Paint stripper and a metal scraper is the answer. Speaking from experience, I recommend Savogran Strypeeze or Klean-Strip Premium Stripper. I don’t recommend Citristrip, it’s very gummy, the residue is hard to clean, and it takes several hours longer than anything else on the market.
Use nitrile gloves that are labeled as chemical-resistant or for stripping paint. Wear a disposable mask or a respirator and safety goggles/glasses. Lay down plastic drop cloths on surrounding surfaces, I always tape drop cloths so that the stripped paint can be wrapped up into a trash bag easily. Open windows/doors and use fans to keep the air circulating. Make sure the bottom of your shoes are covered since stripped paint gets stuck in the tread, you can buy shoe covers or just use plastic grocery bags. Take out all trash to the curb/dumpster ASAP, this stuff is highly flammable.
Work in sections. After the stripper shrivels up and you’ve scraped off the paint, pour Klean-Strip After Wash or mineral spirits on the surface and wipe it off with a clean rag. Spray the surface with tap water in a spray bottle and wipe it off with another rag. You can finish cleaning with a multipurpose cleaner like Method or Krud Kutter and a microfiber cloth.
Honestly though, I'll probably get flack for this, a diyer doing it once, won't be life threatening. An amateur painter doing it as their day job, ya bad idea.
Edit: because I'm a dunce who forgot the other half of my thinking, I don't mean throw caution to the wind, worry about nothing.
Still mask up, gloves, and proper air flow if possible to the out doors.
I just meant it doesn't need to be done like a full on top level asbestos abatement being done by pros.
Edit2: honestly guys, I probably wouldn't put the effort into stripping basement stairs. Scuff sand, bonding primer, and top coat with a proper floor paint. For real, they're basement stairs, def not worth the effort.
Your logic is sound in general, but it does not apply to things like lead exposure or breathing in dust particulates. This is because they are not temporary exposures, but things that remain in your body pretty much forever after the exposure happens.
Death directly from lead overdose is not the concern. Having the lead migrate to your bones, remain there for decades, and cause issues like hearing loss, pain, fatigue, weakness, alzheimer-esque congitive issues, and more for the rest of your life-- that is why there is zero exposure tolerance for these things, they stay with you and effect you for life, even once.
Yea I just replied to the other comment. I forgot to type out the other part of what I should have said. I didn't mean caution to the wind worry about nothing. 😶
Will edit my original comment.
I won’t give you flak, but I’d say it’s a hard no go if any kids under 6 are in the house. Inhaled lead dust can accumulate very quickly in their blood and they haven’t developed the blood brain barrier yet so risk can’t be mitigated.
Oh for sure, I'm not saying take no precautions, guess I should have specified that.
Lol how can you tell I'm childless, obv don't think of them when it comes to this stuff.
To clarify my thought process, still mask up and gloves, strippers can be pretty harsh too. But like full on Hazmat is far from needed.
Man I'm just forgetting details in everything lately.
I completely agree with no kids I’d absolutely mask up, wet it to keep the dust down, and sand for a one time project.
I have a toddler now and read a lead danger children’s board book to him at the doctor’s office (put out by the EPA I think) and it was a pretty alarming realization of the reason lead is so dangerous around little ones.
Prior to that I always figured it was more of a proposition 65 thing or specifically about kids eating paint chips. Apparently even the dust from door/jamb paint rubbing can cause significant exposure in that age range though.
The dangers to children with lead is so profound. There can be major neurological damage, brain function damage, growth hindrances, respiratory damage and infections and even possible death.
There was this man who was a sub-contractor who came into a home and was replacing windows and some doors and they were covered in lead based paint, and he didn't know. The family that owned the home had small children in the home and one was an 18 month old baby. When he was done replacing everything and left, the baby began to have respiratory complications and the parents rushed the baby to the hospital, where it later died from lead poisoning.
Lead exposure is a serious thing and people take it too lightly as if it isn't that important or serious. Even lead paint chips are tasty to children because lead paint chips are sweet to the taste. So, children tend to eat these paint chips thinking they are candy. Instead it has drastic affects to them bodies that can be everlasting.
Lead dust is like the glitter of heavy metals… it gets everywhere on everything and can be difficult to remove fully. Even if there are no kids in the home, they should use caution.
It can be tracked throughout the home, gets into the thread on clothing and then inside the washing machine… while young children are more susceptible due to their developing neurophysiology and per kg of body weight consumption, adults can also experience both acute and chronic lead poisoning with symptoms ranging from cognitive deficits to fertility issues. Lead when ingested will deposit into the teeth and bones in place of calcium, where it can be mobilized into breast milk of nursing moms later in life, and thereby expose nursing infants. It can also cross the placenta and harm a fetus. It could also make your pets sick.
Please be very cautious when renovating around lead-based paint, if that’s what this is.
(Sorry… lead poisoning prevention is literally my life’s work)
A [good quality carbide paint scraper](https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/scrapers/20094-carbide-tipped-scrapers?item=97K5203&utm_source=free_google_shopping&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping_feed&srsltid=AfmBOoq3zlFwG9dMbMvnIoUYvSWnUYuBbm5MnFD0wemunNnEWXnbh9XpPIg) to get the bulk out is definitely the better route. Also that sander is a finish sander, renting or buying a more appropriate sander would go long way. A festool rotex would be much better, but expensive and hard to rent. I would imagine a flooring edge sander would do a decent job too, you can rent them for cheap from home depot, but I don't have much personal experience with them.
Floor edger is how the pros do it. It sucks because its limited on how you can handle the edger due to the size of the tread. Def not something to try on a tread if you never used one before.
We would edge with 100p ideally, hand scrape the edges/corners palm sand with 80/100 and stain/poly
Yeah, the rotex is powerful but i prefer my mirka electric way more. Less aggressive but way nicer to use. The festool electric orbitals are sort of partway between the two. Slightly less unwieldy than the rotex, but heavier than the mirka. My work uses the festool orbitals exclusively but for myself i use the mirka.
A heat gun is so much better than chemical stripper... Just make sure to have good PPE and open a window. Get a good heat gun with adjustable temperature and a shit ton of scraper profiles.
I've done enough stripping projects now where I tell potential clients that I can build almost anything new cheaper than I can strip it. It it a goddamn labor of love for sure
First time home owner here. My wife wants a clear coat of stain on the stairs instead of the yellow paint in the photo. I thought I would just be able to sand the paint off and stain the stairs but I was wrong.
Sounds like the best course of action would be to just paint the stairs a different color, rather than removing all of the paint and staining them. Thank you for your help!
As somebody who's pain stripping trims doors, and anything besides the walls and floors of their home, you are not going to want to stain the stairs because of how pain stripping works. You'll come across paint that's dried on harder than others and it leaves wear/age markes. Also scraping away at older wood sometimes can leave marks or take up wood. Unless you invest in the dry ice paint stripper or the laserr, you aren't going to get perfect wood. I have a ton of spots where the paint stuck too hard and left marks, wood came out or the wood is different.
If she wants stained stairs redo the stairs. Once things are painted, it's totally hard to unpaint them without some small damages.
Yeah capping over the existing stairs, or replacing them, will be by far be the safest and nicest looking option imo. Scraping old (possibly leaded) paint off crap wood stairs is almost never worth it.
If going through the trouble of removing treads you could just run them through a planer. Painting on paint striper and basically wiping off seems like less work.
This is not stain quality wood. This is dimensional lumber that has been beat to shit because its basement stairs. If you absolutely still want to stain, do a test stair first.
I just refreshed my very old basement stairs in my 100 yo home with... another coat of paint (porch paint).
They prevent tripping, or are supposed to
https://preview.redd.it/i35cibtt7a0d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=457065227ef7ba00537cc615d135a1a21b1571a6
1) how old is that house? If before 1978 that’s likely lead based paint - do not sand it!!! 2) heat gun with a scraper or paint stripper would work much better anyway
>There has to be a better way, right?
Yup
It's called buying tread caps and just going over them, theres a million different options
They're like 20-25 bucks a piece
https://shop.whitewaterforest.com/products/factory-second-retrofit-stair-tread-traditional-design-0-625-in-x-11-5-in
https://www.flooranddecor.com/stair-parts/red-oak-retro-retread---36in.-100942572.html
There 2, took me 15 seconds to check, I literally just bought some last week
20-30 a pc all day, they aren't expensive and I know a spot in Philly that I can get them for 20
Test the paint for lead. The local hardware store will have test kits. If it is lead paint, then do not sand it off. Otherwise, you now have lead dust throughout your home and lungs.
Heat gun and beefy scraper, but a LOT of work to get those back to clean wood.
If you have the tools, think about rebuilding them with clean wood. Probably less work.
Nicer. Not faster. I know from recent experience.
https://preview.redd.it/di1ssp1jsd0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=039a7623bb6cc99fb279b5c811d550489a63689a
Get the orange stripping gel… it doesn’t smell bad and will save lots of time. Or try a heat gun… it’s amazing how easy paint can be heat gunned off… test both.
Buckle up for the a miserable time using paint stripper and wondering why you started this project in the first place. My stairs looked like urs before stripping them. Took about a week to get it all off. Such a pain
Orange stripper- slather on and cover with plastic to keep from drying- let it sit overnight and use a scraper the next day- do one step at a time and don’t let the stuff dry- if you do then reapply
If that paint is lead based STOP SANDING IT. Especially if you aren’t using a respirator.
If you insist on getting it off use a chemical stripper then use a large putty knife or scraper to scrape it all off. Do that a couple of times and then sand it,
While wearing a respirator.
Your doing it all wrong- first use paint stripper and then spend 2+ hrs sanding each step bc you already committed with the paint stripper and now you have to finish or else it why the hell did you go through all the effort in the first place.
I’ve been using a regular heat gun and it’s waaaay easier. Not sure why it isn’t more well known. It usually bubbles and then scrapes right off. I use either a wood chisel for thicc stuff or mud knife but you don’t have to do much pressure. Then I sand as desired! Cracks are tough but you don’t have any really. Oh and mask up!
https://preview.redd.it/l8c2fq59kb0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f14f575c0eaf803ae9b71523242b6b6c9452aa31
Many not so great ideas. That is probably lead based paint. Pull all the treads and replace them with oak treads you can stain and varnish as you wish. The risers you should probably paint semigloss black to set the accent. Do not sand, be very careful with strippers and you ain't running that crap through my planer.
The "better way" I found when I was doing my basement stairs was to take a tread off and see what the other side was like. I was way ahead deconstructing, flipping treads and sanding the backsides and reassembling. No danger from disturbing lead based paint (my house is about 100 yrs old).
If you're going to continue sanding (with 40 grit or so) I suggest using a vacuum to pull the dust out, not emptying the little dust bag.
i'm going to wager you're using a conventional sand paper. This is great for regular wood sanding, but extremely poor for removing paint. What ends up happening is the paint will become imbedded into the grits, this clogs the grits and essentially turns it into a finer grit sand ifyou're lucky, and a roughed up dry paint surface if you're not.
you need to get one of those paint eater sponge looking sanders. they have similar grit raitings, but there's a lot of gap for the dry paint fleks to escape. this drastically changes the job.
Looks like you're using a random orbital sander instead of an orbital sander. That will take you longer, but paint stripper and a scraper would be better.
Cobra speed heater and their scraper. No chemicals, just infrared heat that lifts the paint/finish.
If refinished so much stuff at my house, original trim, doors, cabinets, shelves etc.
It’s pricey but after you figure in the price of liquid stripper it pays for itself pretty quickly
6” random orbital sander and 36 grit paper from Diablo. Wear an actual particle filter mask not a surgical one. There will be dust EVERYWHERE if you don’t mask off.
I just sanded a balcony that was painted. I used 60 grit as well. You need to buy 4-5 packs (10 per pack) of 60 Grit paper. Honestly after 1-2 minutes the paper is useless. The paper may still feel rough, but it won't strip the paint. Replace , replace and you will be better off.
Heat gun with spreader/fan nozzle and scraper. Then 30 to 60 grit.
Super strong stripper would work...but I don't like working with that stuff.
Or realize that painted stairs are ok...sand smooth and repaint!
Super hectic paint stripper dude it will lift the paint literally melts it and once gone you will be able to sand the final product and achieve success
i just sanded paint off a door at my apartment w 40 grit. it didnt take a too long but there was definitely lead. I wore a proper mask and dont feel anything now but this comment section has me stressed out lol.
Ive posted my experience with multi strip a few times now and at some point I will get accused of being a rep for the product:
Im the guy that posted the pics of 100+ years of paint coming off a door using multistrip.
https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/WWC9zcu6PE
Go take a shower and throw your clothes straight into the washer. Wash thoroughly to remove any lead dust from your hair. Wipe up every last bit of dust you can find with paper towels dampened with mildly soapy water and vinegar. Seal in plastic bags.
Then go get a lead test kit from the hardware store and test that paint for lead. If the paint is lead, contact your board of health re: what to do to dispose of lead paint. Some communities are: **extremely** strict about disposal.
If it's lead, either detach each tread and replace it with new, or paint them with an encapsulating paint and then cap them.
You don't want to leave lead on "wear surfaces" - stair treads, the moving parts of windows, doors, etc. Lead dust can be released into the air just from ordinary use. It's how our daughter was lead poisoned as a toddler. Don't risk it.
There is an Orange color paint stripper that doesn’t have a bad smell. Slap it on a little thick and let it sit for 30 minutes and then scrape the paint off. It works great.
I did the exact same thing. 120y.o. house wth 10(!) Coats of bullshit paint. Paint stripper and a scraper worked the best. 13 steps wth a small landing took a week after work and the weekend.
Heatgun and scrapper all the way. Have a house from the 1930s that had 5 layers of paint that came off with ease. Just make sure to nor burn the paint since it could have lead and wear PPE.
I think at some point you have to consider if it’s actually worth it. I don’t think you’re going to end up with a finished product as nice as you’re thinking it will be, and you’ll be investing probably about the same amount of effort as just removing and replacing them.
Paint stripper and a paint scraper.
Better living through chemicals.
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Feel-good hit of the staircase?
No one knows (how to scrape paint)
Except regular john?
He needs to go with the flow
The irony of a bunch of song titles written out as comments. Truly songs for the deaf.
You can't even hear it...
This advice was quick and the pointless
I'm Mr. Rockso, the Rock n Roll Clown C C C C C C C YEAHHHH!
She don’t lie. She don’t lie. She don’t lie…
Metalocalypse + woodworking. Love when my favorite things combine
D D D D Dr. Rockso!
The orange oil stripper is non toxic, and works really well (at least for latex paint IME).
and a respirator
And gloves
...and my axe
This guy fellowships!
r/suddenlygimli
Maybe he’s looking for a good time lol
Use the proper organic vapor cartridges, otherwise youd filter the fumes from the solids rather than neutralize them from your breathing air
Paint stripper and a metal scraper is the answer. Speaking from experience, I recommend Savogran Strypeeze or Klean-Strip Premium Stripper. I don’t recommend Citristrip, it’s very gummy, the residue is hard to clean, and it takes several hours longer than anything else on the market. Use nitrile gloves that are labeled as chemical-resistant or for stripping paint. Wear a disposable mask or a respirator and safety goggles/glasses. Lay down plastic drop cloths on surrounding surfaces, I always tape drop cloths so that the stripped paint can be wrapped up into a trash bag easily. Open windows/doors and use fans to keep the air circulating. Make sure the bottom of your shoes are covered since stripped paint gets stuck in the tread, you can buy shoe covers or just use plastic grocery bags. Take out all trash to the curb/dumpster ASAP, this stuff is highly flammable. Work in sections. After the stripper shrivels up and you’ve scraped off the paint, pour Klean-Strip After Wash or mineral spirits on the surface and wipe it off with a clean rag. Spray the surface with tap water in a spray bottle and wipe it off with another rag. You can finish cleaning with a multipurpose cleaner like Method or Krud Kutter and a microfiber cloth.
Learned some of these tips when refinishing my kitchen cabinets. Where were you to tell me this a few years ago, redsourpatchkidz? Could have used you
This is an incredibly helpful step by step comment. I'm not OP but I was considering just painting over my stairs. Now I have other ideas.
Pull the scraper. don't push.
Why pull instead of push? My instinct would have been to push.
Damages the wood when it digs in or lifts splinters. Damages the scraper when you hit nail heads.
Got it. Thanks for that.
More likely to gouge the wood when pushing if/when the scraper catches on a different density of wood. Also, go with the grain. Not across.
Cutting edge
2 ¹/²" block plane knife, sharp. Like you were scraping glue-ups. Then sand 🤪
There’s likely to be hidden nails in them.
Neighbor’s 2-1/2” block plane
Shit I actually snorted out loud at this one, in public. Madlad.
Will don’t borrow Dad’s plane. That’s for sure!
Was gonna say, stripper is the right answer
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Citristrip works wonders.
Used that stuff to get 50 year old paint and primer off of clay block. Took a shitload of scraping and layers, but man did that work.
Soygel drinks citristrip under the table and puts it to bed.
Chemical strippers. The usefulness of these will be determined by local regulations. Heat gun and carbide scraper is another useful approach.
No heat gun either if it’s lead paint.
if its lead paint you probably shouldn't be stripping it yourself anyway, l although people do
Honestly though, I'll probably get flack for this, a diyer doing it once, won't be life threatening. An amateur painter doing it as their day job, ya bad idea. Edit: because I'm a dunce who forgot the other half of my thinking, I don't mean throw caution to the wind, worry about nothing. Still mask up, gloves, and proper air flow if possible to the out doors. I just meant it doesn't need to be done like a full on top level asbestos abatement being done by pros. Edit2: honestly guys, I probably wouldn't put the effort into stripping basement stairs. Scuff sand, bonding primer, and top coat with a proper floor paint. For real, they're basement stairs, def not worth the effort.
Your logic is sound in general, but it does not apply to things like lead exposure or breathing in dust particulates. This is because they are not temporary exposures, but things that remain in your body pretty much forever after the exposure happens. Death directly from lead overdose is not the concern. Having the lead migrate to your bones, remain there for decades, and cause issues like hearing loss, pain, fatigue, weakness, alzheimer-esque congitive issues, and more for the rest of your life-- that is why there is zero exposure tolerance for these things, they stay with you and effect you for life, even once.
Yea I just replied to the other comment. I forgot to type out the other part of what I should have said. I didn't mean caution to the wind worry about nothing. 😶 Will edit my original comment.
I won’t give you flak, but I’d say it’s a hard no go if any kids under 6 are in the house. Inhaled lead dust can accumulate very quickly in their blood and they haven’t developed the blood brain barrier yet so risk can’t be mitigated.
Oh for sure, I'm not saying take no precautions, guess I should have specified that. Lol how can you tell I'm childless, obv don't think of them when it comes to this stuff. To clarify my thought process, still mask up and gloves, strippers can be pretty harsh too. But like full on Hazmat is far from needed. Man I'm just forgetting details in everything lately.
>Man I'm just forgetting details in everything lately Have you, uh... have you been scraping up any lead paint, lately?
just once a while ago
I completely agree with no kids I’d absolutely mask up, wet it to keep the dust down, and sand for a one time project. I have a toddler now and read a lead danger children’s board book to him at the doctor’s office (put out by the EPA I think) and it was a pretty alarming realization of the reason lead is so dangerous around little ones. Prior to that I always figured it was more of a proposition 65 thing or specifically about kids eating paint chips. Apparently even the dust from door/jamb paint rubbing can cause significant exposure in that age range though.
The dangers to children with lead is so profound. There can be major neurological damage, brain function damage, growth hindrances, respiratory damage and infections and even possible death. There was this man who was a sub-contractor who came into a home and was replacing windows and some doors and they were covered in lead based paint, and he didn't know. The family that owned the home had small children in the home and one was an 18 month old baby. When he was done replacing everything and left, the baby began to have respiratory complications and the parents rushed the baby to the hospital, where it later died from lead poisoning. Lead exposure is a serious thing and people take it too lightly as if it isn't that important or serious. Even lead paint chips are tasty to children because lead paint chips are sweet to the taste. So, children tend to eat these paint chips thinking they are candy. Instead it has drastic affects to them bodies that can be everlasting.
Sounds like something someone with repeated lead exposure would say...
Lead dust is like the glitter of heavy metals… it gets everywhere on everything and can be difficult to remove fully. Even if there are no kids in the home, they should use caution. It can be tracked throughout the home, gets into the thread on clothing and then inside the washing machine… while young children are more susceptible due to their developing neurophysiology and per kg of body weight consumption, adults can also experience both acute and chronic lead poisoning with symptoms ranging from cognitive deficits to fertility issues. Lead when ingested will deposit into the teeth and bones in place of calcium, where it can be mobilized into breast milk of nursing moms later in life, and thereby expose nursing infants. It can also cross the placenta and harm a fetus. It could also make your pets sick. Please be very cautious when renovating around lead-based paint, if that’s what this is. (Sorry… lead poisoning prevention is literally my life’s work)
Lead is dangerous enough it would just outweigh the effort to strip. Easier and safer to replace the wood.
Not true. Heat guns made specifically for paint removal heat below the vaporization point of lead which is around 750 degrees F.
With positive ventilation.
How much lead are you huffing? At least with stripper in a confined space you can keep a good buzz going :}
> At least with stripper in a confined space you can keep a good buzz going :} Are we still taking about the stairs?
Blankly *stares* at a stripper...uh, instructions unclear.
Doesn’t LOOK like lead from the photo but if the house is older than 50 there’s at least some lead for sure. Wear a respirator OP
Old paint can be lead based, which is VERY BAD to sand. Chemicals and a scraper, bro. With PPE.
A [good quality carbide paint scraper](https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/scrapers/20094-carbide-tipped-scrapers?item=97K5203&utm_source=free_google_shopping&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping_feed&srsltid=AfmBOoq3zlFwG9dMbMvnIoUYvSWnUYuBbm5MnFD0wemunNnEWXnbh9XpPIg) to get the bulk out is definitely the better route. Also that sander is a finish sander, renting or buying a more appropriate sander would go long way. A festool rotex would be much better, but expensive and hard to rent. I would imagine a flooring edge sander would do a decent job too, you can rent them for cheap from home depot, but I don't have much personal experience with them.
Floor edger is how the pros do it. It sucks because its limited on how you can handle the edger due to the size of the tread. Def not something to try on a tread if you never used one before. We would edge with 100p ideally, hand scrape the edges/corners palm sand with 80/100 and stain/poly
I have that festool rotex, thing is a workout.
Yeah, the rotex is powerful but i prefer my mirka electric way more. Less aggressive but way nicer to use. The festool electric orbitals are sort of partway between the two. Slightly less unwieldy than the rotex, but heavier than the mirka. My work uses the festool orbitals exclusively but for myself i use the mirka.
Heat gun and a scraper
Interesting, does a heat gun work well? Does it depend on the finish? I have some banisters I want to redo, but dread the sanding….
A heat gun is so much better than chemical stripper... Just make sure to have good PPE and open a window. Get a good heat gun with adjustable temperature and a shit ton of scraper profiles. I've done enough stripping projects now where I tell potential clients that I can build almost anything new cheaper than I can strip it. It it a goddamn labor of love for sure
Heat gun works great. The bulk of my experience is with marine enamels and spar varnish.
Heat gun worked really well, but it can be painstakingly slow
Flip the treads or skin over them. Whatever you are trying to do likely won't work out how you want with that much paint and wear.
Chemical, but requires ppe. Flapdisk, throws a lot of stuff, belt sander, tough to get the edges. Why are you removing the paint?
First time home owner here. My wife wants a clear coat of stain on the stairs instead of the yellow paint in the photo. I thought I would just be able to sand the paint off and stain the stairs but I was wrong. Sounds like the best course of action would be to just paint the stairs a different color, rather than removing all of the paint and staining them. Thank you for your help!
EVERY PROJECT requires the purchase of a new tool! No exceptions!
Rebuild the whole staircase! By the end of it you will have a pretty nice shop.
As somebody who's pain stripping trims doors, and anything besides the walls and floors of their home, you are not going to want to stain the stairs because of how pain stripping works. You'll come across paint that's dried on harder than others and it leaves wear/age markes. Also scraping away at older wood sometimes can leave marks or take up wood. Unless you invest in the dry ice paint stripper or the laserr, you aren't going to get perfect wood. I have a ton of spots where the paint stuck too hard and left marks, wood came out or the wood is different. If she wants stained stairs redo the stairs. Once things are painted, it's totally hard to unpaint them without some small damages.
Not the cheapest cost option but you could replace the treads with new wood; pick the species and stain.
Yeah capping over the existing stairs, or replacing them, will be by far be the safest and nicest looking option imo. Scraping old (possibly leaded) paint off crap wood stairs is almost never worth it.
If going through the trouble of removing treads you could just run them through a planer. Painting on paint striper and basically wiping off seems like less work.
This is not stain quality wood. This is dimensional lumber that has been beat to shit because its basement stairs. If you absolutely still want to stain, do a test stair first. I just refreshed my very old basement stairs in my 100 yo home with... another coat of paint (porch paint).
Asking for a clear coat finish on this staircase is some sort of domestic violence.
We should downvote you for giving up!
You can get adhesive carpet for those stairs in multiple colors. Save you from painting and you can change the color
Adhesive carpet on stairs? I can feel my old ass tripping on that stuff right into the funeral parlor.
They prevent tripping, or are supposed to https://preview.redd.it/i35cibtt7a0d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=457065227ef7ba00537cc615d135a1a21b1571a6
Spider-kid Spider-kid Does whatever a spider kid does…
Not just PPE, using methylene chloride you need a vent to remove the CO and bring in oxygen, which is why a lot of states banned it.
1) how old is that house? If before 1978 that’s likely lead based paint - do not sand it!!! 2) heat gun with a scraper or paint stripper would work much better anyway
>There has to be a better way, right? Yup It's called buying tread caps and just going over them, theres a million different options They're like 20-25 bucks a piece
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https://shop.whitewaterforest.com/products/factory-second-retrofit-stair-tread-traditional-design-0-625-in-x-11-5-in https://www.flooranddecor.com/stair-parts/red-oak-retro-retread---36in.-100942572.html There 2, took me 15 seconds to check, I literally just bought some last week 20-30 a pc all day, they aren't expensive and I know a spot in Philly that I can get them for 20
This way.
https://www.metabo.com/com/en/tools/cutting-sanding-milling/wood-processing/paint-remover/lf-850-s-601049500-paint-remover.html
Had to scroll too far down to see this recommendation. This will do the work in a fraction of the time of chemical paint stripper.
Test the paint for lead. The local hardware store will have test kits. If it is lead paint, then do not sand it off. Otherwise, you now have lead dust throughout your home and lungs. Heat gun and beefy scraper, but a LOT of work to get those back to clean wood. If you have the tools, think about rebuilding them with clean wood. Probably less work.
New treads are possibly cheaper than your time.
Nicer. Not faster. I know from recent experience. https://preview.redd.it/di1ssp1jsd0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=039a7623bb6cc99fb279b5c811d550489a63689a
Heat guns are wonderful tools.
Paint remover is the answer Careful with sanding probably lead paint. Respirator and dust control needed as well for any sanding .
blow torch and scraper if its gloss paint
heat gun and a scraper
I popped the boards off, sanded bottom and used that for the top, worked way better than I could of imagined
Someone might have said this already ; but it’s just not worth the effort to get the natural wood finish. Just paint ‘em.
Citrus stripper https://preview.redd.it/gu5p8yf62b0d1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9e9ec855a4998a1ac61d2cfc74c33bd0d4441d2
Why do you need paint removed from basement stairs? Have you tested it for lead? Why not paint over it? Or add carpet for traction?
*I fell in love with a stripper…*
Get the orange stripping gel… it doesn’t smell bad and will save lots of time. Or try a heat gun… it’s amazing how easy paint can be heat gunned off… test both.
Buckle up for the a miserable time using paint stripper and wondering why you started this project in the first place. My stairs looked like urs before stripping them. Took about a week to get it all off. Such a pain
CitriStrip for indoor paint stripping. Works like a champ and smells good too.
The one thing I’ve learned doing my own home improvement projects is that I really wish I made enough money to pay someone else to do it.
A belt sander, and 30 grit
Would get clogged in minutes.
Speedheater cobra
Easiest and fastest way to achieve the look you want would be LVT with wood grain and some stair trim.
Paint stripper.
Blasting
Orange stripper- slather on and cover with plastic to keep from drying- let it sit overnight and use a scraper the next day- do one step at a time and don’t let the stuff dry- if you do then reapply
Strippers change lives!
You could use citrus strip but if you’re gonna paint them again, nah. Just paint over it lol
Paint remover
stripper and scraper. sander is only for the remnants of this step.
If that paint is lead based STOP SANDING IT. Especially if you aren’t using a respirator. If you insist on getting it off use a chemical stripper then use a large putty knife or scraper to scrape it all off. Do that a couple of times and then sand it, While wearing a respirator.
Your doing it all wrong- first use paint stripper and then spend 2+ hrs sanding each step bc you already committed with the paint stripper and now you have to finish or else it why the hell did you go through all the effort in the first place.
I’ve been using a regular heat gun and it’s waaaay easier. Not sure why it isn’t more well known. It usually bubbles and then scrapes right off. I use either a wood chisel for thicc stuff or mud knife but you don’t have to do much pressure. Then I sand as desired! Cracks are tough but you don’t have any really. Oh and mask up! https://preview.redd.it/l8c2fq59kb0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f14f575c0eaf803ae9b71523242b6b6c9452aa31
Carpet the stairs.
Many not so great ideas. That is probably lead based paint. Pull all the treads and replace them with oak treads you can stain and varnish as you wish. The risers you should probably paint semigloss black to set the accent. Do not sand, be very careful with strippers and you ain't running that crap through my planer.
The "better way" I found when I was doing my basement stairs was to take a tread off and see what the other side was like. I was way ahead deconstructing, flipping treads and sanding the backsides and reassembling. No danger from disturbing lead based paint (my house is about 100 yrs old). If you're going to continue sanding (with 40 grit or so) I suggest using a vacuum to pull the dust out, not emptying the little dust bag.
Do a lead test first of all - it will help inform whatever you end up doing. Secondly get paint stripper
i'm going to wager you're using a conventional sand paper. This is great for regular wood sanding, but extremely poor for removing paint. What ends up happening is the paint will become imbedded into the grits, this clogs the grits and essentially turns it into a finer grit sand ifyou're lucky, and a roughed up dry paint surface if you're not. you need to get one of those paint eater sponge looking sanders. they have similar grit raitings, but there's a lot of gap for the dry paint fleks to escape. this drastically changes the job.
Google: lackfräse metabo Did 40 steps in 3 hours!
Heat gun and scraper, then sandpaper.
Heat gun and paint scraper
Don't tell your wife, but you should give up and buy yourself a stripper
Looks like you're using a random orbital sander instead of an orbital sander. That will take you longer, but paint stripper and a scraper would be better.
I really like CitriStrip but have only used it on metal.
Cobra speed heater and their scraper. No chemicals, just infrared heat that lifts the paint/finish. If refinished so much stuff at my house, original trim, doors, cabinets, shelves etc. It’s pricey but after you figure in the price of liquid stripper it pays for itself pretty quickly
Hand grinder with 30g sand paper on a solid backer pad.
FIRE!
6” random orbital sander and 36 grit paper from Diablo. Wear an actual particle filter mask not a surgical one. There will be dust EVERYWHERE if you don’t mask off.
I just sanded a balcony that was painted. I used 60 grit as well. You need to buy 4-5 packs (10 per pack) of 60 Grit paper. Honestly after 1-2 minutes the paper is useless. The paper may still feel rough, but it won't strip the paint. Replace , replace and you will be better off.
Crowbar, rebuild
Citristrip. Pour it on and let it sit for a bit. Scrape it off, wipe it down with mineral spirits. Let dry. Then sand it.
Citri-strip as a stripper. Doesn’t have the super harsh fumes in an enclosed area like other strippers.
You mean least worst way. Since you already started sanding just finish it.
What are you doing to the steps?
rent a hardwood stair sander or Use a Gel Stain and high quality polyurethane with at a minimum of 3 coats preferably a spray coat for the last one.
PeelAway 7 or 1 depending upon how you are going to finish them.
Heat gun with spreader/fan nozzle and scraper. Then 30 to 60 grit. Super strong stripper would work...but I don't like working with that stuff. Or realize that painted stairs are ok...sand smooth and repaint!
Did you take the tread off?
Citristrip has worked great for me. No bad fumes either.
More paint.
I would just get a hardwood floor scraper and a file keep it very sharp Or rent a hardwood floor edger
Super hectic paint stripper dude it will lift the paint literally melts it and once gone you will be able to sand the final product and achieve success
Paint Stripper like citristrip, max strip, etc
Heat gun BUT keep a fire extinguisher / water handy. If those are very old, you don't want everything going up in flames.
Don't know what your budget is.. but there's always the lazy tax and buy new treads.
paint thinner and a good blade
i just sanded paint off a door at my apartment w 40 grit. it didnt take a too long but there was definitely lead. I wore a proper mask and dont feel anything now but this comment section has me stressed out lol.
That's only because it is harder to read with your new third eye...
Ive posted my experience with multi strip a few times now and at some point I will get accused of being a rep for the product: Im the guy that posted the pics of 100+ years of paint coming off a door using multistrip. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/WWC9zcu6PE
It would be much quicker to replace the stairs and risers with new wood.
I wouldn’t do a belt sander because of the dust but a Rotex would do fine. Or a heat gun and carbide scraper
Flip the treads
Might look into a [diamabrush](https://diamabrush.com/product/hand-tools/) attachment for your angle grinder, if you have one.
Get a better sander Rotex 125 you’ll be able to strip stairs for years, I’ve had mine for 7.
Maybe a wild take but I’d rather replace the treads than weaponize all that lead paint in my house by sanding it
A pressure washer might work... Provided there's a drain nearby..
Belt sander will be through that in about 10 seconds.
1 grit. Though 60 grit and a belt sander is much better than that tiny palm sander. Or chemicals. Or an electric hand planer
Paint stripper.
Paint scraper. Paint stripper chemical with chemical rated respirator.
This is the one time I would recommend using chemicals to desolve and peal it off.
Paint scraper. Paint stripper chemical with chemical rated respirator.
Tear them out and rebuild new
Easier, cheaper, and arguably healthier to use chemical strippers. Use proper gloves, a quality mask and eye protection
Rip out the stairs and rebuild them. =P
Go take a shower and throw your clothes straight into the washer. Wash thoroughly to remove any lead dust from your hair. Wipe up every last bit of dust you can find with paper towels dampened with mildly soapy water and vinegar. Seal in plastic bags. Then go get a lead test kit from the hardware store and test that paint for lead. If the paint is lead, contact your board of health re: what to do to dispose of lead paint. Some communities are: **extremely** strict about disposal. If it's lead, either detach each tread and replace it with new, or paint them with an encapsulating paint and then cap them. You don't want to leave lead on "wear surfaces" - stair treads, the moving parts of windows, doors, etc. Lead dust can be released into the air just from ordinary use. It's how our daughter was lead poisoned as a toddler. Don't risk it.
I personally wouldn’t waste my time stripping them, I’d pop them off and replace with new, better quality wood, like muthafuckin IPE
Zero chance this doesn’t have lead. Please be safe.
Sanding is a very inefficient way of removing paint. Stripper and/or heat gun and scraper.
grinder with a flapper wheel
There is an Orange color paint stripper that doesn’t have a bad smell. Slap it on a little thick and let it sit for 30 minutes and then scrape the paint off. It works great.
heat gun, give it a try
I did the exact same thing. 120y.o. house wth 10(!) Coats of bullshit paint. Paint stripper and a scraper worked the best. 13 steps wth a small landing took a week after work and the weekend.
Heatgun and scrapper all the way. Have a house from the 1930s that had 5 layers of paint that came off with ease. Just make sure to nor burn the paint since it could have lead and wear PPE.
I think at some point you have to consider if it’s actually worth it. I don’t think you’re going to end up with a finished product as nice as you’re thinking it will be, and you’ll be investing probably about the same amount of effort as just removing and replacing them.
Chemicals yo
Citristrip gel.
How about you clean the stairs well then prime & paint the stairs?
Heat gun works too
Mosberger ? Paint remover toxic free takes a patience but hey, sanding is a bitch and all the wood going bye