Painting stairs is extremely tedious and time-consuming; doing it yourself might drive you crazy. But if you can manage to take your time and do it right, you’ll be stunned by the end result.

The painting process may vary depending on your stylistic preferences (if you want to paint stripes or anything other than solid colors) but there are definitely some key techniques and strategies to make the process much smoother and the paint job cleaner and longer lasting.

Here are some tips for a perfect paint job:

• Clean Your Stairs: This goes for painting anything but because stairs get walked on so much, you want to give them the paint the best chance of withstanding the abuse. For the absolute best results, clean everything thoroughly with a wet rag, perhaps even dusting beforehand. Make sure that everything dries completely before you begin. As much as you try to avoid mistakes and dripping paint, one or the other is likely to happen so it would be wise to carry a towel with you as you paint.

• Make Sure You Get Quality Paint: Some things may get away with cheap paint but stairs are not one of those things. The highest-quality paint will ensure the longest-lasting paint job. Additionally, it would be in your best interest that ALL of your tools are high in quality.

• Rollers Over Paintbrushes: As far as painting tools go, rollers are likely going to be your best bet. Stairs are small so purchase a small roller, roller pan, and trim brush to enhance the quality of your work.

• Start from the Top: You don’t want to get stuck upstairs.

• Use Primer: A standard for most paint jobs, primer aids in the adhesion of your paint. Priming your stairs will protect both the stairs and the paint.

• Tape the Bottom of the Balusters

Runner or No Runner

If you want more than one solid color for the treads of your stairs, you can paint a runner down the middle as well. Doing so will require more tools and time but it does make for a more interesting look. Before you paint your runners, you will first prime and paint the stairs a base color. Once that dries, you will tape off the space where your runner will be.

Painting the Balusters

This is arguably the most nerve-wracking part of the whole job. Balusters are close together and the longer your staircase is, the more you will have to paint. First use a small piece of sandpaper to sand each one, clean them, prime them, and paint them with a small brush.

Stylistic Tips

You will want the stairs to match the handrail and the rest of the house. People commonly paint the treads of the stairs the same color as the handrail. The risers (unless you painted a runner) will usually match the balusters and both of those should match the trim in the house.

If you stick to these painting tips and keep your momentum, you should end up with an incredible staircase that’s as durable as it is beautiful.