Staining Away

I jumped right into staining the stair treads after work today. I just love the time change, that and this fantastic weather we are experiencing (today was 75!). With more day light hours, it means that I can get more done!

Before I get into the staining process, let's back up a bit. After discovering that replacing the stair treads would be economically feasible, I set out to purchase treads. Little did I know that this would not be as easy as I thought. I called and went to several home improvement stores in search of 15 pine stair treads. Each store only had about 5-10 in stock, and on top of that the quality of the treads greatly varied. So not only were they short, but not all the treads in stock were good for staining. Many of the treads I found had lumps, deep knots, splitting, and in some cases holes! After 4 stores, and a lot of examining I am the proud owner of 13 treads. Yes, I am still in need of one! Hopefully, another stop tomorrow and I'll score the last tread.

I experimented with stain colors with what I had on hand, Minwax gel stain in mahogany and Minwax in antique walnut. After staring at the floor, literally!, and the stair treads for awhile I figured out that my floors had more red/orange in them. To be clear, the floors actually vary a lot in tone as their are a hundred years old. By the stairs they are dark, and the lighten and change throughout the first floor. So today I picked up a Minwax stain in red oak to mix in with the mahogany stain I already had.

I lined up all the boards in the back yard, and got my stain on! Me, the sunshine, and the cats! I used a regular angled wooden handle paintbrush and I mixed my stains in a plastic cup. I had plenty of old t-shirts on hand to wipe off the stain and paper towels too. Staining is a very quick and easy process, although it can be messy. I suggest wearing gloves (which I hate) but it'll be worth it not having to clean your hands with paint thinner or mineral spirits. Also, I recommend using Minwax gel stain. It is thicker and does not drip or run like normal stain can. It's a bit more pricey but it's worth it. I used it when I stained my handrails, and it made it so much easier.

Here's a close up for ya:

Oooooh, ahhhhh- aren't they beautiful! Are you wondering why there are "bare" spots on the boards in the photo? Well because I had to buy larger treads I had the opportunity to pick the best parts of the board to stain as we are going to cut off the extra parts.

So for now, the treads are hanging out in the backyard drying. Tomorrow, they'll each get a coat of semi-gloss polyurethane. And 24 hours after that, another coat. My wrists are sure getting a work out this week!