The only way to maintain a wooden staircase beauty is to take care of it, namely when the steps are stained and worn out the wood will look old and the best way to take care of your wooden staircase is by applying a sealing finish on the stains. This will protect the wood from wear and also keep the moisture out.
Steps to follow when applying a sealer finish coating.
- Clean your staircase depending on their current condition – Wipe off the stained stairs after the recommended drying time which is usually 24 to 48 hours.
- Before opening the can of varnish or shellac shakes it for three to four minutes to mix the ingredients, in case you are using lacquer avoid shaking since it creates bubbles which are always hard to work with.
- Test the sealer on a small piece of wood – It’s always a good idea to test your sealer on a small piece of wood before applying it on the actual staircase.
- Paint the stained staircase with a sealer using thin layers, begin at the top, and work your way down.
- Sand the wood with slightly finer-grit sandpaper so as to even out the coating and create a better adhesion with the next coating.
- Repeat the process as recommended by the sealer manufacturer (brush the sealer across the wood, allow it to dry before sanding and removing the dust again).
- How to give a Weathered Wood Finish to a Smooth Surface
The easiest way to create a weathered wood finish either on a laminate surface or a faux wood is by painting the surface with some white chalk paint and later on distress the surface with dark wax.
What do you need to create a weathered wood finish?
- A pair of gloves
- White chalk paint (it could either be light gray for a darker look or a light brown)
- Dark wax
- Clear wax
- Lint-free rag
- Round brush
Steps to follow when creating a weathered wood look on a piece of wood.
- The most important thing to do before you start painting the piece of wood is to clean it thoroughly by ensuring all the dust particles are gone and the surface is smooth and clean.
- Use your white paint to cover the entire piece of wood with a white coat painting and it’s not always a must to use white paint you can decide to e a little bit creative and use a light gray or light brown paint. The light gray paint creates a more realistic weathered wood look but in case you desire the end products to be very light you can always use white paint.
- If the look is not like you desired you can always add a second coat of paint.
- Once the paint is dry, now comes the dry wax.
After following these steps you will be really amazed by how good your DIY weathered wood look turns out.
