Staircase Revamp Reveal!

I can't even believe that my last post was August 1st! I planned to take the week off during our trip to Florida, then the following week slipped away from me as well and here were are Tuesday the 20th of August! Where did the summer go? Very shortly, I'll be back into school getting my classroom ready for the year.

The good news is that during my blogging break I finished the staircase! 

Let me tell you, I've never been so happy to have a project finished in my life. It was way more time consuming than I ever imagined and I will say it here and now - I am never painting another staircase for as long as a live! Ever.
A lot of projects have been tackled in this little old home but this one takes the cake. Not stripping layers of wallpaper, not chiseling away at tar tiles in the kitchen, not replacing 23 windows and a door.. Nope. Painting a staircase is the worst!

So enough with my rant. Let's take a look back. Here is the staircase before. It was made of orangey Douglas Fir wood and the varnish had become sticky over time. It stuck out like a sore thumb against the light maple treads and the light color palette of the rest of the home.

I washed down the wood really well, making sure to get rid of all the sticky varnish (I actually used Scotch Brite) followed by a light sanding. Next up was taping, which was certainly a job in itself. I used Frog tape around each post then went back around and pushed down the tape to prevent any leaks.

The first coat was with Bin 123 primer. I swear by the stuff when you are painting over wood as it really seals well but it's oil based with means you have to be really careful about drips and leaks under tape.

I assumed that after all was primed two good coats would be sufficient. Well, I thought wrong. After my second coat I realized it would need another. I'll tell you the truth...  I cried a little. I also silently hated Steph for getting to go to work while I was stuck painting. Woe me.

Imagine my pain when the third coat still didn't cover. I had a to do a fourth and the posts got a fifth! Yesterday, with great pleasure, I got to take the tape off. I discovered only a couple of leaks and was pretty happy to stand back and look at all my hard work.

While I was at it, I also have the risers a fresh coat as well. They really take a beating which made me consider putting a runner. I think it would be awesome but could be costly and I'm unsure if I could find something I like around here. Could be worth a look.

Here is a view of the painting railing upstairs too. Unfortunately I forgot to take a before shot but the change is quite dramatic!

Here are a few more from before. I can't get over how much the white brightens up the hallways. I had learned to turn a blind eye to the wood but it really didn't suit my style. Plus, now I really love the light maple treads. I always felt it looked funny that they didn't match before and now I think they are perfect against the white.

Just for fun, here is a big before from when I bought the house. I can hardly recognize it now!

What's next? Actually, right now I'm taking the time to do a little deep cleaning before I head back to work and sitting back and enjoying the finished product. All the while, dreaming up my next project...:)

Back soon!

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