Painting Stair Spindles Guide

Before you take the leap and find out how to best paint stair spindles, it’s essential to prepare the room and avoid any stressful mishaps such as damage to your furniture. First, lay a Seriously Good Double Protection Dust Sheet along the area you will be painting and use some Seriously Good UV Tape to secure this in place and remove the risk of slipping.

Top tip: Add the tape to the edge of the dust sheet first, with a small 1cm upturned lip resting on the skirting board or edge of the stairs. Using your fingers, pull the carpet back slightly, and push the tape securely down. If you complete this as a single motion then release the carpet, it should spring back into place and you will have a tight seal protecting the carpet.

Next, it’s time to create a smooth, matt surface ready for painting. With a standard coating, paint can be easily removed using the Ultimate Aluminium Oxide Fine Paper. Simply sand each bannister spindle until they feel smooth and free from abrasions then clean away any dust with a Seriously Good Microfiber Cloth. If the paint on your bannister is very thick, however, we recommend removing this with a paint stripper. Ensure that you’re wearing some protective Seriously Good Safety Glasses, Seriously Good Nitrile Gloves and a Seriously Good Dust Mask ahead of dispensing the paint stripper.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply the paint stripper to the banister and take the Ultimate Combination Shavehook followed by the Seriously Good Woodscraper to remove the top layer of paint. If you happen to notice any damage to your bannisters such as holes or cracks, be sure to fill these ahead of painting. Head to our detailed guides on How to Fill a Crack in the Wall and How to Fix a Hole in the Wall to find out the tools and techniques required for this process.

To ensure your painting tools are thoroughly cleaned before going in with your topcoat, pour some white spirit into an old jam jar or mason jar. To avoid a more time-consuming cleanup, wash the brush immediately after use by pushing it into the jar and working the white spirit into the bristles. Next, use some Seriously Good Paper Towels to remove any paint from the brush. Be sure to repeat this step until your brushes are completely free from paint. When your clean is complete, screw the lid onto the jar and take it to your local tip to be disposed of. Oil paints and white spirit must never be poured down the sink as this causes environmental harm.

Allow the priming coat to dry on your staircase, then lightly sand the surface again with some Ultimate Aluminium Oxide Fine Paper, cleaning dust away with the Seriously Good Microfiber Cloth. This extra sanding step is optional, but it will give you the most enviable finish possible! Once the bannister spindles are clean it’s time to select your chosen gloss, eggshell or satin paint to apply the top coat, using the Ultimate Woodwork Gloss Angled 0.75”.

Begin painting in long downwards motions to ensure a seamless finish for your staircase. That’s it – you’ve taken your staircase from drab to fab in just four simple steps! For more useful top tips on how to reinvent the look of your home the right way, head to our How To section today.