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| Decorating a Staircase |
| Stencils bring a staircase to life. |
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Our House has done many stencilling stories. You may have seen some of them. This week we saw how the same technique can also be applied to a staircase. We added a small stencil to every third riser of a timber staircase.
1
You can make a simple stencil by photocopying your design, then coating both sides of the paper with a polyurethane varnish. When it's dry, cut out your design, making a template for each colour, and then seal with another coat of varnish. (We made a couple of extra templates, just in case).
2
Now you'll need to prepare the surface. The stairs we looked at had only recently been revarnished, so a thorough clean was ample. An abrasive cleaner like Ajax is great for this job because it lifts any ground-in dirt and roughens the surface just enough for the paint to adhere. The dirty black patches on the treads of our stairs could have been avoided with a buff like this before they were revarnished. Make sure you wipe the powder off as quickly as possible because any residue could bleach the timber or react with your paint.
3
Next, fix the stencil firmly in position with masking tape and mark the key points to match the second template later.
4
For the stencilling we chose a standard low-sheen acrylic from Wattyl, using a small sponge to apply the colour quickly. Pat any excess from the sponge first, then press on the template as you go. This avoids paint creeping behind the stencil. This sharp, stabbing motion is called stippling. When moving the stencil, check that the back is free of paint.
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When the first colour is dry it's time to do it all over again, adding detail in a contrasting colour. The key points you marked before will help you match up the design.
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Finish with a coat of Wattyl Easy Clear Finish to protect against scuff marks. Easy Clear is ideal for heavy-traffic areas.
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Materials
Sponge (cubed standard variety from Clark Rubber)
Stencil brush
Masking tape
25mm fitches to mix up colour on palette (a fitch is a thin paint brush used as a palette knife — mixes the paint faster)
Brushes — 2" (50mm) or 75mm brush (for Wattyl Easy Clear Finish)
Stencil knife and blades — to cut out stencils
Whiting (an abrasive powder)
Drawing paper
Pencils
Eraser
Ruler
Cutting board or small glass plate that is smooth and flat
Paint pots
A couple of glass palettes — to keep colours separate
Chalk and line
Heat gun
Dropsheet |
More Info
Wattyl Low Sheen acrylics and Wattyl Easy Clear finish used on stencil. A special thank-you to Granville College of TAFE Painting & Decorating, Sydney.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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