Have you ever looked at your staircase and thought, “It’s time for an upgrade!” That’s precisely what happened to us when we switched our old-fashioned balusters and railing for sleek, modern glass. But, as with many DIY projects, this transformation left its mark – quite literally. Drill hole scars on our freshly exposed treads needed a fix. While we love the look, we were definitely not prepared for the exposed holes – we just wish someone told us about this in advance!
The thing about stain is, there is no easy fix – just a ton of elbow grease. So, grab your tools and join us on our journey of staircase staining magic!
Materials
- Stain (exact match to your existing staircase)
- Painter’s tape
- Tarps or drop cloths
- Orbital sander
- Belt sander
- 60-grit sandpaper
- Paint scraper
- Cotton rags
- Satin polyurethane finish
- Patience and a dash of elbow grease
Instructions
Step 1: The Stain Saga Begins First things first – ensure you have the exact stain as your existing staircase. A small test spot will confirm the match. We’re striving for perfection here. As a reminder when working with stains, stir a lot and often! This makes sure the colour match stays consistent throughout.
Step 2: The Taping Tango Like an artist framing a canvas, tape around the risers to isolate the flat plane of each tread. This ensures that your focus remains on the star of the show – the tread itself. I used painters tape but you can line it with something thicker if you like. This keeps the riser colour untouched. Also as you sand, it serves as a safety barrier from you accidently going off course.
Step 3: The Sanding Symphony Roll out the tarps, cue the music, and let the sanding begin! Armed with an orbital sander, a belt sander, and some 60-grit sandpaper, we worked our way through each tread. To hit those tricky edges, we brought in a paint scraper. The goal? getting to the original colour of the wood. This definitely wasn’t easy, and we worked our way through 2 or 3 scrapers.
Step 4: The Dust Wipe Before the real magic happens, it’s time for the dust dance. Wipe away all that sanding residue to reveal a pristine canvas for your stain.
Step 5: The Stain Ballet Now, for the star performance! I prefer using the cotton rag method for all my staining procedures. Apply a generous amount of stain and let it pirouette across the wood. Follow the grain for even distribution, and after a few minutes, wipe off the excess. Here’s a photo of the stain and finish I used below.
Step 6: The Finish Flourish Every performance deserves a standing ovation – or in this case, a finishing flourish. After ample drying time, we applied not one, not two, but four coats of satin Varathane Nano Defence finish. Each coat had a light sand with super high grit between.
Conclusion
That’s it! from pesky drill hole marks to a stunningly stained staircase! Time wise, this was only a 2-3 day project. It was just an extremely daunting one. Anytime you sand something down to the wood, it takes some elbow grease and cleanup.
Pro Tip: If you’re feeling extra creative, consider adding a stylish stair runner or some decorative accents to complete the look. Your staircase is now a true showstopper in your home!
So, if you’ve got a staircase in need of a little love, don’t hesitate to embark on your own staining adventure. It’s a DIY project that promises both fun and beauty, step by step.
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