Painting stairs

Painting a staircase is the project where everything applies at once: the surface gets walked on every day, it's the only way upstairs, and it usually sits exactly where the light falls at an angle. This set includes re-box's silky-sheen lacquer, made for furniture, wood and interior surfaces. The rest is planning — above all, working out how you get upstairs while everything downstairs is still fresh.

Materials for treads, stringers and railings

A staircase has more parts than you'd count while climbing it: treads, risers, stringers, handrail, often balusters too. Every part has a different edge, and every edge needs its own tool. That's why this list is longer than the one for a wall.

• ✔️ re-box protect, the furniture and colour lacquer — resistant to mechanical stress, everyday dirt and external influences
• ✔️ re-box core as a bonding primer that adheres well to a wide range of surfaces
• ✔️ sanding block – 120 grit for old lacquer layers, finer paper for the intermediate sanding
• ✔️ repair filler 1 kg with high filling power for knots, cracks and old nail holes
• ✔️ pliers and a screwdriver to remove stair rods, clips and nails
• ✔️ a narrow brush for balusters, a small roller for the tread surfaces
• ✔️ a vacuum cleaner and a lint-free cloth — sanding dust is the biggest enemy on a staircase
• ✔️ masking tape for the wall edges and sheeting for the treads you're not working on yet

The staircase in eight steps

1. Clear the staircase

Take off any stair runner, carpet remnants, edge strips and anti-slip fittings. Pull out all nails and staples, including the broken ones. Whatever stays in place now will show up later as a bump in the lacquer.

2. Clean thoroughly

Treads carry a mix of street dirt, cleaning residue and grease. Wipe down the whole staircase with a damp cloth and let it dry completely. No primer can make up for a surface that hasn't been cleaned.

3. Sand and remove dust

Sand old lacquer to a matte finish and smooth out any rough patches. Work along the grain, and go gently on the edges. Then vacuum every tread and wipe it down with the cloth — better twice than once.

4. Fill cracks and holes

Fill knots, nail holes and open joints with filler, then sand once more. Take extra care with the tread edges, since that's where daily wear takes the greatest toll.

5. Apply the primer

Apply re-box core thinly to every surface that will later be lacquered. Keep to the rhythm you'll need for the lacquer too: every other tread. That way, the staircase stays usable the whole time.

6. First coat of paint on every other step

Paint step 1, 3, 5 and so on, leaving the ones in between free. Apply the paint thinly and along the grain. Thin here really means thin: on horizontal surfaces, material collects and runs together at the front edge.

7. Second round and the skipped steps

Once the first set of steps is dry, it's the second set's turn — and after that, the second coat on each in the same order. Don't forget the fine sanding in between. This costs you two evenings and spares you the question of why the staircase looks the same as before after half a year.

8. Stringers, risers and handrail

Vertical surfaces and the handrail are independent of the step rhythm, since you don't walk on them. Take the narrow brush and work from top to bottom. The handrail gets its second coat last — it's the part you automatically grab when going upstairs. The full version with all the in-between steps is in Treppe streichen: Holztreppe Anleitung.

Why only a hard-wearing paint makes sense on stairs

On a staircase, shoe soles, dust and cleaning water all hit the same twenty centimetres, day after day. Matte wall paint isn't made for surfaces like this. re-box's satin-sheen paint, by contrast, stands up to mechanical stress, everyday dirt and outside influences — exactly the three things a staircase faces daily.

When it comes to shade, practical experience has its say: dark treads forgive everyday marks more easily than light ones. A classic is the two-tone staircase with dark treads and light risers. Forge Grey No. 28 Lack and Charbon Nuit No. 49 Lack are obvious choices for this, while Chêne Antique No. 51 Lack stays closer to the wood. The full range is sorted under Lackfarben Grau, and with the Farbmusterbox 65 Stk you can check the shade in the staircase light before committing. If the doors are getting done in the same go, the Renovierungsbox Tür Upgrade fits right in.

What goes wrong when the staircase is the only way upstairs

• Painting everything at once. Then you're standing downstairs while the beds are upstairs. The "every other step" rhythm isn't a fine point — it's the basic condition.
• Underestimating sanding dust. Dust on a staircase always falls downwards, onto freshly painted surfaces. Sand everything first, then vacuum everything, then paint.
• Not roughening up the old paint. On glossy old paint without roughening and without a primer, the new coat won't hold.
• Applying too generously. Horizontal surfaces are the least forgiving of thick coats — the paint collects at the front edge of the tread.
• Walking on it too soon. How quickly the paint becomes load-bearing depends on temperature and ventilation. Plan generously, walk in socks for the first few days and don't put boxes on the steps.
• Forgetting risers and stringers. Fresh treads above an old frame look half-finished. Measure them in from the start.

Quantity: steps, stringers and the wall next to them

Work out the staircase piece by piece. A tread measuring 0.85 m by 0.28 m comes to around 0.24 m²; with 14 steps, that's roughly 3.4 m². The risers add a similar area, and the stringers and handrail add another couple of square metres. For two coats, you double the total.

How far your container goes depends on the surface, the shade and how thickly you apply it. It's best to order a reserve, since every shade is mixed fresh after ordering and refills take 3 to 5 working days. For the staircase wall, which usually gets done at the same time, use the figures for wall paints:

• approx. 8–10 m² for two coats — 2.5 L is enough
• approx. 15–20 m² for two coats — 5 L is enough
• approx. 30–40 m² for two coats — 10 L is enough

A stairwell with around 18 m² of wall area calls for 5 L. If the wall runs over two floors, plan for 10 L instead. Where to mask off and where not to is covered in Richtig abkleben ohne Farbunterläufe.

Frequently asked questions about painting a staircase

Can I use the staircase while I'm painting it?
Yes, if you paint every other step and leave the rest free. Once the first set is dry, it's the others' turn. That way, the way upstairs stays passable throughout.

Do I have to sand off all the old paint?
No, not as long as it's firmly attached. The surface needs to be clean, dry, stable and free of loose material; you only sand until the sheen is gone. The primer follows after that.

How much paint do I need for 14 steps?
Measure one step and scale up: 0.85 m by 0.28 m comes to around 0.24 m², so with 14 treads that's roughly 3.4 m². Add the risers, stringers and handrail, then double the total for the second coat.

When can the staircase be used normally again?
In most cases, after around 24 hours. With a staircase, that still means: no outdoor shoes and no heavy furniture over the steps for the first few days.

How fast will the set arrive if I want to paint at the weekend?
Delivery takes 3 to 5 working days from receipt of payment, within Germany. So order at the latest at the start of the previous week if you have a fixed date in mind.