And the treads were in pretty great condition! We were pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Especially after finding out we were going to save over 200 bucks by not having to carpet them!
So the next 24 hours were spent pulling out every staple that was ever manufactured on earth from the treads and risers. How did I get so lucky to have them all on my stairs? Did the original carpet guys have some sort of vendetta out against me? My forarms and hands are still sore.
We did have help, though.
I used wood filler for all the nail and staple holes, any big divots or crack, and then we got busy sanding these suckers smooth.
Then the fun part arrived (not really). Paint! I chose to use paint instead of stain (which I would have preferred) due to the overspray from the white trim when these were installed. We sanded and sanded and sanded without any luck. So staining them was not an option.
I painted the risers first with basic white paint, and then moved to the treads. I started by painting (black cashmere - couldn't tell you the brand) every other tread since we still needed access to the upstairs. So our gluts got quite the workout over the course of this week! It was like the world's best stair climber machine.
I painted two coats of black and let them cure completely before I used poly to seal them. After three coats of poly (sanding lightly in between coats), and 24-36 hours to cure, I got started on the other set of alternating stairs, and used the same process.
Phew. Long project.
I still wasn't totally pleased with them, since I'm a little OCD bit of a perfectionist. See that gap in between the wall and the stairs? It just didn't look finished. We were already planning to put quarter rounds where the black meets the white to finish it off, but that gap needed some attention too. So off I went to the hardware store for quarter round and - my solution to that unsightly gap - lots and lots of caulk.
Matt cut the quarter round and we glued it into place. Like with liquid nails, but still. How's that for a shortcut? I then got busy taping off the stairs like so...
Matt cut the quarter round and we glued it into place. Like with liquid nails, but still. How's that for a shortcut? I then got busy taping off the stairs like so...
And then ran a line of caulk up a few stairs at a time.
I think I learned this tip from Sherry at Young House Love, but if you dip your finger in water before smoothing the caulk, this process goes a lot...well, smoother. It gets rid of any ridges or bubbles or lines that you may create otherwise. I always feel like a caulker-extraordinare when I use this tip. Thanks Sherry!
Pull the tape off while it's still wet, and you should have a pretty darn crisp line!
There were only a couple of spots that I had to touch up, but that was because the wood was somewhat splintered on the sides in a few places.
Overall, I'm really happy with the end result. I think it's perfect for a rental property - no carpet to get worn down and grimy on the stairs. And it's kind of pretty too!
Hopefully the next project I post will be in our NEW HOUSE!
-Lauren
