Staircase Update #2
Since December 30th our work on the staircase has slowed down considerably. Andy came to visit for a couple of days, so we cleaned up and left everything as is in order to relax in our pjs and celebrate the new year. Then suddenly it was back to the real world.
I’ve been dawdling along this week, between work assignments, trying to patch up holes in the wood and such. We decided against staining anything except for the new treads. It’ll be easier that way, and still look good.
We ran into a major problem. It appears that underneath all the paint is a layer or two of dark red stain. I primed the baseboard around the first landing and it seeped through, making the white paint, pink. So I tried a water-based stain blocker, and that didn’t work either. So I either had to sand down to bare wood (no way), or try an oil-based stain blocker. I did the latter, and it worked. I wish it hadn’t come to that, the stuff is so toxic. Ick. I used it to prime the banister and posts as well, since I imagine the orange paint that is seeping through is likely due to that oil stain. That’s why people just keep painting over it, because after a few months the paint colour underneath begins to weep. I don’t know…speculation.
See how red the newel post is? That’s stripped. There’s no way I can sand in all those recesses, so if that stain blocker doesn’t work for that post I’ll have to get a new post turned. Here’s a part of me wishing I hadn’t stripped that post…
Filed under foyer, painting, renovations, staircase | Comments Off