How to Paint a Staircase

Overview

I have been wanting to give my staircase a makeover for some time. With 4 kids and a dog, they have been incredibly hard on not only the stairs, but the railings. I had been putting off this project for some time. There was no way I was going to sit and hand paint each and every baluster. I needed another solution. Enter the Wagner FLEXiO 4000 paint sprayer.

I have used many Wagner sprayers in the past and have honestly loved them all. I do have to say though, this sprayer was perfect for this job, and I can see it being perfect for so many small and large projects around the house.

Mask area

I started by taping and masking off the entire staircase. I wanted to contain any overspray to the insides of the staircase.

Step 1

Minimal overspray

Amazingly, there was not much overspray. I used the Detail Finish nozzle to spray the railings, which really helped me be able to focus the paint on the very tight spaces and to prevent overspray.

Step 2

Spray railings

Spraying the railings came first. I wanted to make sure that all the railings were done before painting the stair treads. I used plastic tarps taped to the ceilings to keep the spray where I wanted it.

Step 3

Spray treads

Once the railings were painted, I began the stair treads. You want to spray one side of the stair treads, leaving the opposite side unpainted, so that you always have a way to get up and down the stairs. Once that side is dry, you can paint the other side. I do at least 2 coats on the stairs to give them a nice layer of protection.

Step 4

Beautiful results

I am so thrilled with how my staircase turned out. It was a huge project, and I am so pleased to finally have it crossed off my list! Using the FLEXiO 4000 really made this project doable and possible! The features of this sprayer are very nice! The handheld sprayer is much lighter than some other sprayers and with the long hose, you can reach all those spots without having to move the base. It’s easy to clean and will definitely be used in my house over and over again.

Step 5