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marleeoldhouse

1890's stair stripping and restoration

marleeOLDHouse
9 years ago

Hello all,
It's now or never...the rug is worn so it's time for it to hit the road. With that in mind here I go stripping them all to reveal what I hope is their former glory.

I did the posts years ago but I got burned out since it took me a week each post. I finished them with double boiled linseed oil and I love the patina it has taken on.

Now the stairs are my winter project, it takes me about 4 hours per step, first I use the heat gun, then the stripper with steel wool. I think they are BC fir. I intend to sand them a little, paint the risers, maybe dye them a little with a water based dye and then finish them off with linseed oil, but I'm not sure. I like the aged europeen floor board look. Any suggestions...maybe a mixture of turpintine and linseed oil (I know the clothes are flammable). Anyone ever try?

Comments (36)

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sorry not sure how to post more than 1 photo at a time....

  • Imhappy&Iknowit IOWA zone 4b
    9 years ago

    I want your carpet! And if you'd come and help me strip rubber back carpet off my steps you could be my best friend.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Haha .... What's left of that 1970's pink and turquoise carpet is yours if you want it!

    Doesn't it your rubber backing come off with a metal craper?

  • Imhappy&Iknowit IOWA zone 4b
    9 years ago

    I'm still looking at it and contemplating the work. I'm sure it's glued on. It was here when I got here, 11 years ago.
    Goes all the way up the old ugly steps to the landing at top, 8ish by 9ish and into one bedroom that's about 14x14ish.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I hesitated before starting thinking it was glued but TG it wasn't just thousands of staples which is a pain to remove. However not as bad as glue I think. I would be curious check under a top step...

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    9 years ago

    You made incredible progress in a single day. It looks good. Stripping the ballusters too?
    Casey

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Casey,
    No i don't plan on doing the ballusters, I think I'm going to leave them the same color as the trim which is off white. I hope to finish by spring...wish me patience.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    hi Casey,
    1st photo was taken october 2014...i wish it had taken in a day. Here is last week. It moving a long but not done yet.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Side view

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    View from the top of stairs

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Landing will be a 2 day job i think? i m not there yet but soon...will post more photos as i go.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Landing will be a 2 day job i think? i m not there yet but soon...will post more photos as i go.

    {{gwi:2134610}}

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Finished the stairs last weekend, the landing today. One step left to do...then retouch here and there before moving on to the sanding

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    View from the bottom

  • jlc712
    9 years ago

    It looks great! What an improvement to that beautiful staircase. Nice job!

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago

    Holy moly.
    Those are the most lovely stairs I've seen in a while! Even the white spindles look lovely in contrast.

    I don't know if you are looking to keep the raw wood look, but if you are I suggest paint base. I've used it now on several doors I've stripped because I didn't want a sheen, but wanted to have this clean wood look. Citristrip got me back to raw, even removing the stain, BTW.

    Based upon research on exterior door coatings I've read, I chose Flat, exterior latex DARK (sometimes called a 4 or 5) paint base. It goes on white (scream!) but dries so matte that it doesn't look like there's anything on the wood. It soaks into the raw wood well, even though I know it's a coating. Exterior paint base has all the water and UV protection stuff I thought was a good idea, anyway.

    Just a thought. Those steps are too gorgeous to cover up ever again! You've rejuvenated that entry. I would be very proud and showing everyone who came in the house how beautiful it was. I'd probably even show delivery people, just in case. LOL!

  • jellytoast
    9 years ago

    Those stairs do look spectacular! Looking forward to seeing the finished project.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    CEfreeman thank you for your kind response. Are you talking about a water based poly ? Will look into it because I ve never heard about it. I would like a matte finish and for them to stay a natural color if possible however I may have to stain them (water based stain samana) because the middle of the steps are darker but I haven't sanded yet so maybe I wont need it?

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago

    No, I didn't mean water based poly. As odd as it sounds, I meant exactly what I said: Paint BASE.

    Here it is again:
    >>I chose Flat, exterior latex DARK (sometimes called a 4 or 5) paint base. It goes on white (scream!) but dries so matte that it doesn't look like there's anything on the wood. It soaks into the raw wood well, even though I know it's a coating. Exterior paint base has all the water and UV protection stuff I thought was a good idea, anyway. Being an old house, and being someone who likes age (other than on my face) I would be inclined to simply coat them as is. If you were to stain them, I think I'd try to go close, but trying to match would take an incredible professional. It would change the look of your stairs a lot, too.

    You won't find anyone at a paint store knowing what I'm talking about. When I found some BM paint base 5 on sale, I was all happy. The paint guy was horrified and told me I was wrong/crazy and not to "take chances like that." I read about it a couple of years ago on the Paint forum, and did a lot of online reading. Most convincing was a fellow who had a front door in his yard for a year or so to test it. Because....

    I was stripping stain out of my mahogany front door (another thing people told me can't be done: WRONG AGAIN they were!) and didn't want anything that would yellow (-urethane products), be more durable than poly acrylics, and didn't want to fuss with Waterlox or marine varnish. Like a butcher block, if it scratched, I didn't want it to mildew underneath.

    On my test piece, which I soaked with I think 4 coats of paint base, so far it's resisting mold and mildew and is staying water repellant. i.e. water continues to bead. My test piece is some butcher block I cobbled together, coated, and scratched. Actually took a hammer and paring knife to it. Every time I use the sink, I stick this in water and let it sit on the counter to dry on its own.

    Just pick up a small can of base, take a breath, and paint that white stuff on something. You'll be shocked at how clear and matte it dries. It really looks like there's nothing there. When you poly something, it darkens it a bit, right? This doesn't.

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    What do i ask for when i go to my local home depot. Dark paint base?

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago

    Write this down:

    "I need a can of Flat, exterior latex DARK paint base used for the darkest or black paint."
    "No thank you, I just want the base."
    "If I tell you what I'm going to do with it, I'm going to have to kill you. We don't want that, now do we?"

    I don't think I mentioned that I did a light sand between coats. Just because it is paint, after all. Couldn't see it, either, but the finish is silky!

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hahaha! Love it I'm just crazy enough to say that. Since its latex i imagine it dries rather quickly?

  • artemis_ma
    9 years ago

    Lovely! Brings me hope for my upcoming basement stair progress!! I just gotta remember patience and that I'm not getting rid of the old carpet in just one day! (Especially since mine IS glued....)

  • marleeOLDHouse
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Artemmis,
    Dont tell you self your going to redo the whole stairs, it's just to big a task, tell yourself your going to do 1 step a week.

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    I am following this thread since after my tax season, I want to do something about the very old carpet on my pine wood steps going from the first floor to the second floor of my townhouse. They are pretty and the sides can be seen in the family room with pretty white spindles and a medium oak wood. My floors downstairs are Brazilian Cherry Floors.

  • marleesanders
    9 years ago

    Susanlynn2012: add some photos we want to see :)

  • marleesanders
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I finished, that's It I'm done and truth be told, almost done in. Here are the final photos. I decided finally to finish them off with clear wax from a company called Briwax. With 3 cats in the house it was the easiest thing to do since it needed no drying time.

  • marleesanders
    8 years ago

  • marleesanders
    8 years ago

    side view

  • patriceny
    8 years ago

    Shockingly beautiful. You did an amazing job!!!!

  • Vith
    8 years ago

    Well done, lots of work for that.

  • Rudebekia
    8 years ago

    Just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your hard work and fabulous results!

  • Katerina Stepovikov
    6 years ago

    You should be very proud. Magnificent job !!!

  • Laura
    6 years ago

    Since this thread got bumped, I might as well chime in too - absolutely stunning! You should be proud of yourself @marleesanders Scraping and stripping is such a time sucking endless beating of a job, but I hope you still smile every time you walk up these stairs!

  • HU-245604527
    3 years ago

    A Swiss floor sander in 1987 gave us a recipe to clean the floor with 1/3 kerosene, 1/3 Mineral Turps and 1/3 Vinegar with a drop of Eucalyptus oil. Now 2020 and have never sanded the floor since, House built 1880's. Said never wash with water.