Painting a dark varnished staircase

[JackReacher]

We have a dark staircase and would like all spindles, newels etc painted white. We may leave the handrails as they are for a bit of contrast but that's it. I assume I can't just paint over it with a primer, so what's the best way of doing this? Chemical remover or is heavy sanding and zinnser going to do the trick? Ideally I'll then paint in dulux diamond eggshell to avoid yellowing gloss.

[JackReacher]

Many thanks for all the responses.

Seems to be some varying opinions on how much prep is needed, but the use of Zinsser BIN seems a common theme. I have used it before but not on a varnished surface and was impressed with it then. I think I will sand as best I can and then use the BIN, followed by an undercoat and then gloss or eggshell. It's the spindles that are going to be a real pain to sand and paint! Not a job I am looking forward to.

[JackReacher]

hyphen said:

If you leave the handrail a separate colour then consider also leaving the newell cap the same. Example: click As per example you could also sand back the handrail and stain mahogany for the classic look which is what Im doing. Also you haven't mentioned filler, as may have some dents you can hide before painting.

Thanks, good idea. I'm also looking to put a lightly striped runner on the stairs like your second link. Just means more painting of the steps themselves.

[JackReacher]

To close this off for those who are interested, after a few months and many hours of work, it’s almost done. Took the following approach:-

1. Sanded all the varnished areas to remove all shine, and the handrail back to bare pine. Took about 5 full days, much of it by hand. While BIN is supposed to stick to varnish, I’ve read a couple of reports of it not working, and as I didn’t want to do it again I sanded it right back.
2. Filled in a number of holes/cracks with wood filler and sanded back
3. Sugar soaped all the wood to remove grease/dirt/dust
4. Taped up handrail, then applied 2 coats of Zinsser BIN. Each coat took 6 hours.
5. After allowing the BIN a few days to properly dry, I applied 2 top coats of Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell, taking 12 hours in total. I decided on this rather than an oil satinwood, as it won’t yellow and is supposed to be durable. I know it won’t be as durable as the trade satinwood, but hopefully it will stand up well and crucially not yellow. Only time will tell!

Now nee to decide what to do with the handrail, quite like the light colour so may just treat with a light oil/wax to protect it. We also had a sun tunnel installed on the landing with adds loads of light. Overall, it makes a massive difference.

[JackReacher]

julianm said:

That looks fantastic - well done. I`d get a turkey red carpet & some brass stair rods (more rubbing down!)

that's a bit loud isn't it! House is a "new build" in 2001, so not sure about brass stair rods, especially as I'm replacing the brass door and window handles around the house

Plan is to put a subtle grey/cream striped carpet as a runner up the stairs, and full width on the landing, should look smart. No stair rods, just attached to the stair.

Edited by JackReacher on Tuesday 4th April 22:11

[JackReacher]

mart 63 said:

If your handrails are oak, dont use oil as it will split the grain over time. I would use Dulux diamond satin water based clear varnish .
Nice job by the way.

Thanks, the handrail is pine and not oak. I'm going to try a few different types of clear wax/oil/varnish on a sample bit of pine to see what the finish looks like. I understand they can sometimes make a softwood look a bit yellow which I want to avoid.

[JackReacher]

buzzer said:

I find that Scotchbrite is great for sanding/keying this sort of job... better than sand paper as it can be wrapped around the spindles and twisted to get an all around good key, and importantly into the joins, crevices.

Use two squares together and it does the job great!

Thanks, bit late now but I did use wire wool in places like that, as sandpaper just wasn't effective!

timbobalob said:

Looks superb - good job well done.

Really like the wall colour too, especially against the white and light wood. What colour/brand is it?

It's Dulux Polished Pebble in Trade Diamond Matt. I made the mistake of purchasing a load of Dulux Endurance in the same colour a few months back, but when I finally got round to the walls I realised the Endurance was rubbish to apply and get a good finish! Took it all back to B&Q for a full refund to their credit as Endurance has now been replaced by something else, and went off to local paint centre to get it mixed up in Diamond Matt, much much better quality!