6/20/16

Remodeling Basement Stairway

The wood stairs going down to the basement were covered with old peeling and chipping blue-grey paint. I decided last summer to remove the paint and then stain and finish the wood if it was in decent shape.

After determining the paint was lead based, I bought a respirator, took necessary precautions and stripped the paint over the course of 5 or 6 months. It was a long, tedious, and arduous process, causing sore back, stiff neck and fatigued arms. I received massage therapy!

I found the wood steps were fir and in decent shape. The risers and skirt were pine and rough, damaged and dented. I sealed the area with plastic sheets and sanded, and sanded, and sanded, eventually realizing I didn’t have the right tools to complete the sanding.

Melanie and I decided to stain and finish the steps, but repair and repaint the skirt and risers. Apparently, this is a common and popular look in contemporary design and construction.

After a number of calls, I was able to hire a local wood flooring company to finish sanding and then stain and finish the steps. It took longer than I’d hoped, but so had the rest of the project, so what’s another 2 or 3 months, right? They did a nice job once they got here, and charged a fair price for a part of the project I didn’t want to do.

When the steps were done, I painted the risers and skirt. While I was at it, I repainted the ceiling and walls of the stairwell area to complete the project. It took the better part of a year mucking my way through it, but it’s much more attractive and enjoyable now.