint determines the final result and the durability of your painted stairs. You want a paint that is scratch-resistant and wear-resistant.
Type of Paint for Stairs
For painting stairs, polyurethane (PU) reinforced lacquers or epoxy paint are often chosen.
Water-based paints (Hydro): These are low-odor and dry quickly, which is ideal for painting stairs in a living space. They are durable, but maximum hardness is only achieved after a few days. You will often find these under the name ‘Lak Hydro’ in our assortment.
Floor or Epoxy Paint: If you are looking for the most extreme durability and wear resistance, then a two-component EPOXY HYDRO paint is the best option for your stairs. This type of paint was originally developed for floors and can be perfectly applied as stair paint.
The right primer: the basis for a durable paint job. A universal adhesion primer like ‘OMNI HYDRO’ is needed after sanding to lay a solid foundation for the topcoat.
Colour: Humusbeige
Stair Painting Colour and Finish
The finish (gloss level) and color of your stair paint influence the appearance and how quickly dirt stands out.
Matte: Creates a modern, serene look and hides small imperfections.
Satin / Eggshell: The most chosen finish for stairs. It is easy to clean and reflects less light than high gloss.
High Gloss: Offers a sleek, easy-to-clean surface, but shows imperfections in the paintwork more quickly.
The choice of stair paint colour is personal. Both light and dark shades have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of maintenance. Light colours enlarge the space, dark colours give a sense of luxury and optically mask more dirt.
Step-by-Step Plan in Short
Properly painting your stairs requires a good step-by-step plan.
Preparation and cleaning: Thoroughly clean and degrease the stairs. This is key to successful adhesion of the stair paint.
Removing old paint: If old paint layers are loose or damaged, it is necessary to remove the paint from the stairs by sanding. Painting varnished stairs always requires light sanding or dulling.
Repairing: Fill holes and cracks in the wood or concrete. Sand smooth after drying.
Applying primer: Apply the appropriate primer (OMNI HYDRO) to ensure excellent adhesion. Allow it to dry completely.
Painting: Apply the first coat of paint (e.g., VLOER Hydro or EPOXY HYDRO 2K). Sand very lightly between coats for optimal results.
Finishing: Apply the second (and possibly a third) topcoat of your chosen stair paint. Make sure you use the correct stair paint colour.
