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basement pine wood steps

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-08          105743


I have a house that is almost 8 years old. My basement steps are made of pine. They were stained by the builder and looked real good for about 4-5 years. Recently they are showing alot of wear(of the stain/color not material) and fading. I plan to re finish them. I am pretty sure (almost 100%) they never had poly or anything like that on them. If this is the case, do you think they were left just stained because poly or anything like that may get slippery when wet? This is my thinking anyway along with the floor type polyurethane may wear off and really look like shit then.
Anyone here have an opinion or method for what I am planning here? I was just going to stain them twice and leave that way. I am open for suggestions?




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StephenR
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 230 New Tripoli, Pa.
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2005-02-08          105751


This was the first thing I did to our new house when we moved in 5 1/2 yrs ago. I sanded off all the over spray and stained it a medium oak. I finished with a water based polyurethane that I don't remember the name of, but it was good quality. We've had no problem with anybody slipping, and we have a 5yr old and a 3yr old. It still looks great if I do say so myself. ....


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basement pine wood steps

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AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2005-02-08          105752


Minwax makes a water based "polyurethane" called Polyacrylic ....


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basement pine wood steps

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2005-02-08          105760


Broken; I'll have to chime in with AnnBrush, Minwax makes top quality products. The last few years I was in the shop we used them exclusively. I don't remember for sure their web address, it may be on a can, but they will help you any tech questions you have about their products. Frank. ....


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basement pine wood steps

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2005-02-08          105762


I would lightly sand the steps and rub in a stain that matches and cover it with polyurethane. It will look like new. I don't like the water base products but it is up to everyones preference. I always glue and tack down the rubber tread mats. I feel the chances of slipping with wet feet on polyurethane is all to likely to happen. ....


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basement pine wood steps

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shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 848 Wisconsin
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2005-02-08          105765


I don't like the water based products either. They seem to be harder when cured than regular poly but they don't have the oils in them to bring out the wood grain that I like. High contrast grain might not be an issue with your basement steps so in that case the waterbased should work well.
Dave ....


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basement pine wood steps

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-08          105775


Great! So I take it that the consensus here is that I should use a poly. The builders more than likely did not do that because.. Hmmm They did not have too, its not their house, it was cheaper and faster not to. LOL Will do on that poly. I have used minwax many many times. The polyacrylic I believe is the best for light color soft woods with no stain base to it. The oil base will tend to yellow or amber it. (hint: The whole interior of my second house is pine and much of it was left natural color) LOL. My concern was with the steps being used all the time. I guess I should look into what is used on wood floors and go with that. Thanks alot guys/gals although you all just talked me into anouther 2 days of work I really do appreciate the input! ....


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basement pine wood steps

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Ardician
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 59 Evergreen, Alabama
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2005-02-08          105788


I built a mahoghany interior ladder (sort of a nautical style) for my kids' playhouse and added these adhesive backed grip strips to the treads, which work great. I can't remember the brand but I bought them at Lowe's or Home Depot. They are precut strips that come in various lengths, are about one inch wide and have rounded ends. They are black in color and made out of a sort of rough grit, very durable kind of sandpaper and are peel-and stick. Not only do they virtually eliminate slippage, but they have served to protect the finish on the treads from any discernable wear and tear. I put them very near (but not exactly on) the front edge of the treads, where it seemed to me that the most natural foot trafic would bear. You may have to use more than one per tread for stairs. My treads don't have polyurethane but were nonetheless quite slick from the fine sanding and tung oil finish that I applied. Your pine stairs would probably benefit greatly from a good coat of poly. Good luck. ....


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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-08          105794


Ardician
I know exactly what your talking about. My father was a big fan of this product. When I was cleaning his bathtub (which he had resurfaced with that porcilan coating) Do not use it on your bath tub surface. He put it on the top of the entry side. WOW, it took me 40 min. to get it off. you know what it did too. So I wound up buying anouther strip of it and put it where the mark was left. He put it on his treads from his living room down to his patio outside on the steps I built for him It has been there for 2-3 years now and still sticking great! Dont know what adheisive they use but it sire is good!
I wont be using it on the steps in my basement though. 2 reasons. 1. my wife is a clean freak and wipes and vacumes the steps weekly if not more. Anything that would hold dust and dirt would be inhibative of her doing her thing. The other is that I feel they shed that grit little by little and would add to the mess. 2. Plain and simple, these steps actually lead to anouther room I built in the basement, I want them to look like living quarters quality for the rest is all finished also.
But that is great info for people to consider in other applications. (Now watch when I am done I slip on the darn steps and wish I took your advice!) LOL ....


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basement pine wood steps

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grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 677 central Maine
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2005-02-09          105805


Annbrush
I think no matter what product you use for a topcoat, they should be sealed first. If you are going to restain do that first. Then I apply a sanding/sealer product before topcoat.
You can apply waterbase over oil but not the other way around.
Oil base products will last longer.
If you are not opposed to paint, then a good quality porch deck paint over an oil primer will last for many years.
I put a little fine sand on the treads between coats,
on stairs that may be dangerous. ....


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basement pine wood steps

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-09          105850


My wife would de-brain me if I used paint. Anything with a grain is mean't to be stained (in her book) LOL.
We see these home improvement shows ie:trading spaces etc. and they paint everything! YUK!! I get a shiver running down my back when they pull out the paint for kitchen cabinets. Reminds me of my rental days. I know thw "knew trend" is sleek and smooth but I will stick with the good ole natural look. Way I see it (only my preferance and my wifes) is that paint was mean't for partical board or something man made.
(Can you tell I spent a few years stripping cabinets of multi layers of paint?) 3 different times! twice in apartments (the land lord loved me) this was on orders of my bride, "If we are going to stay here these cabinets are going to open/shut and look good! LOL. Then I bought a house for profit. Gutted the whole kitchen and what a mistake! Instead of spending the money and replacing the cabinets I stripped them by hand!!! Stain and 3 coats of poly. (could not do more than 3, I was spent!) Anyway
LMAO PAINT???? Heck I wont even put a solid color stain on my deck!
Here is the problem. I have a basement bedroom in my house (my son wanted to get as far away from his sisters as possible) It really is a great room! Problem is where does he go when I am doing this to the steps? He is in honors everything in his senior year and needs his computer almost everyday, Was thinking about doing half at a time (and not the bottom half and then the top) LOL I mean one side if the steps then the other side later? ....


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shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 848 Wisconsin
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2005-02-10          105879


Broken, even though I recommend the oil poly I have had very good results with the waterbased stains (Minwax). They look awful when you first apply them because again they don't have the oils in them that a traditional oil based stain has to bring out the grain. But when you apply the poly over the stain the color and grain comes out beautifully. They only take a few minutes to dry too which will help shorten the time the steps can't be used.
Dave ....


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basement pine wood steps

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-10          105893


Bingo! That was what I was thinking also. Turnaround time is quick. So I know what I am doing Sunday night and Monday morning! ....


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basement pine wood steps

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grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 677 central Maine
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2005-02-13          106000


Brokenarrow
Don't you have another means of access for the basement bedrm? Hope you have big windows in that bedroom. ....


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Hettric
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 133 MA
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2005-02-13          106028


Broken, if you do half a tread at a time you are sure to have a line in the final job, do every other step, your son will manage. ....


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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2005-02-13          106031


Broken, after using CWF on my deck and having to belt sand the entire deck to remove it I am a firm believer in solid color stains. You get to use translucent stains only once when your wood is new, after that when restaining - you had better use solid color. My house is all cedar, and so is my deck and gazebo - I have been going through a continuous learning process in staining exterior house woods. Consumer Reports suggests you use solid color stains also after using translucent the first time around.

On my basement steps I used a concrete paint which matches the paint I painted the basement floor. Epoxy based - it holds up great over the years. I was looking not for great looks on the basement steps - but something that you can vacume and clean up (that was the wife's orders). Also it protects against radon - which is around my area.

I realize I am a little off the thread with my remarks - it just triggered me because I just restained and varnished my 4 skylights over the last 2 weekends. That leads to repainting the sheetrock around the skylights, re-spackling cracks from settling of the house and sanding/sponging so as to minimize dust for the wife. After a lifetime of this stuff - no matter what house you are in - you begin to have opinions on this stuff. ....


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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-13          106035


Ncrunch
I remember your projects!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Yes my mom has a solid on her cedar also. Good advice you gave! I tested for radon last year (or right before he moved into the badroom) Test results came back real good, nothing to worry about.
HETTRIC !!!! Your a genious!! Thank you!
Grinder
I have a co/fire alarm/detector in the basement. I also have 2 more down there besides that one(one in his room) 2 outside with one right above the dryer. PLUS I have the whole house hardwired with detectors. One of which is also in the basement so if one goes off they all do. That makes 4 in the basement. Not to overstate that fact, and I knew where you were going with that. I already was very concerned about the fire and escape route since I DO NOT have egress windows. I do how ever have windows that pop out easily and I have a ladder perminantly at the base of the window. NOW!! For the other matter. LOL My son although he is 17 1/2 he is a twig! LOL He is 118# with clothes on and can fit thru a crack between my deck boards! LOL (Not really that skinny) ! Thank you for heading towards the egress windows though. Many many folks don't even give it a thought when putting in a basement room. My next house will have atleast one egress in the basement.
A side note of info for all.
My builders done a pretty darn good job with only 1 real bad mistake and 1 that I did not catch on the design but I can live with it. Here is one thing I found when putting in the room in the basement. The fools put in one basement window backwards! Yep all you would of had to do was pull it out from the outside and you would be in!!! This makes me wonder (being a guy who dont trust anyone) about the sub contractors on the job. Makes me wonder if other owners have ever experianced a easy break in after a house was built. Probably is not too much too worry about but if I were you I would check the basement windows after the house is built.
I have a 101 degree fever and think I have the flu (first time in for ever and I have never got the shot) SIck as a dog! So the steps will have to wait a few days. Been sick since Friday so we should be pulling out of it soon. Thanks again great ideas. Every other step it will be! ....


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grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 677 central Maine
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2005-02-14          106039


Brokenarrow
I am glad you picked up on that. I know for a fact that it is a commonly overlooked severe hazard.
A basement fire will head for the stairs and block them off.
A battery back-up light pointing the way to that window isn't a bad idea. I'm the same on those smoke alarms,can't
have enough. Hard wired with battery back -up.
One shot of warmed up Bourbon before bed and sweat that
flu right out of you! So my folks use to say anyway. ....


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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2005-02-14          106061


Fact is that this convesation has made me decide to go one step further. This may be hard to believe but in his room you have a hard time hearing anything outside of it. I used 2x4 wall studs but this room has 1/2" osb on the lower half (easier to apply the pine tounge and groove wayne's coat to wood than drywall, I like to nail and glue). Also I insulated the heck out of the room including the cieling with 6" of fiberglass. Anyway, I pushed the battery operated alarms and unless you were awake or were a light sleeper it would be hard to hear the alarms outside if only one waw going off. As soon as I pull out of this clod I am installing a hard wired one inside his room connected to all the others. This is something I should of done a year ago. Thanks for the reminder!
Oh by the way, when I was young it was warmed up (honey/lemon and brandy) lol. I think I read somewhere that since those day's they have proved that a few kids have died from the honey being so thick and the cold shutting off the breathing or something like that) LOL
Times have changed eh!
Being on many safety committees and programs at work I have had the opportunuty to attend classes in fire prevention and fire fighting. I ask all here to make sure they have smoke detectors that are working. They are so darn cheap put one in every room and hall. I did not believe how fast a fire spreads seconds actually can save your life. ....


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chellax
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 2 Melbourne Australia
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2011-04-11          177902


I got my basement fixed by a contractor. I was very satisfied with the result because for 5 years i never thought it could still be as new as it was right now. :-)
....


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