Why is it better to paint a pine staircase in a house, rules and step-by-step instructions
Different types of wood require special preparation before painting. The appearance of the product depends on it. Softwood pine absorbs coating unevenly. Even expensive, high-quality varnishes and paints crack and stain quickly. It is important not only to choose how to paint the interior pine staircase in the house, but also to properly prepare its surface.
Content
- 1 Varieties of wood and its characteristics
- 2 How to choose paint
- 3 Application of varnish for interior wooden stairs
- 4 Use of special dyes and impregnations
- 5 How to do the job well
- 6 Recommendations for choosing a color
- 7 How to paint a softwood and pine staircase in particular
- 8 Common Mistakes
- 9 Additional tips and tricks
Varieties of wood and its characteristics
The wood is soft and hard. Hard rock withstands the load better, is resistant to moisture and therefore lasts longer. These include oak, maple. The tree has a fibrous structure. In hard rocks, the fibers are densely packed. There is no space between them for water molecules to seep through.
Pine is a soft wood. The advantages of pine board are light color, beautiful texture and price. Pine is less expensive than traditional oak or maple for stairs.But, having saved material, you will have to shell out for a high-quality cover. Soft rocks are deformed by water, they crack and break more easily. Heel marks will appear faster on a pine stair.
Therefore, the coating must reliably protect its surface from moisture and mechanical damage.
All conifers give off resin. Pine is the most resinous and requires additional treatment before painting. Pine planks come in different densities: harvested in the warm season, loose in the south, and dense in the north in winter. There is almost no resin in the northern pine and the coating spreads evenly. The southern pine actively distinguishes it indoors. The type of wood can only be determined after painting - due to the resin, the coating sets with dark spots.
How to choose paint
The main requirement for paint is durability. Three types of paints are best suited for a pine staircase: alkyd, acrylic and oil. They possess the required durability, but differ in composition and physical properties.
alkyd
The paint is based on alkyd resin, which is particularly viscous and sticky.
Characteristics of alkyd coatings:
- matt and glossy surface to choose from;
- bright colors;
- moisture resistance;
- strength.
The texture of the paint is dense and hides the pattern of the wood. It can be washed by any means. Some alkyd paints contain polyurethane. They are cheaper and of lower quality. Stairs painted with alkyd-urethane will fade and crack under the influence of heat and light. High quality resin paints are expensive but will last a long time.
Acrylic
A compound of water and polymer emulsion covers the surface with a moisture-resistant film.Properties of acrylic coating:
- does not fade;
- allows steam to pass through, prevents moisture from accumulating inside the boards;
- dries in 2 hours.
The water evaporates and the color-retaining polymer remains on the surface as a protective barrier. The advantage of acrylic paint is its durability and environmental friendliness. It does not give off an unpleasant smell. Before staining, it is diluted with water. Colors can be mixed.
Oil
Thick oil paint is good for painting over an old layer. The original color will not be visible. Moisture-resistant, durable and easy-to-clean oil paint has drawbacks that make you look for an alternative:
- toxic solvents in the composition have a pungent odor, disappear for 3-4 days, cause allergies;
- cracks due to temperature changes;
- does not allow steam to pass;
- changes color over time;
- limited palette;
- dry for 2 days.
The paint is diluted with solvents - acetone, toluene, white spirit, which also give off a suffocating smell. In order not to come into contact with caustic substances, it is better to use ready-made enamel.
Application of varnish for interior wooden stairs
Gloss, matt and semi-matt coatings protect the surface from moisture. Like paints, varnishes are distinguished by their composition and properties.
Alcoholic
The coating dries in 2 hours due to alcohol evaporation. Of all types, alcohol varnishes protect the surface from the worst moisture.
Alkyd and alkyd-urethane
The varnish is deeply absorbed by the fibers of the wood, but wears off quickly.They can be used to cover the steps of a decorative bay window, which are not often walked on. For stairs between floors, it is better to choose the following varnish.
Formaldehyde
The durable lacquer stays on the steps for a long time thanks to the formaldehyde resins. The high wear resistance compensates for the disadvantage of a strongly eroded smell.
Epoxy
Organic components make the varnish moisture resistant, durable and safe. For the sake of a reliable and long-lasting coating, you will have to tinker with the preparation of the mixture. The varnish consists of an epoxy resin solution and a hardener, which are mixed before application.
The mixture should be used within an hour, so it is prepared in small portions.
Polyurethane
The polymer coating is also durable and can be two-component. The one-component varnish is ready to use. Spray varnish is easy to repair and dries quickly. In terms of strength, the polymer is not inferior to epoxy varnish, but the advantage of a two-component polyurethane varnish is a longer service life of the mixture. It should be used in 4 hours. The varnish is water-based and can be applied over acrylic paints.
Yacht
The lacquer coating used in shipbuilding is the most durable and resistant to moisture, but is not suitable for interior decoration of the house. Boat varnish contains toxic substances. Toluene and xylene evaporate for a long time, poisoning a person for many years. Yacht varnish is suitable for exterior porch finishes, but not interior stairs.
Use of special dyes and impregnations
To preserve the natural pattern, the wood is covered with transparent materials. The paints lie on the surface and the impregnations penetrate between the fibers of the wood. Types of wood stains:
- aquatic - paint the tree any color, but reduce its moisture resistance. Before applying them, the surface is moistened;
- alcohol - dries quickly, but leaves smudges, are applied only with a spray, when painted with a brush, they lie unevenly;
- oil - diluted with white spirit, dries quickly, lays evenly, does not affect the structure of the tree;
- wax - rubbed, like putty, on a clean, polished surface, suitable for carved balusters;
- acrylic - water-based impregnations, when mixed, give new shades, dry quickly, without a pungent smell.
Acrylic impregnation is applied in two layers. When applied more densely, the layers lay down unevenly. Oil stains are often used to cover wooden stairs. But the advantage of acrylic, wax staining is moisture protection and decorativeness. On the surface treated with them, the liquid accumulates in drops. The tree looks rustic.
Impregnation with wax or acrylic will help to harmoniously fit the staircase into the interior when decorating a house in the ethnic Russian style.
The combination of impregnations of different colors gives the wood unusual shades, preserving the pattern, which cannot be achieved with paints. Ordinary pine will look like expensive mahogany, bleached oak. After staining, the stairs are varnished, as well as after painting.
How to do the job well
The pine staircase is painted in three steps. Before painting, old paints and varnishes are removed from the surface, then covered with a primer.On the prepared board, the paint will lay evenly, and the stairs will look neat.
Surface preparation
At the first stage of work, the surface is polished. Peeling varnish and paint from old stairs are removed:
- grinder - faster and easier than emery;
- construction hair dryer - the coating is melted with hot air and cleaned with a spatula;
- with a wash - the solution is applied to the boards, after the time indicated in the instructions, the surface is cleaned with a spatula.
Balusters and railings are sanded with emery. After rinsing and blow-drying, the steps are sanded to remove coating residue and smooth out any rough spots. Cracks in the steps are puttied and sanded with emery to level the surface. Under the transparent varnish, it is necessary to choose a putty matching the wood.
The resin is removed with acetone, turpentine and the resin pockets are cut out with a knife and also putty. If the old paint is in good condition and a paint is needed to change the color, a new coat can be applied over the old one. The surface should be lightly sanded for better adhesion to the coating. Preparation ends with cleaning. The coating will lay unevenly on wood dust and old paint particles. So that small debris does not spoil the appearance of the stairs, it is faster and more efficient to remove them with a vacuum cleaner.
Padding
If priming is done a few days after ladder preparation, the surface should be vacuumed again to remove dust. Volumetric, narrow parts, railings are better to be primed with a brush, and wide parts of the steps - with a roller. The paint lays more evenly on the primer. You need to prime it in 2 coats.Layers are applied at daily intervals.
Paint
For convenience, a little paint should be poured into a flat plastic tray.
Work steps:
- apply a coat of paint to the balustrades, let dry, sand with emery and apply a second coat;
- from the upper step, coat the stairs;
- paint wide surfaces first, then narrow surfaces;
- when the first layer is dry, the surface must be sanded and the second applied.
The paint is applied as a primer: first with a brush - on balustrades and balusters, then with a roller - on wide elements, and again with a brush - on narrow parts. All surfaces must also be sanded before varnishing.
Recommendations for choosing a color
When choosing a shade of paint and varnish, consider:
- lighting - light colors are appropriate on a dark staircase. Dark to light tones accentuate the woodsy pattern. In the light of the sun or lamps, the gloss will shine unpleasantly, therefore, for a lit staircase, it is better to choose a matte finish;
- color combination - the color of the stairs matches the color of the walls, plinth, doors, floor;
- style - in the classics, a light staircase is combined with a dark floor, in high-tech - white steps and gray risers - with black railings. Matt and gloss combinations also convey the character of the interior. For country, warm sunny shades and shine are suitable, for minimalism - a matte surface;
- density of wood - since when staining pine can show a southern temperament in the form of stains, it is better not to risk it and choose a light coating or transparent varnish.
The traditional combination is lacquered steps, painted railings and risers. The balusters can be painted or varnished as desired. Classic paint shades - white, beige, peach, olive. Unusual color scheme - white steps and red railings.
How to paint a softwood and pine staircase in particular
Problems with conifer boards are uneven staining, knots, and pitch. Ways to solve them:
- try painting a sample - a separate board of the type of wood from which the stairs are made;
- cover falling knots with epoxy glue;
- after grinding with the device, additionally treat the surface with emery, alternating between upper and lower abrasiveness;
- be sure to prime, use a pine primer-conditioner;
- sand the surface between coats.
For an even darker shade of pine, it's best to use a gel stain. It covers the wood with thicker layers and gives a deep color.
Common Mistakes
Irregularities in the paint, after which spots and cracks appear:
- uneven and poorly cleaned surface;
- paint without primer;
- apply too thick paint;
- overlay the next layer on top of the previous rough.
If you neglect the rule of working with the coating and immediately apply the topcoat, then the bottom one will not dry out. As a result, the steps will be covered with cracks.
Additional tips and tricks
Useful facts to help you in your work:
- mixed with oil paint, powdered chalk will make its color lighter;
- To make the smell of oil paint disappear faster, you need to put buckets of salt water next to the painted stairs;
- in order not to spoil the wall, the joints with the steps are sealed with adhesive tape;
- The bristles of the brushes sticking to the surface spoil its appearance. To prevent new brushes from going bald, they should be soaked in water for 2 days;
- gloss polish wipes off quickly and slips off. The matte finish is safer and does not shine;
- it is beautiful and convenient to paint the railings and vertical elements of the steps with paint, and to varnish the steps themselves;
- if layers of lighter tones are applied over a layer of dark varnish, the wood will acquire a deep color and a pronounced texture.
Pine is an easy material for a carpenter, but not for a painter. Finishing a pine staircase requires a durable coating and a carefully prepared surface before painting.