How to Paint Stair Railings and Banisters: a Step-by-Step Guide

9 Steps for Painting Stair Railings & Spindles

Painting handrails and painting balusters can be stressful because typically they are high-trafficked areas in a home, However, this should not deter you from venturing into this project. The best way to paint a stair railing is to follow the following steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Brushes

When painting a staircase railing, the most important part is to choose the paint brushes you will need. Whether you are painting handrails or painting balusters, it is important to choose a brush that is good for a larger surface and an additional smaller brush that is suitable for detail painting, preferably an angled paint brush. A foam roller can be used but all surfaces must be touched up with the right paintbrush.

Step 2: Choose the Right Paint

To know how to paint stair railings, it is important to know what paints to choose. Because they are a high traffic surface it is advised to use a hard enamel-type paint in satin or semi-gloss finish. Other paint types like matte or flat paints are not recommended because they are harder to keep clean over time.

Step 3: Prep Work and Cleaning

Before starting to paint your staircase railing, it is important to wipe the staircase clean with a moist rag. When it has dried and the dust and debris have been cleaned, it is important to use a microfiber tack cloth and a degreaser to remove all grime from the surface of the staircase. To paint stair railing with carpet you need to ensure the carpet has been vacuumed and no dust will fly back onto the railing.

Step 4: Sanding

Sanding is a crucial step when painting wood stair railings. It is important that the surface you will paint will be smooth and that the varnish will be removed so that the new paint will stick better. Once the sanding is complete, it is recommended to wipe down with a moist rag all the surfaces that were sanded and allow them to dry before painting wood stair railings.

Step 5: Tape off Walls, Spindles, and Stairs

Cleaning up a mess caused by paints, having to scrape paint off surfaces, or having to paint over other surfaces can make painting staircase railings a frustrating task. This can be remedied easily by simply taping off all surfaces that must not be painted. These surfaces include stairs, floors, walls, and balusters if they are being painted a different color from the handrails.

Step 6: Use Caulk

Caulking is another important step when painting staircase railings, especially if you have gaps or cracks in your woodwork between the stairs and the balusters. It is strongly recommended to caulk your staircase before applying the primer paint, however, it can be done between the primer and the finish coat.

Step 7: Prime Paint

Applying primer paint when DIY painting stair railing is important, especially if the paint used is lighter than the existing color of the staircase railing. Some will say that this step is optional, however, you will achieve better results when applying primer when it comes to painting durability.

Step 8: Paint

When painting a staircase railing, it is important to choose the right paint brushes. Once that has been done, you should apply one coat of primer and one coat of finish, however, up to two coats of primer can be applied if necessary. It is crucial to let the paint fully dry before adding another coat.

Step 9: Remove the Tape

Once the staircase railing surface paint has fully dried then you can remove the painter’s tape and perform touch-ups if necessary. It is important to clean the staircase railing area as well as possible and remove run-away paint blotches that may have accidentally sprayed onto stairs, carpets, or walls. To avoid having to resort to lengthy clean-up sessions once the staircase railing has been painted, the taping step is extremely critical.