5 Tips For Staining Wooden Stairs in Denver Metro, CO
5 Tips For Staining Wooden Stairs in Denver Metro, CO
Key Takeaways
- Clean wooden stairs thoroughly and allow them to dry before applying stain.
- If the stairs are already stained, gently sand them first so the wood can accept the new stain.
- Wipe away excess stain before it dries and keep the staining time consistent across all of the stairs.
- Wear old clothing and disposable gloves while staining to protect yourself and your clothes.
- Stain alone does not protect wooden stairs, so finish the project with a clear finishing coat.
When you have wooden stairs in your home, part of the maintenance and upkeep of the stairs involves making sure to take the time to occasionally re-stain them — or, if the stairs are newly built, staining them, to begin with.
Wooden stairs are like any other wooden product and need special care — you can’t just treat them like other stairs that would get cleaned and even painted.
While wooden stairs can, of course, be painted, there’s a special quality that you get from staining them — they certainly benefit health-wise from wood staining.
Let’s look at and consider five tips for staining wooden stairs in Denver Metro, CO.
1. Clean First
When you’re looking to stain your wooden stairs, the first thing you need to do is to make sure that the stairs are clean.
This means more than just sweeping them and wiping them to make sure that they are free of any loose dust or dirt that may be on them.
It would help if you scrubbed the stairs well to make sure that they are entirely free of any dirt and then, of course, allow time for them to dry.
2. Don’t Try To Stain Already Stained Stairs
In staining your wooden stairs, there has to be a certain quality — open pores, that is — that will permit your stain actually to affect your stairs.
When your stairs are already stained, and you want to stain them anew, you will have to take steps before applying a new coat of stain.
Specifically, you have to sand the stairs gently — this will open up the stairs’ pores and make it possible for you to stain them.
If your wooden stairs are newly constructed, of course, you don’t have to worry about this because the newly constructed stairs won’t have any stain on them.
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3. Don’t Leave Stain On Too Long
The longer you leave on the stain, the darker the stain ultimately will be.
That being the case, you don’t just put the stain on your stairs and then walk away for a few days — invariably, you’re going to have a little excess stain on the stairs that need to be wiped away.
The issue is that some people presume that the quantity of strain they put on is okay, and they leave it all on indefinitely — and this is not appropriate ever.
The stain shouldn’t be allowed to dry on — but rather, you should time the length it stays on consistently throughout the staining process so that all of your stairs get stained for the same amount of time.
4. Gloves And Old Clothes
When you’re staining your wooden stairs, you can’t just go in wearing new clothing and nothing on your hands.
Well… you can, but only if you don’t mind getting your new clothes covered with stained and utterly ruined, and your hands similarly covered in stain and need of a good cleaning.
Instead, it would help if you considered how to choose clothing — clothing that you don’t mind getting completely covered in stain — and choose a good pair of disposable gloves to wear while staining.
This is a good thing because, at worst, you can dispose of the clothing, and you won’t feel a loss over it.
5. Stain Is Not Protection
Lastly, please remember that staining your wooden stairs does not protect them, and you have to take a final step to get that protection.
Specifically, you have to put on a clear finishing coat before you can consider your wooden stairs fully and properly stained.
The clear finishing coat is the step that you have to take to protect your stairs.
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We recently used Imhoff for some interior painting on our staircase. We are very pleased with the work they did.
Imhoff Painting did an excellent job helping me out with a custom stain on some stair noses I needed for a client!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should you clean wooden stairs before staining them?
Yes. The stairs should be thoroughly cleaned so they are free of dust and dirt before staining. After cleaning, allow them time to dry before starting the staining process.
Can you stain wooden stairs that are already stained?
Before applying new stain to already stained stairs, gently sand the stairs to open up the wood’s pores. This makes it possible for the new stain to affect the wood properly.
How long should you leave stain on wooden stairs?
The stain shouldn’t be allowed to simply dry on the stairs. Wipe away excess stain and keep the amount of time the stain remains on the wood consistent throughout the project so all of the stairs achieve a consistent result.
What should you wear when staining wooden stairs?
Wear clothing that you don’t mind getting covered in stain and use a good pair of disposable gloves while staining.
Does wood stain protect wooden stairs?
No. Staining the stairs does not provide the final protection they need. A clear finishing coat should be applied after staining to protect the wooden stairs.
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