Special Who has lacquers specifically for wooden staircases ?

CHOOSE THE RIGHT STEPS PLAN

YOU CHOOSE THE TYPE OF LACQUER DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE STAIRS AND THE EXPECTED TRAFFIC

Photo – Plastor

Finishing a wooden staircase isn’t as easy as it might seem. A staircase has to cope with several elements and also wears differently to a wooden floor in the living room. Amongst other things, we wonder how you start to lacquer a staircase, how many coats you apply and when, and how you make the finished staircase as scratch-resistant and scratch-proof as possible.

As always, we must stress the importance of good preparation. In this case, this means inspecting the wood for holes or other flaws and doing any required repairs properly. Apart from that, the main thing is to consider whether or not the wood has already been treated. If the wood is new, you will need to apply a coat of primer, something which is often not the case with previously treated stairs. If you discover that an acid or moisture-curing lacquer has been applied in the past, you should sandpaper the wood completely bare before you apply any lacquer.

How do you choose a suitable lacquer for a wooden staircase? It’s crucial to consider the location of the staircase and the expected volume of traffic. If you expect a lot of traffic, you should choose a dual-component lacquer. If you want to make the staircase ‘heavier’, you should consider applying an anti-slip lacquer. Obviously, you also think of the look, which can be matt or glossy.

Opaque or transparent?

We’re not going to cover the preparation here, but we’ll go straight to the lacquer itself. To sum up generally, you have two options, namely opaque or transparent lacquer. How do you use them both? Suppose you’ve opted for an opaque lacquer, which doesn’t retain

the wood’s natural look, but gives the staircase a non-transparent colour. You could then opt for paint, but it’s not a good idea because it doesn’t provide any protection against wear, stains, or dirt. If you use a staircase lacquer, this gives the wood colour on the one hand and combines it with a protective coat. However, if you prefer to leave the wood (and the grain) visible, there is a choice between a lacquer with silky gloss or a matt finish. Remember that transparent colours come best into their own on a softwood staircase. Note: Do you want both transparent and anti-slip? If so, look for special lacquers which are available for this purpose. These are lacquers with a colourless anti-slip grain.

Applying the lacquer

We said above that you have to go to work differently with new wood than with wood which has previously been treated. Here’s a steps plan for finishing with lacquer:

With new wood: - Clean the wood and remove all grease first. - Sandpaper the wood along the grain. Make sure that the bare wood is free of dust. - Apply three coats of lacquer. - Sandpaper the wood lightly between coats and always check that the wood is free of dust.

With treated wood (stain or paint): - Start by rough-sanding the staircase (P80-P120) to remove opaque coats of paint or stain and any damaged parts. - Then, sandpaper the bare wood to a medium texture (P150-P180/

P220) and make the wood dust-free. - Remove grease from the intact transparent coats of lacquer and stains. - Sandpaper again to a medium texture (P150-P180/P220) and make the wood dust-free. - Apply two coats of lacquer along the grain. Sandpaper lightly between coats and make the wood dust-free.

Cleaning tips for clients

Here’s another tip for clients after the finish. Remember to tell clients that they should clean the staircase properly. Periodically, they should also clean the coat of lacquer with a soapy detergent and a damp cloth. It’s also important to vacuum-clean regularly to remove dirt before it causes scratches. Also important is regular cleaning with a dust pan and brush, together with a damp cloth or mop. In all this, stress that it is essential to avoid using aggressive detergents.

Main sources: parketlak.nl and Cetabever.

What’s on the market ?

Blanchon

Blanchon doesn’t sell a specific varnish for hardwood or softwood, since a varnish has to have the widest possible scope. If professionals can use two and sometimes three different varnishes for different applications, they don’t express a preference for one of those varnishes for soft wood sorts. If the finish is suitable for hardwood (oak and exotic sorts), it will also be suitable for softwood. A lot of professionals use a hard varnish as a first coat, but that can be for technical reasons (adhesion to old floors), financial reasons, or due to the rapid drying. It tends to be on this point that the choice can vary. Soft wood sorts often absorb more than hard wood sorts and some hard primers ‘fill the wood pores’ more distinctly than others. Blanchon is acknowledged as a specialist in the use of polyurethane resins, which are highly effective and resistant and which offer professionals great ease of application. Several Blanchon sealers deploy this technology, whilst others are formulated with resins of biological origin.

Bona

Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip is a 100% polyurethane, 2-component, and waterborne lacquer which gives wooden floors outstanding durability and protection. Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip has been developed to meet the highest standards for slip resistance on work floors and other situations where floors may be damp. With its greater friction, Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip is the ideal choice for stairs, care homes, kitchens, and comparable locations. Outstanding durability and chemical resistance. Not susceptible to shoe marks. Excellent adhesion. Does not turn yellow ECR1 certified (very low emissions). Meets standard DIN 51 130 – R10.

Chimiver

ECOSTAR 2K is a two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer for wooden floors, characterized by high solid content, easy to apply, high pore wettability even on brushed woods giving a warm and pleasant shade to the floor treated. ECOSTAR 2K has high abrasion and sole marks resistances allowing its use for high traffic surfaces. CERTIFICATIONS: SURFACE RESISTANCE TO COLD LIQUIDS EN 12720 AND CHEMICALS AGENTS EN 13442. Determination of the Coefficient of Friction of floors- B.C.R.A Method (cycle ECOPRIME HS 120 + ECOSTAR 2K).