@@SuperVassarBrothers nice brother. I am a lowly blue belt. I’m copying your staining stair video and shitting my pants. I can’t understand how you free hand three coats of white on 20+ steps. Do you have a video on staining an older staircase. Mine isn’t that old (1978) but we had to strip 3 coats of paint from it. I’m not sure how much this changes things?
I’m getting ready to do this exact thing, but I’m a little worried the tape will tear up the finish when I pull it up. Is this a problem? I’ll be using the yellow frog tape as well
Normally I don’t tape. I’ll link to a video where I do it by hand. Tape can rip up a finish particularly if you leave it on too long and if the finish is old and worn. Yellow frog tape does the best with preserving the finish, but I’d still recommend only leaving the tape down for as long as necessary or do it free hand. Staining Stairs | A Pro Painters Process ua-cam.com/video/wX9rFk_ZVsI/v-deo.html
Since you are using a latex paint on the riser, would going over the dried latex with a clear poly acrylic be an option to provide more protection or scuff resistance to the latex? I’ve heard latex takes a long time to fully dry/cure so it may not be feasible. Good video and instruction.
I believe we had to use whatever paint the homeowner previously used to paint the risers. Usually we use emerald urethane trim enamel which is a hybrid paint and it holds up well. The problem with using poly over latex is that it often discolors the paint. You’re better off using a hybrid like Emerald urethane or advance from Benjamin Moore (in my opinion).
I wished you did a close up camera when scoring the tape before pulling. I would like it better if you did a close up camera when doing the touch ups. Otherwise, it is a great video.
Here's another video I did on refinishing a staircase: ua-cam.com/video/wX9rFk_ZVsI/v-deo.html Typically I don't tape the treads, because I find it easier to free hand it.
Normally we do not use extender. There are a few products that we will use extender like Regal Select semi-gloss. Most of the trim paints we prefer have generous open times, so they don’t need anything added to them. Thanks for watching!
Nice presentation. One criticism: when painting a surface from left to right, your final strokes in any given wet area should be in the opposite direction--from right to left, i.e., from dry area into wet area. Lift the brush gently off the wet paint as you complete your stroke. This will reduce brush marks. When you work the way you do in the video, you leave a little "dig" every time your brush touches the wet paint. For this reason, and counter-intuitively for most, a right handed painter is almost always better off starting a surface on its RIGHT side, and working toward the left. This allows you to make your finish strokes in a more natural (for most) left to right direction.
Hmmm, I guess I see what you’re alluding to, however I politely disagree. Perhaps some folks experience what you’re talking about, but when I continue a brush stroke my brush is already moving at speed. I don’t produce the digs that you mentioned. That’s really a feel and technique thing as well as how familiar you are with a given product and how quick you’re moving. The video may not show it, but the risers looked like one long brush stroke which is what I’m going for.
@Super Vassar Brothers "My brush is already moving at speed." This is not at all what you do in the video. With both primer and paint, you repeatedly put your brush into the wet area, then start moving it. You even change directions without lifting your brush. This will never yield the best possible result.
Nope. The treads were stained and the risers were painted so that wouldn’t look too good. I did caulk between the risers and the stringers / skirt boards.
Scuff sand the risers with 150 or 220 grit sandpaper. Apply a coat of Fresh Start primer from Benjamin Moore, then go over it with your finish paint. That's my current preferred method for painting risers that have been stained.
You could use BIN but it’s a bit overkill. I recently switched over to using Benjamin Moore’s fresh start primer for three projects and it works great. It’s much more pleasant to work with than any oil primer or shellac.
I just painted my risers and stringers. How do you clean up any bleed through the frog tape onto the stair tread?? Is there a safe way to do so without damaging the stair? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated
That is the issue that I run into with taping. I like using my fingernail and a utility blade. I turn the utility blade over and use the non-sharp side to gently scrape at the bleed through. If that seems too risky, then you can use a flat head screw driver to scrape away the excess. Go slow and take your time. I'm about to release a new video where I do another staircase and I didn't tape that one at all, because of the bleed through issue. Good luck with your stairs!
@@SuperVassarBrothers I've been painting since 1978. After you tape apply a coat of fast drying poly over the edge of the tape than paint. It will seal the tape so no paint sneaks under the tape leaving those nasty little hairy looking lines. I've never yet seen any tape which paint doesn't sneak under the edge of the tape. If any of the Poly bleeds through you won't see it with the naked eye. Once you pull the tape you will have razor edge lines.
When we moved into our newly built house we noticed the white risers were cracked. They tried to patch it but it just kept cracking with the change of seasons in the northeast. They refused to fix it. I hate seeing it. Any idea how to fix it? We
We live and work in the Northeast as well and have seen this happen a bunch, especially in new homes. Once your home makes it through a year or two it should be settled a bit more with less extreme movement in the trim. I would recommend a caulk that is flexible. Sometimes builders use cheap caulk and it cracks easily. Try this one from Sherwin Williams. We've had good luck and way less cracking with it in the temperature extremes. www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/shermax-urethanized-elastomeric-sealant
Hi Chase. If you mix the paints into one container and only work out of that container the paint will perform the best. I wouldn't recommend doing this as I'm not sure what the final finish will look like. If you wanna give it a go to save some money, I get it and maybe it will turn out great. Just stir it A lot !!! :)
Thanks Chris, we typically charge more for high precision work. We estimate our time and multiply it by our hourly rate and add materials. If we don't know how long it will take we give ourselves more cushion. We've been burned a few times and adjusted accordingly on the next one. If you know any painters in your area they may be able to help you w/ pricing if your pricing something out your new to. We've done that on a few occasions after we made peanuts on a few jobs. Hope this helps.
Hi. We've had this happen to us too. You will need to use different primer over the oil spots. We like this product www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-1-gal-B-I-N-Shellac-Based-White-Interior-Primer-and-Sealer-00901/100398381. Its Zinsser BIN Shellac based primer will work. Also most oil based primers will work. If you want a latex base this may work as well. www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/premium-wall-wood-primer Good Luck!
I don’t think they cared. To be fair, I also don’t take the risers when I stain the treads. Recently I’ve found a much more enjoyable primer to work with that isn’t oil based. Fresh Start from Benjamin Moore works great and I haven’t gotten any bleed through from the stain which is excellent. I’ve got a video coming out on it soon.
I completely agree with you. We usually use Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel or other products that dry harder. We used Valspar because that's what the client used in the rest of the house and that's what they wanted. 😬
I'm not sure where in this process I would want to use one. There wasn't any intense sanding to be done. I think I scuff sanded the risers in the beginning, but for me it's easier to do that by hand. The treads were already finished so it would be tricky to get a sander in there to sand the risers without scuffing the treads.
@@SuperVassarBrothers fair!! Im currently doing the same thing and was debating on using a electric sander on the steps and the and the sand paper in between the steps.
Stairways get alot of traffic. Why would you use such a low grade trim paint on them? Wouldn't it be better to use SW Emerald Urethane trim enamel or Ben Moore Advance trim enamel?
For sure it would be better to use Emerald Urethane or Advance. That's what I use when I have a choice. I think I may have mentioned it in the video, but we had to use the trim paint that the client had previously used so it matched the rest of the trim.
@@SuperVassarBrothers What do you mean "so it would match the rest of the trim?" Surely, there wouldn't be any noticeable difference had you used Emerald solely on the stairway. Why wouldn't you advice your client regarding the need for a higher-quality product based upon it being a high traffic area? So basically you're saying that your quality standards are based upon something other than your standards, and that you are a willing participant in low standards if the need be. You're supposed to be the professional, not the client. Why you would allow yourself to lower standards and post a video of a job which isn't of the highest quality is beyond my comprehension.
I was thinking the same thing. Valspar signature is so soft on the finish. Not ideal for high traffic area like staircase risers. They'll have to repaint just a few years down the road
Ya, I'm poly and painting a wooden stairwell basement to the new root cellar in a new build...50° weather, no heat yet and rain for 3 weeks here in NH. Crap was still tacky after 4 days even with a fan running... I hate doing stairwells
Nothing short of a miracle ;)
😉
Looks great! A lot of work painting stairs!
Thanks Kevin. Yeah stairs are a pain to paint, but thats why they pay us :)
You sound like Gordon Ryan. Sick videos helps a lot
Hahaha, I am but a lowly purple belt. Gordon Ryan would destroy me…but I’m probably a better painter than he is 🤷♂️
@@SuperVassarBrothers nice brother. I am a lowly blue belt. I’m copying your staining stair video and shitting my pants. I can’t understand how you free hand three coats of white on 20+ steps. Do you have a video on staining an older staircase. Mine isn’t that old (1978) but we had to strip 3 coats of paint from it. I’m not sure how much this changes things?
Looks great
Thanks! It turned out well 👍
Thanks! will post my results soon!
Good luck dude! I hope it turns out well and thanks for the super thanks! 🤙🫡
I’m getting ready to do this exact thing, but I’m a little worried the tape will tear up the finish when I pull it up. Is this a problem? I’ll be using the yellow frog tape as well
Normally I don’t tape. I’ll link to a video where I do it by hand. Tape can rip up a finish particularly if you leave it on too long and if the finish is old and worn. Yellow frog tape does the best with preserving the finish, but I’d still recommend only leaving the tape down for as long as necessary or do it free hand.
Staining Stairs | A Pro Painters Process
ua-cam.com/video/wX9rFk_ZVsI/v-deo.html
Good idea to colour stairs
Thanks for watching!
Since you are using a latex paint on the riser, would going over the dried latex with a clear poly acrylic be an option to provide more protection or scuff resistance to the latex? I’ve heard latex takes a long time to fully dry/cure so it may not be feasible. Good video and instruction.
I believe we had to use whatever paint the homeowner previously used to paint the risers. Usually we use emerald urethane trim enamel which is a hybrid paint and it holds up well. The problem with using poly over latex is that it often discolors the paint. You’re better off using a hybrid like Emerald urethane or advance from Benjamin Moore (in my opinion).
I wished you did a close up camera when scoring the tape before pulling. I would like it better if you did a close up camera when doing the touch ups. Otherwise, it is a great video.
Here's another video I did on refinishing a staircase: ua-cam.com/video/wX9rFk_ZVsI/v-deo.html
Typically I don't tape the treads, because I find it easier to free hand it.
Great finish! Love the way the oil applies. Do you use an extender for the latex/acrylic paint?
Normally we do not use extender. There are a few products that we will use extender like Regal Select semi-gloss. Most of the trim paints we prefer have generous open times, so they don’t need anything added to them.
Thanks for watching!
Very helpful thanks!
Glad we could help Kazi
Really good results. How the lines come out? I might have missed it in the video.
Thanks Goldo. The lines were okay as we had some bleed thru with the tape. We fixed it and its all good. Appreciate the kind words !
Nice presentation. One criticism: when painting a surface from left to right, your final strokes in any given wet area should be in the opposite direction--from right to left, i.e., from dry area into wet area. Lift the brush gently off the wet paint as you complete your stroke. This will reduce brush marks. When you work the way you do in the video, you leave a little "dig" every time your brush touches the wet paint. For this reason, and counter-intuitively for most, a right handed painter is almost always better off starting a surface on its RIGHT side, and working toward the left. This allows you to make your finish strokes in a more natural (for most) left to right direction.
Hmmm, I guess I see what you’re alluding to, however I politely disagree. Perhaps some folks experience what you’re talking about, but when I continue a brush stroke my brush is already moving at speed. I don’t produce the digs that you mentioned. That’s really a feel and technique thing as well as how familiar you are with a given product and how quick you’re moving. The video may not show it, but the risers looked like one long brush stroke which is what I’m going for.
@Super Vassar Brothers "My brush is already moving at speed." This is not at all what you do in the video. With both primer and paint, you repeatedly put your brush into the wet area, then start moving it. You even change directions without lifting your brush. This will never yield the best possible result.
Great video!!!! do the treads have oil-based poly? Thanks
The poly was oil-based
@@SuperVassarBrothers I thougtht so! thanks!
Did you caulk between riser and tread? Thanks!
Nope. The treads were stained and the risers were painted so that wouldn’t look too good. I did caulk between the risers and the stringers / skirt boards.
Saw an ad for the movie, The Machine. Thought this video was somehow related. 😂😂😂
Sadly I am not the Machine, but I am a fan 🤙
If the risers are already stained what process would you go through to paint them white ? Would you like sand the stained riser ? Prime , paint ?
Scuff sand the risers with 150 or 220 grit sandpaper. Apply a coat of Fresh Start primer from Benjamin Moore, then go over it with your finish paint. That's my current preferred method for painting risers that have been stained.
@@SuperVassarBrothers much appreciated thank you sir
Great video! Curious if Zinsser BIN could also have been used as the primer for this project?
You could use BIN but it’s a bit overkill. I recently switched over to using Benjamin Moore’s fresh start primer for three projects and it works great. It’s much more pleasant to work with than any oil primer or shellac.
@@SuperVassarBrothers Thanks for the tip! I love BIN, but it smells and is a little messy. I may try Fresh Start! Thanks, again.
I just painted my risers and stringers. How do you clean up any bleed through the frog tape onto the stair tread?? Is there a safe way to do so without damaging the stair? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated
That is the issue that I run into with taping. I like using my fingernail and a utility blade. I turn the utility blade over and use the non-sharp side to gently scrape at the bleed through. If that seems too risky, then you can use a flat head screw driver to scrape away the excess. Go slow and take your time.
I'm about to release a new video where I do another staircase and I didn't tape that one at all, because of the bleed through issue.
Good luck with your stairs!
@@SuperVassarBrothers I've been painting since 1978. After you tape apply a coat of fast drying poly over the edge of the tape than paint. It will seal the tape so no paint sneaks under the tape leaving those nasty little hairy looking lines. I've never yet seen any tape which paint doesn't sneak under the edge of the tape. If any of the Poly bleeds through you won't see it with the naked eye. Once you pull the tape you will have razor edge lines.
@@chrisdidonna7386what product would you recommend?
@chrisdidonna7386 if you were painting risers that are already stained that are going white what would be the full process you do to complete ?
How long do you have to wait to put tape on the freshly stained and poly’d stair top?
I’d wait 24 hours before taping into it.
That oil based primer smells big time!
It does indeed. More and more we’ve been using BIN shellac. It also smells quite a bit, but it off-gases quickly
Awesome
Thanks for watching!
When we moved into our newly built house we noticed the white risers were cracked. They tried to patch it but it just kept cracking with the change of seasons in the northeast. They refused to fix it. I hate seeing it. Any idea how to fix it? We
We live and work in the Northeast as well and have seen this happen a bunch, especially in new homes. Once your home makes it through a year or two it should be settled a bit more with less extreme movement in the trim. I would recommend a caulk that is flexible. Sometimes builders use cheap caulk and it cracks easily. Try this one from Sherwin Williams. We've had good luck and way less cracking with it in the temperature extremes.
www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/shermax-urethanized-elastomeric-sealant
Question: is it possible to mix multiple different types of paints that are the same color and use them ?
Hi Chase. If you mix the paints into one container and only work out of that container the paint will perform the best. I wouldn't recommend doing this as I'm not sure what the final finish will look like. If you wanna give it a go to save some money, I get it and maybe it will turn out great. Just stir it A lot !!! :)
Looks great, how do you go about pricing something like that
Thanks Chris, we typically charge more for high precision work. We estimate our time and multiply it by our hourly rate and add materials. If we don't know how long it will take we give ourselves more cushion. We've been burned a few times and adjusted accordingly on the next one. If you know any painters in your area they may be able to help you w/ pricing if your pricing something out your new to. We've done that on a few occasions after we made peanuts on a few jobs. Hope this helps.
@@SuperVassarBrothers
How many hours did that job take you
is sanded my wood down and for some reason im getting black spots underneath new coat of paint where bare wood was eposed and body know what to do?
Hi. We've had this happen to us too. You will need to use different primer over the oil spots. We like this product www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-1-gal-B-I-N-Shellac-Based-White-Interior-Primer-and-Sealer-00901/100398381. Its Zinsser BIN Shellac based primer will work. Also most oil based primers will work. If you want a latex base this may work as well. www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/premium-wall-wood-primer Good Luck!
Why didn’t the stain guys taped the risers before staining
I don’t think they cared. To be fair, I also don’t take the risers when I stain the treads. Recently I’ve found a much more enjoyable primer to work with that isn’t oil based. Fresh Start from Benjamin Moore works great and I haven’t gotten any bleed through from the stain which is excellent. I’ve got a video coming out on it soon.
The finish on valspar signature is so soft. I don't think its ideal for risers on a staircase. I would be concerned about durability.
I completely agree with you. We usually use Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel or other products that dry harder. We used Valspar because that's what the client used in the rest of the house and that's what they wanted. 😬
Why didn’t you use a small sanding machine ?
I'm not sure where in this process I would want to use one. There wasn't any intense sanding to be done. I think I scuff sanded the risers in the beginning, but for me it's easier to do that by hand.
The treads were already finished so it would be tricky to get a sander in there to sand the risers without scuffing the treads.
@@SuperVassarBrothers fair!! Im currently doing the same thing and was debating on using a electric sander on the steps and the and the sand paper in between the steps.
At what point did you calk
In the beginning before we painted the first coat. Its okay to caulk after the first coat as well if you missed something
Do you lay down tape and then caulk
Thanks again
The sides of the staircase are the skirt boards not the stringers
You are correct sir. UA-cam and google have proved you right. :). Thanks!
Seriously? The god-mn flooring finishers couldn’t mask the adjacent surfaces?
Guess not. :)
First thing I noticed- WHAT A SLOPPY JOB TO GIVE THE THE NEXT GUY!-wonder what their homes look like¿... I'd never refer them again
Stairways get alot of traffic. Why would you use such a low grade trim paint on them? Wouldn't it be better to use SW Emerald Urethane trim enamel or Ben Moore Advance trim enamel?
For sure it would be better to use Emerald Urethane or Advance. That's what I use when I have a choice. I think I may have mentioned it in the video, but we had to use the trim paint that the client had previously used so it matched the rest of the trim.
@@SuperVassarBrothers What do you mean "so it would match the rest of the trim?" Surely, there wouldn't be any noticeable difference had you used Emerald solely on the stairway. Why wouldn't you advice your client regarding the need for a higher-quality product based upon it being a high traffic area? So basically you're saying that your quality standards are based upon something other than your standards, and that you are a willing participant in low standards if the need be. You're supposed to be the professional, not the client. Why you would allow yourself to lower standards and post a video of a job which isn't of the highest quality is beyond my comprehension.
I was thinking the same thing. Valspar signature is so soft on the finish. Not ideal for high traffic area like staircase risers. They'll have to repaint just a few years down the road
@@SuperVassarBrothersya no painter wants to have to use velspar so it had to be the owners choice
@@chrisdidonna7386 your standards that you consistently meet...In fact, You're so righteous that surely you will get into heaven for that alone!😃😇
He painted the raisers but the title is stair painting 😢
The title says "Paint a Staircase like a Pro". Painting the risers and stringers is the part of a staircase that usually gets painted.
A lot of fucking work
Hahaha, indeed it is!
Ya, I'm poly and painting a wooden stairwell basement to the new root cellar in a new build...50° weather, no heat yet and rain for 3 weeks here in NH. Crap was still tacky after 4 days even with a fan running...
I hate doing stairwells