Vibrant, sparkly wood stairs enhance the beauty of the interior and exterior of a house. You can improve this beauty by painting them. The painting also adds protection and anti-slippery nature to the wood.
While you are here, we would like to announce the best paint for wood stairs to you. Our experienced team in painting job classified them from versatile brands and products. Stay with us for more information!
Table of Contents
Our Favorite Picks for Wood Stairs:
1. Best for Stairs Risers: INSL-X SU031009A Anti-Slip Coating Paint
“has a superb anti-slip quality, works even under wet conditions.”
2. Best for Heavy Traffic: RTG Deck, Porch, Patio & stairs Anti-Slip Paint
“polyurethane formula protects the surface under heavy traffic area.”
3. Best Industrial-Grade: Slip Doctors Tuff Grip Paint
“applicable for indoor and outdoor painting jobs.”
Can you Paint your Wooden Stairs?
Painting any wood structure is possible if you follow the proper instructions. Newly installed stairs need mandatory painting for sturdy usages. They may look dull without paint.
Maybe you think you’ve already repainted the old stairs a couple of times. Trust us! You can paint them too for enhanced structural longevity and regaining beauty. Whether it is interior or exterior stairs, we suggest choosing the right paint and applying them soon.
Top 3 Best Paint for Wood Stairs Reviews
We have applied some brands for testing them. But very few of them went well. Others were slippery, low adhesion and quality, limited in color options. So, we are sharing the details of the most delicate paint for stair treads below gradually:
1. INSL-X SU031009A Anti-Slip Coating – Best Paint for Stairs Risers
We put our focus on anti-slip coating paint and got this INSL-X Sure Step Acrylic paint. This 1-gallon acrylic paint can satisfy your stair painting needs. Also, it will prevent you from slipping or falling while stepping on the stairs. There will be no visible cracks anymore.
It works outstandingly on any basement stairs or the exteriors. You can apply it on deck, patio too. The colors remain intact, and no chances of fading under intense sunlight. The color retention quality is always satisfying. Also, the abrasion and ponding water resistance features increase the lifespan of the paint and stairs.
It takes 4-5 days for complete dry after applying. Obviously, it is lesser than other paints. Therefore, this paint is available in 5 different colors with a clear, matte, or flat finish. You can cover 80-120 square feet area with one-gallon paint.
Why we liked it:
It is the best choice for skid-free movement on the stairs. Also, the matte or Flatt look can melt your heart.
Colors: Desert Sand, Gray Pearl, Light Gray, Pine Green, Tile Red, and White.
Type: Water-based, anti-slip and anti-skid.
- Good choice as paint for stair risers while having high traffic or extra sunlight
- Long-lasting finish with impressive color retention feature
- Fills the cracks and enables skid-free movements
- Easy to apply, and it takes the least time to dry
- Instructions are available for applying the paint
- One gallon product is suitable for 80-120 sq. feet area
- Not recommended for immersion service
- Painting on rainy exteriors can be frustrating
2. RTG Deck, Porch, Patio & Stairs Anti-Slip Paint – Best for Heavy Traffic
RTG Supply Co. is famous for producing quality paints such as anti-slip paint. We are talking their all-rounder Deck, Porch, and Patio paint coming from the USA. You can choose it for coloring the concrete, masonry, and wood surfaces. We got a brilliant outcome after applying it on the exterior stairs of our office.
Its water-based polyurethane formula works excellent in retrieving the shine of stairs. Besides, the eco-friendly and low-VOC features enable a safe environment whether it is inside or outside. It will give you fantastic traction without a slippery surface. You can also easily apply and clean it faster.
One quart of RTG paint can cover up to 100 square feet. But once you apply it, it will dry within few hours. The finish of this paint is textured light sheen with 4 attractive colors. Also, it has a low odor, so there is no risk for kids’ and pets’ health.
Why we liked it:
It dries faster and works on any kind of wood stairs. It will protect the surface from fading, flaking, and peeling under weather conditions or heavy traffic.
Colors: Clear/Amber, Light Gray, Sand, and White.
Type: Water-based Polyurethane, anti-slip, and UV stable.
- It comes from the USA, made with expert hands
- Works great on concrete, masonry, and woods
- Low VOC, low odor, and eco-friendly nature for safe applications
- Simple to use and clean with soapy water
- Prevents slipping on the stairs and damages from extreme heat, rain or cold
- One quart is applicable for up to 100 sq. feet
- Comparatively expensive than others
3. Slip Doctors Tuff Grip Paint – Best Paint for Staircase
Slip Doctors Tuff Grip works like magic on the woodturning into a skid-free surface. It has advanced power to give an aggressive, super textured anti-slip finish. We used this paint for staircase renovation. You would love to apply it on multi-surfaces like metal, concrete, and wood. There is no chance of chemical and erosion.
If your current stairs make you uneasy, just repaint or coat it with Tuff Grip. Also, the industrial-grade formula suits it for any indoor or outdoor space. Two to three coats of paint and your stairs become luminous, non-slip. By the way, you can use one-gallon paint to cover 75-100 sq. feet.
We have found another notable point in this paint. It gets dried within just 6 hours. Once it is ready, it will be a cover to protect stairs from UV rays. We also loved the 10 color options, any of these you may choose. Above all, 30-day money-back and 2 years warranty available with each Tuff Grip paint.
Why we liked it:
The USA-made Tuff Grip has a wide range of color options and can work on multi-surfaces. It comes with a 9″ textured roller for simple uses.
Colors: Black, Clear, Dark Brown, Light & Medium Gray, Safety Blue, Red, and Yellow, Sand and White.
Type: Water-based Urethane, anti-skid, and UV stable.
- Formulated for aggressive traction enhancement
- Suitable for any weather condition, from rain to extreme heat
- Made by experts from the USA while maintaining the performance
- It provides a super-textured anti-slip finish
- Applicable in both indoor and industrial areas
- It takes 4-6 hours to completely dry
- A gallon can span up to 100 square feet
- It may need comparatively more units for painting standard size area
What are the Steps to Paint a Stair Railing Made of Wood?
You will need these things to complete painting a stair railing (or banister) made of wood:
- Paint (optional to preference)
- Indoor primer
- Paintbrush
- 2 gallons size bucket
- Frog tape (single roll)
- Sandpaper
- Tack cloth
After you have these tools, you can start cleaning and preparing the stairs for painting. You can use a regular water-soap solution to clean the whole stuff. Then, sand the wood surface with low grit sandpaper. You may use high grit for sanding old painted stairs. It will take only half an hour or few more minutes depending on the project size.
Apply the primer on the sanded surface and leave it alone for 1 to 2 hours. 1-quart primer would be used in a 2-gallon bucket for double coats. Paint the railing with the paint you want to use. Usually, a coat of paint may take a couple of hours. Recoat the area for a complete finish. Thus, you can complete the painting of the wooden stair railing.
Can you Paint Over Painted Stairs?
Yes. We did this too. You need to follow simple steps to remove layers of paint and to put a new one. Follow these steps to paint over painted stairs:
- Clean the stairs.
- Sand them with sandpapers or sand blocks.
- Use a primer to fill in the cracks after sanding.
- Take a break for drying the primer and apply the first coat of paint.
- Wait for drying and recoat time.
- Apply the paint again for a full finish.
Paint for Wood Stairs Buying Guide
There are key facts to be aware of before purchasing paint for wood steps. You should keep them in your mind:
Types
Paints can be of two types: solvent-based (oil or alkyd) and water-based. Solvent-based paints are suitable for metal as it creates durable and robust finish to withstand odds. Water-based paints are applicable mostly on wooden surfaces. These paints dry faster, stay fit against heavy temperatures.
Paint Finish
Paint for interior stairs can have these finishes: flat, satin, semi, or full gloss. Among them, semi or full gloss finish is used in painting stair treads, banisters. Outdoor paint finishes can be gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and flat. Gloss or semi-gloss has the same applications here. Satin provides moderate sheen finish, while flat hides imperfections.
Quality
You won’t love to break your leg while in a rush on using the stairs. So, the paint should offer a non-slippery, aggressive, textured finish. It should also have the quality of UV protection, heat and rain barrier, weather-proof, etc.
Fast Dry
When you apply paint of the wood surface, it takes time to dry and give the finish. Usually, a good quality paint dries within 4-8 hours. But some will take up to 24-36 hours depending on thickness and quality. Fast dry also allows quick recoat time.
Color Options
White, gray – these two colors are almost standard options of stair paints. But many paints have more color choices. It allows the right choice according to our preferences. Sometimes we may love to make stairs bright, then bright colors would be an apt choice. Paint for indoor stairs; light colors would be great.
Size
You should know the quantity or size of the paint. These paints are primarily available in quart to gallon sizes. However, you should know how much area it can cover with a certain quantity.
Final Verdict
The modern age has shown us varieties of technologies and products to gain positive vibes of life. Painting wood stairs is also like this idea. Choosing the best paint for wood stairs is not so tough. Yes, but you will need to know basic information first, as we added here in the buying guide. Matte, glossy – whatever you want, these paints are fine for it.
Our selected products are great for painting any new or old wooden stairs. Buy any of them for a brilliant and long-lasting result.