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Painting old wooden stairs handrails

  • 18-07-2024 12:14PM
    #1
    billyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,461 ✭✭✭✭


    What would be the steps involved in either varnishing or painting these handrails. Would it need to be stripped down. Would it need an undercoat and then a gloss or matte finish. It will either be painted or varnished

    IMG_20240718_090630.jpg

    walnut colour or white.



Comments

  • #2
    jellybeano
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 129 ✭✭jellybeano


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058360254/painting-old-wooden-stairs-handrails

    We recently finished our handrails. We stripped all the paint off, back to the bare wood. We used a combination of sanders and heat guns.

    I made up a white-wash, applied it and then sealed using clear varnish (matt). Really happy with the way it turned out. Next step is to carpet the stairs.

    Let me know if you need any more details about the whitewash / varnish used.

    IMG_4263.jpeg


  • #3
    jellybeano
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 129 ✭✭jellybeano


    A before photo

    IMG_4264.jpeg


  • #4
    billyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,461 ✭✭✭✭billyhead


    Cheers

    Do you think I would get away with a sealeant and a few coats of paint for it to come out well? Would I really need to strip the current paint finish which is very old about 50 years off it?



  • #5
    jellybeano
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 129 ✭✭jellybeano


    Ours was about 50 years old too and a bit of a labour of love to get it back to the wood tbh.

    You could always sand it back with medium or fine sandpaper, enough to scuff it up, so you can paint over it any colour of your choice. Plenty of options out there. Matte/ satin finish would be my preference. You might need a primer/ undercoat as the original varnish is probably oil based and a lot of wood based paints nowadays are water based. You’ll need to check the tin.

    It’s hard to say what to do for it to come up well. Lots of people hate those types of handrails and replace them. I really like the 70’s look and wanted to try to enhance what was already there.

    Whatever you do, do a test patch and leave it for a few days to see if you’re happy with. Cos sanding them back again after making a mistake will cost you weeks of time.



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