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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

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Time: 6h00

Updating boring garage stairs
Pinterest is ideal for anyone who loves visual inspiration. I can almost always find a slew of DIY projects I’m interested in trying after perusing the site for just a short time. But the last few weeks I’ve been tired and feeling uninspired, so I was excited when Aaron showed me a picture of a really nice garage entry on Pinterest and suggested we try to emulate the look of their stairs.

This project probably could have been completed over a long weekend but with a baby we had to stretch it out over a couple weeks. Although it was lot of long hours in the hot garage sanding, staining and painting, I’m in love with the final look. Definitely one of our most successful DIY projects.

Posted by Bernice from Richmond, Virginia, United States • Published 1st March 2016 • See Bernice's 7 projects »

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GrandmasHouseDIY favorited Painted Stair Makeover 12 Aug 20:04
Gunhild N. added Painted Stair Makeover to Nordic style 22 Jun 06:47
Bernice published her project Painted Stair Makeover 01 Mar 09:00

Step 1
Fill in nail holes with wood putty. Although this can be pretty tedious (there were a lot of holes), it makes a huge difference in the final appearance. If you use a stainable putty you can barely see them after staining/painting.
Step 2
Sand the stairs. This was the most time consuming and laborious step but it’s necessary to remove any lumber stamps and smooth out rough spots.
Step 3
Stain. Thoroughly vacuum or wipe down the stairs to remove any dust or debris. Take a damp paper towel and evenly wipe down the wood - this allows the wood to better absorb the stain. Use a paint brush and/or foam brushes to apply the stain and follow-up with dry paper towel to wipe off any residual stain. We used about 2/3 of a 32 fl oz can to apply 2 coats to the steps.
Step 4
Seal the wood with polyurethane - We weren’t sure if this step was necessary and debated skipping it altogether, but I’m so glad we didn’t. The clear satin finish gives the wood a luxe and polished feel. We applied 2 coats then let it dry for 24 hours before painting. Initially we bought a 8 fl oz can, but ended up needing a second can for the second coat.
Step 5
Paint - Paint the remaining wood with white paint.
Step 6
Hello, lovely stairs!