What To Use To Help Water Based Paint Stick To Handrails

Matt is a professional painter who owns and operates his own painting business, specializing in interior and exterior house painting.

Staircase spindles and railing I painted.

What'south the Best Style to Pigment Spindles?

Painting staircase spindles involves a process of cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting. The work is very tedious, but dated oak spindles look awesome when painted white.

There are a couple of ways to paint spindles after the prep work is done. The most common mode is to brush and ringlet the primer and paint, but a faster fashion is to use an airless sprayer or an HVLP sprayer (high volume, low force per unit area). If you don't happen to ain one, you tin rent either 1 from the paint store or near any major abode improvement shop.

HVLP Sprayer vs. Airless for Spindles

Also referred to as a cup sprayer, an HVLP unit produces far less over-spray than an airless sprayer, reducing fabric consumption and the masking that needs to exist done. An HVLP sprayer also produces a very fine end that can be adjusted to the narrow width of a spindle, unlike an airless sprayer.

With a loving cup sprayer though, acrylic paints are usually too thick to shoot through the gun, requiring thinning in accelerate. The problem with thinning acrylic is that information technology dilutes the paint and reduces its durability.

The sprayer you choose really depends on what you program to glaze the spindles with. If you use a thin, white pigmented lacquer, instead of pigment, a cup sprayer is the best selection, unless the particular unit you programme on using is capable of shooting acrylic paint without having to sparse it much.

The most common coating used for spindles is acrylic paint, in which instance a small airless sprayer would piece of work great, simply you demand to exist a little more careful with the masking to make sure the surrounding area is well protected from hovering over-spray.

Brushing and Rolling

If the idea of spraying paint inside your home makes you feel uneasy, you lot can besides achieve an awesome finish past using a quality pigment brush and a foam roller. The obvious disadvantage is that it'southward going to take longer to finish the job, merely when using the right roller, you can achieve professional results without all of the masking and worry about over-spray.

Ready the Spindles for Primer

Forest spindles need to exist cleaned before priming and painting. The protective lacquer on the surface besides needs to be dulled so the primer and paint forms a strong bond. Cover the floors with drop cloths and scrub the wood with TSP (tri sodium phosphate), using a coarse scrubbing pad. I use the green Scotch-Brite pads.

TSP etches and dulls the layer of lacquer on the surface. After the surface has been cleaned with TSP, wipe everything down with a little Dawn dish soap and a make clean rag to remove leftover residue that can cause bug with primer and paint adhesion.

Kickoff Sanding

There are several primer products that annunciate no sanding necessary, but you should still do thorough surface sanding earlier applying your primer. This volition provide a stronger bond and a meliorate end.

A random orbital sander works well for sanding spindles, but the sander commonly doesn't fit in between them, due to the tight spacing. What I do is use my Makita orbital sander on the front end and back, and then scuff the sides with a piece of sandpaper, wrapping information technology effectually the spindle.

The best grit is 80 to 100. This newspaper is more coarse and will get the sanding washed faster. You tin can too buy circular-shaped sandpaper, designed for spindles, but the price is usually greater than regular square sheets.

Best Primer for Wooden Spindles

Before priming, wipe the surface with a damp rag, or a tack textile, to become rid of sanding dust. Make sure the surface below is protected. If the spindles are unpainted and you plan to coat them with acrylic paint, an oil-based primer-sealer should be used, not latex. But if they're already painted, a latex bonding primer is a good choice. Extreme Bond Primer from Sherwin Williams would work well in that situation.

An oil-based primer similar Zinsser Comprehend Stain, or Pro Cake from Sherwin Williams, are two good products to use on unpainted spindles. I employ Cover Stain the nigh, but either one seals wood to keep tannin from bleeding into your paint.

Ringlet to Continue

Options for Applying Primer and Paint

Priming and painting staircase spindles with an HVLP sprayer, or an airless sprayer, is the easiest and fastest style to apply the material. It does accept some time to mask floor and nearby walls with plastic, but in one case the masking is done, the priming and painting part is so much faster than using a roller.

If you decide to spray the spindles with acrylic paint, an airless sprayer is a expert option and requires no thinning as an HVLP would.

Most homeowners are more comfy with the brush and roller method though. Choosing the right roller is important because y'all don't want to use a thick roller that's going to produce heavy stippling. The Flock Cream roller from Sherwin Williams is my personal favorite. It'due south a four-inch roller that produces a fine texture, very like to a sprayed look. I also utilize the same roller for brushing and rolling cabinet wall boxes.

Best Paint for Wood Spindles:

Emerald urethane enamel from Sherwin Williams. The paint dries hard for better durability. The semi-gloss finish is ideal for wood spindles.
Pro Classic Acrylic Semi-Gloss, or Gloss, from Sherwin Williams. The paint levels nicely, leaving backside minimal texturing, or brush strokes.
Waterborne Satin Impervo from Benjamin Moore. This is the Benjamin Moore equivalent to Pro Classic. This paint has excellent menstruation and leveling to get a smooth finish.

Emerald urethane enamel would exist my get-go choice when applying the material either by paw or using an airless sprayer. The pigment dries hard. All iii products look really nice foam rolled or sprayed.

Depending on how well your primer covered, 3 coats of paint are commonly needed to go solid coverage with a roller. When spraying, it usually takes one glaze of primer and two coats of paint for solid coverage.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes merely and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business organisation, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: How practice you tape off round spindles on a staircase if you don't desire to pigment the handrail?

Reply: If y'all're brushing and rolling the spindles, but not painting the handrail, you don't accept to tape off effectually the tops of the spindles. Simply employ an angled ane-inch brush to cut in the spindle tops where they fasten to the railing. If you're spray painting the spindles, you'll accept to cover the handrail completely. Unfortunately, there's no fast way to tape around the spindle tops at the handrail. You lot have to tear off minor pieces of tape and stick them to the underside of the railing around the spindles. Encompass the remainder of the rail with masking paper, or plastic.

Question: My spindles are stained and lacquer or varnished. What primer do you advise?

Respond: The oil-based primer Cover Stain is good. Information technology sands easily and dries hard. Oil-based primer should be used, not latex.

Question: I've just finished painting the spindles and banisters only I have noticed the odd drips etc how can I get these to the perfect end now? Would I be able to lightly sand the drips and and so touch up?

Answer: The best way to remove paint runs is by lightly wet sanding them with a clammy sanding sponge. The sanding sponges with 220-grit sandpaper on them are good for this. Wipe away the paint residue as you sand.

Question: What is the all-time type of brush to use for spindles? Are the foam ones any expert?

Answer: I similar the Purdy XL brush for spindles and trim. I've never used a foam brush.

Question: Do you paint the spindles or stain the walnut banister starting time?

Answer: I would stain first. Exist sure to comprehend the stained forest with masking paper when y'all paint the spindles.

Question: I am interested in painting over an existing stained and lacquered finish on staircase spindles and handrails. It has been stained a rich, cerise color and is sealed with a lacquer. I'm not certain what the best process is with regards to painting it a white color. Can yous offering any advice?

Answer: Clean and sand everything thoroughly to dull the glossy lacquer. And so prime and paint. You can also apply de-glosser to dull the lacquer, but sanding the surface thoroughly will achieve the same result without nasty chemicals.

Question: I've but had a new banister built that I will pigment. Hand rails and newels are unprimed poplar. The spindles are foursquare primed poplar. I am going to brush/curlicue everything white, probably drinking glass also simply the handrail will be a darker colour. What would you utilize for primer and color?

Answer: Utilize oil primer. I like Cover Stain oil primer. It seals the wood and serves as a practiced bail coat for your paint. I utilize Sherwin Williams paint, simply whatever you choose, utilize quality paint. Don't use cheap pigment for your project.

Question: I am staining 200+ new spindles for an outside deck (that will be stained before construction). Should I use an HVLP or airless sprayer? They will be sprayed in a driveway where overspray is not a problem but I don't know if the tip of an airless can go small-scale enough not to waste a lot of stainer. The spindles are ane"x1" effectually.

Answer: An airless is fine. Just turn the pressure down low and utilise a small tip. For spindles, use a 110, or a 112 tip. Graco has green fine finish tips that are available in those sizes, but you first need to check the characterization of the product yous're using for the recommended airless tip size. If the tip is too big, in that location volition be as well much overspray and wasted fabric. Too small-scale of a tip will cause clogs.

Question: I am using an HVLP to spray SW Extreme Bail Primer on metal chairs that accept been painted. I accept been told not to dilute the primer much only information technology is extremely thick. Exercise y'all take a recommended dilution for this product using an HVLP?

Reply: I don't, no. Farthermost Bond Primer is as well thick for a cup sprayer. You lot would have to thin the primer too much, potentially comprising the product.

Question: What would exist a adept primer for spindles previously stained?

Answer: BIN shellac primer, or Cover Stain oil primer, both by Zinsser, are good choices. BIN is thinner and sprays really nice with an airless sprayer, or an HVLP ready up. Information technology splatters like crazy when brushing and rolling, but dries faster than Cover Stain. The odor goes away faster with a window open. It really depends on how yous're applying information technology. I would personally mask off the area and spray the spindles with BIN. The sprayed end of BIN is much smoother and nicer looking than oil. Don't utilise a latex primer.

Question: what type of pigment exercise yous recommend for the stair treads??

Answer: A durable enamel would work well on the stair treads. The acrylic-alkyd ProClassic from Sherwin Williams, or Emerald urethane. Semi-gloss, or a gloss end, is good. If the forest isn't already painted, you lot'll of course accept to prime the treads beginning with a quality oil-based primer.

Matt 1000. (author) from United states on June 23, 2020:

Jenn,

Information technology'due south important to do surface cleaning and sanding. Doing both prepares the surface and so the primer and paint forms a stronger bond. Skip the TSP and use Dirtex pulverization cleaner in the box. Clean and rinse before sanding.

Jenn South on June 22, 2020:

I'm wondering about scrubbing with the TSP showtime and then sanding. Why do you demand both steps? Would sanding alone not prepare the surface? Is information technology worth the actress time and effort to do the TSP scrub?

Matt Thousand. (author) from United States on January 27, 2020:

Latex primer ordinarily doesn't finish tannin bleed. It also dries a lot softer than oil based primer.

Kusuma on January 27, 2020:

Can y'all please allow u.s.a. know why latex primer shouldn't be used?