Painting interior doors and stairs for a crisp finish

Interior doors and stairs are the parts of a home that take the most punishment. They are touched, kicked, knocked and walked on every day, and that is exactly where you first see wear, yellowed gloss and fingerprints. A fresh coat of gloss immediately gives an interior a brighter look. In this article you will read what to pay attention to when painting doors and a staircase, which gloss is suitable and how to plan the job so your home stays usable.

1. Why doors and stairs wear faster

You rarely touch a wall, but you touch a door dozens of times a day. Greasy marks build up around the handle, at the bottom you see scuffs from vacuum cleaners and shoes, and on the treads the gloss wears away exactly along the walking line. Older solvent-based gloss also yellows over the years, especially in places with little daylight such as a hallway or landing.

Precisely because these parts are used so intensively, the choice of gloss and the build-up of coats matter more than on walls. Wall paint on a stair tread would not last a month. Which sheen to choose for doors and stairs is explained in the article high gloss, satin or matt.

2. Preparation is half the job

A crisp result starts with cleaning and sanding. Grease around the handles is removed with a degreaser, after which the old layer is sanded to a matt finish. Damage is filled and, once hardened, sanded smooth. Then comes removing all dust and masking off walls, floors and any stair runner. These points make the difference between reasonable and crisp paintwork:

• Removing door furniture such as handles and roses rather than masking it.
• Taking doors off their hinges where possible and painting them flat or on trestles.
• Lightly sanding old, yellowed gloss so the new coat adheres well.
• Thoroughly removing sanding dust, including from the grooves of panelled doors.

3. Painting interior doors

Panelled doors are painted in a fixed order: first the panels and mouldings, then the horizontal rails and finally the vertical stiles. That way you avoid lap marks and runs in the places that catch the eye most. A flush door is often done with a fine gloss roller and immediately laid off with a brush or rolled again, for an even surface without streaks.

For interior doors, choose a hard-wearing, water-based gloss in a satin finish. It does not yellow quickly, dries relatively fast and gives a crisp look. Do not forget the edges of the door: an untreated bottom or side edge absorbs moisture, which can cause a door to warp. Doing the frames and the door in one go gives the best result, because colour and sheen then match exactly.

4. Painting the staircase

A staircase needs a gloss that can stand up to heavy foot traffic. There are special stair varnishes and glosses that are harder and more hard-wearing than ordinary gloss. The treads are cleaned and sanded and, on a badly worn staircase, touched up locally first so the new coat is equally thick everywhere. Handrails, spindles and strings get the same care, because hands touch them every day too.

A staircase in a shared stairwell is a different story: it is used by several residents and the work is often arranged through the owners' association. You can read more about that in painting a stairwell. An example of a characterful stairwell painted in green and white can be seen in the stairwell project in Amsterdam.

5. Planning and drying time

Painting in an occupied home takes planning. Doors can be done floor by floor or alternately, so you can always close off part of the house. A staircase is often painted in two rounds: first the even treads, then the odd ones, so you can carefully keep using the stairs. How to combine other painting jobs with simply living at home is explained in painting while you live at home.

Bear in mind that gloss is touch dry after a few hours, but only truly cured after several days to a week. During that period, do not put door stops, rugs or heavy items against the fresh paintwork. If you live in or around Amstelveen and want your doors and stairs painted, take a look at interior painting in Amstelveen.

In practice this topic belongs with interior painting and commercial painting. There you can read about the approach and the options, or request a free, no-obligation quote straight away.

Further reading: Spraying a ceiling: how does it work?, Spraying or rolling latex: which is better?, Sikkens or Sigma: which paint should you choose?.

Frequently asked questions