Finish for Stairs

[brnhornt]

Hey gang....I'm going to be refinishing the staircase at my house. Is there a consensus on what the best top coat would be that will hold up to daily use?

[Wild Turkey]

Several coats of Polyurethane.

And figure on redoing the bullnose after a few years, depending on usage.

[tomsteve]

id suggest a satin sheen,too. it doesnt show the wear like gloss will.

[theeviltwinn]

Waterlox original formula if you have the time and can put up with the smell.

Twinn

[mound]

theeviltwinn said:

---

Waterlox original formula if you have the time and can put up with the smell.

Twinn

---

This is what I used.. Yah, stinky for a while but the finish holds up incredibly well to abuse by kids and dogs running up and down it.

[Howard Acheson]

Be careful. Smooth finishes are very slippery. Particularly so if you are wearing socks. I would suggest a floor finish. They tend to be formulated to be less slippery.

[mike4244]

I use shellac,dries to the touch in less than 20 minutes,per coat.
I generally brush a 1-1/2 lb cut 3 to 4 times.The finish is shiny ,you can buff it to a matte finish if you wish.
mike

[John Mihich]

I used the stuff they use on bowling alleys; Fabulon. It dries real fast and is hard. I do not know if it's still available. If not - use poly floor finish.

If time is important then shellac will work - it's also really easy to recoat when needed.

[Cooler]

Poly is my first choice. But if you have pets the steps are going to be too slippery for them and they risk falling down the entire flight. Also kids wearing socks are at risk.

Dog's hind legs angle forward and only allow them to descend stairs using the last 2" of the steps (larger breeds like German Shepherds). The rear legs' "elbows hit the higher step forcing the foot pads to use just the limited end of the steps.

I had my German Shepherd fall down a full flight of steps (just a bloody nose) before I realized the need for the carpet runner.

http://www.localpuppybreeders.com/wp-con...ck_72850852.jpg

I prefer poly finish plus carpet runner with hardware: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zoroufy-Plate...mp;gclsrc=aw.ds

[Scoony]

I converted my stairs to wood and milled the treads from rough cut lumber. I stained them to match the floor and finished with MinWax Oil Modified Waterbased Poly. That was a year ago and the finish has stood up really well against kids and dogs. Water based finishes will dry much faster and leave a lot less odor in the house. Plus it will be easy to fix if needed.