Should I Paint That? Basement Steps

The basement may be one of the most underappreciated places in your house. Everyone uses their basement for different things. For some people, it’s the place to do the laundry and holds all the holiday decorations. For others, it’s a home gym, an exclusive man cave, or the place where pets camp out for the night. Whatever the use, the basement steps can really add or detract from the look and feel of your basement, especially unflattering, unfinished wooden steps. Painting your steps is an inexpensive way to create a durable, low-maintenance surface for a high-traffic area. 

Benefits of Painting

Painting your wooden basement steps will make them so much easier to clean and painting tends to be easier than varnishing. Plus, it is less expensive than installing carpet, which can be hard on the wood with the staples and tack strips that would need to be used. By painting, you can even add a fun pop of color depending on what your space is used for. If you take a look at Pinterest, you’ll find a lot of inspiration for different designs you can paint on your steps and countless combinations of ways to paint your steps. You can paint them a light color to brighten up dimly lit stairs, keep it neutral, or darken the steps to contrast a lot of white. Whatever you're going for, sophisticated or simple, there are some basic “steps” you’ll want to take to prepare the area for paint.

Clean the Surface

You’ll want to prepare bare wood steps by sanding them first with medium weight sandpaper followed by fine grit. You’ll appreciate the effort you spent sanding, especially when you’re walking down the stairs in your bare feet. Make sure to use a tack cloth to go over the steps when you’re done sanding to clean up any dust left on the steps. You can also use a damp rag to go over the steps, just leave time for them to dry before you start priming.

Prime the Steps

Next, you’ll want to prime your steps. Primer will help prepare your steps for painting, especially new and bare wood steps. It will probably take two coats.

Paint!

Now the fun part - seeing your steps be transformed with paint. What type of paint should you use? You’ll want to choose a porch and floor paint that can stand up to heavy foot traffic and will be more durable over time.

Basement steps are a relatively small area, but not everyone has the time or energy for a small project. If you want your stairs painted professionally, you can trust us to get the job done right. We have been providing high-quality painting services for over 25 years. Contact Paint Positive as your next step in a basement transformation.